What's the purpose of the church?

Recent events have grown our understanding of what it means to be church. Previously we said, 'the church is the people, not the building', now we are living that truth. As we grow in our understanding, and seek to let that shape our practice as we emerge from lockdown, it leads us to another question - what is the purpose of the church? Why exactly does God need a people?

Now, if you asked any church - you could come up with as many answers as there are people in the church. That's why I am thankful for todays reading, which gives us the primary purpose of the church.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

So what is the purpose of the church?

The church exists to declare God's praises. To sing about salvation. To publicly say 'our God saves.'

Everything else we do as a church falls secondary to this.

How are you going to declare God's praise today?