The Gift of the Church

By Kathryn Parry

Accra, Ghana 

Scripture reading: 

• Ephesians 1:22-23
• Matthew 16:18
• Acts 2:42-47

On my day of baptism, I was asked two questions, and I believe the same was asked of you too. The answer to the second – What is your good confession? – was “Jesus is Lord!”

Because of this good confession, I got baptized, my sins were forgiven, I received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and I became part of God’s church with Christ as the head - a great gift from God. 

When Philippians 2:11 declares Jesus as Lord, the word used is kurios, which signifies that He has power and authority.

Ephesians 1:22-23 (NIV)

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

This is a profound declaration of Christ’s authority and supremacy over all things, highlighting His intimate connection with the church. 

Matthew 16:18 (NIV)

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

I find security in Jesus' declaration that the gates of Hades will not overcome His church.

Today we are called to support Jesus' ministry as the church - the body of Christ. Each of us is called to play our role and we have the word of God as a guide. 

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Members of the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” All these activities are essential to growing in Christ.  The same Spirit who worked powerfully in the early church continues to work in and through the church today.

Devotion to the word of God means far more than being in a Bible study with others; it means belonging to a community where you have the opportunity to live out the Word. Studying the Bible should result in showing hospitality, bearing burdens, serving, loving generously sacrificially, and more. The church is about baptized disciples doing life together.  These people are willing to sell property and possessions to help each other out, and they’re spending time together daily worshipping. And that is what I signed up for when I became a disciple. Spending time with each other, caring for each other, being willing to sacrifice for each other, giving generously to each other, and sharing a common life.

Like a branch that grows because of its connection to the tree, we thrive when we stay connected to the church and that is what happens to us when we face challenges in our lives as disciples.

Five years into my marriage, I got pregnant with my second child.  I received this pregnancy with much joy and thanksgiving to God. In the fifth month, I suffered a miscarriage. That was a sad period for me and my husband. During that period, I would think, What is wrong with me? I had friends who had gotten pregnant around the same period and their babies survived, so I wondered whether God had abandoned me. 

My church family, however, helped me overcome this patch of my life and I was very grateful for the support I had from the sisters. My connection with the sisters helped me bounce back; and this has been the case in many other situations in my life as a Christian. I have experienced the real meaning of 1 Corinthians 12:26 - “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it”. 

Sometimes when we go through challenges in our lives, we clam up and behave as if God has abandoned us and nobody understands, but I believe that God has given us, as disciples, the gift of the church (the body of disciples) to support us in times such as this and in many other ways. 

I have had situations where I have been hurt by one sister or the other. Yes, we will get hurt. I actually think this is part of God’s plan for the church. He wants us to learn to forgive and show grace. This is where it takes true grit and a test of faith. This should not lead us to walk away from the church.

In situations like this, it’s easy to forget that the church is one of God’s great gifts to us. He has given us Christ. He has given us His Spirit. He has given us His word. But He has also given us the church. God knows that as disciples we need one another. 

Life together has wonderful times of encouragement and joy but also bruises and frustrations; however, we stick it out because we love Jesus and each other. 

The “one-another commands” in the New Testament give clarity to our shared life in the church. 

The result of this church family studying the scriptures together, doing life together, sharing meals and communion together, and praying together creates something so unique, distinct, and wonderful that others can’t help but to come to faith in Christ. 

Questions for Reflection:

1. What does it look like to participate in the reality of Christ being the head of the church?

2. Do I see the church as a gift from God? Have I encountered any hurts? How have my past hurts affected my current church experience or expectations? 

3. Is my personal relationship with Jesus radically and positively impacting my relationship with my brothers and sisters in the church? 

Today I will:

Invite a sister or family to my home who I’ve never had over before. This can be someone I don’t know really well, or someone I do know really well, but have never invited over. 

About the Author:

Kathryn Parry was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. After her undergraduate education at the University of Cape-Coast in Ghana, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Religions, she moved to London where she lived and worked for six years. It was during this period that she was met, studied the Bible, and got baptized into Christ in the church in East London. She returned to Ghana in August 1992, six months after the church had been planted in the city of Accra.  A committed disciple with over 32 years in the faith, Kathryn is married to Jimmy Parry, an elder in the church in Ghana. They have two children, Kevin and Daphne, who are both disciples. She and her husband have used their love for God to serve in the children's, singles’, and marrieds’ ministries. They have also served in HOPE worldwide, Ghana as coordinators. They currently lead the Youth and Family ministry in Ghana. Kathryn is a human resource specialist and holds a master’s degree in human resource management. However, her true passion lies in studying and sharing the word of God, through which she has seen God work powerfully in her own life.