Para-Church ministries

As we launch into our new series on Vintage Church, we have posed a looming question of “What is the Church”. In reflecting this question, one quickly will go the opposite direction asking: “What is not the Church”. In particular…lets ponder a biggy: “What about para-Church ministries?” Are para-Church ministries the Church?
This question lies near and dear to my heart. My parents have been in full time ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ for 35+ years. Hundreds to perhaps thousands have come to Christ through their commitment, faithfulness, and leadership. The question we pose however is not whether or not para-Church ministries like these have been blessed by God or are effective, this goes without saying. The question we ask is: are they the Church.
I like the definition Pastor Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill, Seattle) gives to what makes up a Church. He says:
The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and communion, are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great commission as missionaries to the world for god’s glory and their joy.

Operating under this definition, I think it is clear that para-church ministries such as Campus Crusade for Christ, New Life Ranch, Young Life, and Lightbearers are NOT the Church. The beautiful thing about organizations such as these however is that GOD IS USING THEM FOR KINGDOM MOVEMENT. They have clearly throughout the past 100 years been some of the most significant missional movers in Western Christianity.

So-what-do-we-do-about-it?
I think we call these ministries for what they are: When done right, they are missional arms of effective Churches. In no way is it wrong to support or be involved in these. We should back them with our time, effort, and finances. They should not however become a replacement for the Church but rather a pipeline too it. The most healthy para-Church ministries I have seen are the ones who come alongside the Church, pushing new believers into its Discipleship and Accountability strategies. In this, para-Church ministries live out that which they are defined for (para-Church: of the Church).

Deep thoughts from a Shallow guy-
Matt Newman