A church is a family unit, a household. This is less of a word-picture (like the church being the body) and more of a true description of the way church works.
Household, or Oikos, was a group of people related by blood or dwelling. It is the basic unit of society. A church is an Oikos where the Kingdom of God is experienced. It is the triangle.
However, people in a church also tend to have ties to other Oikoses. Their families, neighborhoods, workplaces, etc. can all function as basic relationship circles.
When the church uses the “extras” of the square (building, staff, programs, money), these things intended to strengthen the church in its mission can actually serve as a wall, keeping people out. The result is people from the church need to go outside the church to interact with and reach lost people with the Gospel.
Once someone outside comes to faith, a crucial choice must be made. Do we bring them into the Oikos of the church,
or do we bring church into their home Oikos?
Being church outside the building in other social situations, Monday through Friday, in a sort of network of households, is a better way to strengthen the mission of the church; independent of whether there is a square somewhere in the network or not.
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