Often times when I talk to people about Jesus they refer to the church and when they reference the church they perceive it as an institution. They seem to perceive the church as over organized, impersonal, hierarchy that is more focused on promoting a common mantra or doctrine than genuinely exploring spiritual discussion.

As a result, people are stepping away from church and sometimes Jesus and looking for spiritual insight in other measures. Today it isn’t difficult to find other avenues for spiritual insight. There are blogs, podcasts, books, sermons, translations, commentaries, and other forms of content that provide enough fodder for anyone to spend years sifting through. Therefore, what is the purpose of the church? Is it possible to still gather as a church body without becoming an institution? When does a church become an institution?