In recent years a great many Christians, disturbed by the absence of a vital witness to Christ in his churches, have prayed something to the effect, “Lord, revive thy church beginning with me.” A good intention--and a prayer that probably stimulates genuine religious sentiment among God’s people; but as it is, there lie beneath its surface some misleading assumptions about the nature of the church and the renewal it needs today.
If, as a social construct, the church of Jesus Christ is only an adventitious, incidental coming together of believers with similar persuasions, then increasing numbers of revived/converted individuals could certainly result in stronger, more lively groups. Unfortunately the great majority of Christian congregations see themselves with no more specific social mission than this; and in theory; therefore, personal conversion revivals seem to be enough to keep the machinery going year after year. But I, for one, seriously challenge the assumption that by increasing the number of fervently witnessing members (either by reviving the old or converting some new ones) a church will find renewal and approach more fully its true calling in Christ.
As I understand the New Testament vision of the church, witnessing lay people could never alone make living churches.
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