By Jeff Brink, February 27, 2024

When Jesus promised to build His Church, it was singular (Matthew 16:18). Just hours before His death, Jesus prayed that all believers would “be one” (John 17:20-21). The Lord always intended for there to be only one Church. This means a single, united, and global Church which has its basis in Christ Jesus.

Too often today, local churches operate in a siloed manner. Although well-intentioned, church leaders focus on their flock and don’t always encourage harmony or connectivity with THE Church. I believe too much emphasis is placed on differences and traditions instead of commonality in the most important aspect of Christianity – believing in and following Christ. It is bewildering to see such a “denominational divide” and mistrust separating Christians, especially since Jesus clearly called us to be a united body with Him as the head.

What if we could act beyond our local churches, as citizens of Heaven, to bridge this divide and promote unity within the Church? We actually can, and in very impactful ways. The primary reason for launching FaithNet, was to create a platform for connecting and uniting Christians in the marketplace, essentially networking the Church. There is no need to wait for local churches and their leaders to figure this out. As Christians, we are the saints being equipped and called for this very work.

We have discussed the importance of bridging Sundays to the work week and the need to better integrate faith and work. Our professionals occupy the largest block of our time and provide the largest sphere of influence in our lives. Effective integration of faith and work leads to continuous opportunities to connect the greater Church and fuel Kingdom expansion, bringing together Christians of all stripes to foster the unity Jesus called for in His body of believers. Paul, an apostle of Jesus, wrote to the believers in Corinth, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body… and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27).

Initiatives like FaithNet and the integration of faith into one’s work don’t require a master of divinity degree or being on a church staff. God has placed us in our work roles specifically to serve Him and His Church. We need to remember this and act on it. Learn to better integrate our faith with work, strive to be better Kingdom ambassadors, and help others flourish in godly ways. One way to do this is through networking events and connecting with other Christians. In Atlanta (initially), FaithNet recently created an events page to become a single source for these types of events – https://faithnetconnect.org/events/

This Thursday, FaithNet is co-sponsoring a quarterly Christian Professional Networking at Christ Covenant. This will be a great event for building your Christian network, learning netweaving skills (servant connecting), gaining faith and work integration tips, and is an opportunity to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ. Info and registration link – https://christcovenantbuckhead.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2133733

The Church belongs to Jesus. And as we are in Jesus, we are called to be a part of His Church. In the Church, we are linked to all believers – past, present, future, locally, and globally. Faith in Christ should unify the people of the Church, both with God and one another.

Let’s all take a step this week to help Network Jesus’ Church!