Stop GOing to Church. Start BEing the Church.

If you’re a Christian who has grown up “going to church” most Sundays, you may find yourself quietly wondering:

Is this all there is?

Maybe instead of just going to church, it’s time to BE the Church.

I spent my first few years as a pastor at a really large church near Chicago. I’ll always be grateful for that season and the amazing staff I worked with. My life, theology, and leadership were shaped in deep ways during that time.

But even then, I had this holy tension. I kept wondering…
Was this really what Jesus meant when he said his Kingdom had come?
Was I living a transformed and eternally purposed life?

I wasn’t so sure.

Passive Spectators or Missional Family?

Over time, I started to feel unsettled. It seemed like church had become a spectator sport—where a few talented folks “did ministry” while everyone else watched quietly from the pews. Was that what Jesus envisioned when he called us to follow him?

Was the highest goal for most of my friends to become ushers… to someday “ush” with the best of them?

Around this time, I was also doing some missionary work in Africa and India, and I noticed something. The way Jesus taught and lived with his disciples—and the way they went on to live—looked a lot more like what I was seeing overseas than anything I had experienced back home in our church services.

I began to wonder…

What would it look like to live in real, consistent community with others like they do?
What would it look like to intentionally disciple each other toward greater faith in Jesus—living together as God’s missionary family every day? (Not just on Sundays.)

The Real Problem: I Didn’t Know My Neighbors

There was one major obstacle I kept bumping into.

Despite being a pastor, I didn’t have a single close friend who wasn’t already part of our church.

Seriously.

I barely knew my neighbors. I was so busy keeping all the programs running, Sunday after Sunday, that I had no relational margin left. How was I supposed to model a missional lifestyle—let alone train others in it—if my entire life was lived inside the church bubble?

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I live on mission in the everyday stuff of life?” I recommend reading When Real Life Meets Mission: Finding Freedom in Organized and Organic Rhythms. It unpacks how a sustainable rhythm of mission can actually work.

What Jesus Modeled Was Simpler—and More Beautiful

As I studied Jesus’ life more closely and re-read the book of Acts, a different picture of the church emerged. It wasn’t centered around buildings or weekly events. It was centered around people—living life together, eating together, learning together, and multiplying disciples.

“What would it look like to intentionally disciple each other living together as God’s missionary family?”

The way Jesus trained his disciples was immersive but simple: meals, shared life, real-time lessons along the way. Not a 6-week curriculum or some perfect program. Just life on life, filled with grace and truth.

What If This Isn’t Just for Overseas Missions?

Somewhere along the way, Christians started acting like real disciple-making only happens “over there,” or by “those people.” But what if the way of Jesus is for here and now—in our homes, our neighborhoods, our kids’ sports teams, our workplace?

In fact, one of the most common tensions I hear from Christians today is that evangelism feels awkward, scripted, or forced. I talk about this in the podcast episode Does Our Evangelism Need to Change?. Spoiler: the answer has more to do with your identity than your technique.

A Different Way of Being Church

There’s an “all in” nature to life in the Kingdom of God—but the path to that life is not complicated. It’s not reserved for professionals or for when you’ve got it all figured out.

Jesus invites us to join him in a new way of being—one that’s deeply relational, beautifully ordinary, and supernaturally impactful.

I want that.
I think you do too.

And while the Western church has inherited a lot of structures and habits that may have started with good intentions, it’s time to ask: Are they helping or hindering our disciple-making?

If that question hits home, you’ll appreciate this honest read: Is The Church Guilty of False Advertising? (from Caesar’s original Everyday Disciple archive).

Start Where You Are

I’m not suggesting you quit your church or go rogue. But I am challenging you to re-read the Gospels, grab a few trusted friends, and begin to live out the Kingdom together—right where you are.

And if you’re curious what that could practically look like, check out my training resource, Discipleship as a Lifestyle. It’s a step-by-step plan for building rhythms of discipleship into your ordinary week.

Prefer a quick video on this topic? Here’s a brief video version you can share with your community.

One Small Step

Maybe, like me, you wish you had started this journey years ago.

Here’s a simple starting point:
What’s ONE thing keeping you from living as a family on mission—beyond just week-to-week attendance?

Name it.
Pray into it.
Take a next step.

You were never meant to just “go to church.”
You were created to be the Church.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does it practically mean to “be the Church” in everyday life?

At its core, being the Church means living as God’s family on mission together—right where you already are. It looks like sharing life with your community, opening your home, eating with others, praying together, caring for needs, and making disciples in the ordinary rhythms of life. It’s not an event you attend; it’s an identity you live from.

2. Can I “be the Church” and still attend Sunday services?

Absolutely. Gathering weekly is a good and historic practice—it’s just not the main expression of church. Sundays are a celebration and an equipping moment, but the Church is most visible throughout the week as we love neighbors, serve our community, disciple our kids, and live as a gospel presence wherever God has placed us.

3. How do I start living more intentionally with others?

Start small and start relationally. Invite a couple of friends or families to share a meal. Talk about what God is doing in your lives. Pray together. Ask how you might bless your neighborhood together. Don’t overcomplicate it—shared meals, honest conversations, and simple obedience to Jesus become the building blocks of everyday disciple-making.

About the author, Caesar

The author of the top-selling books, The Gospel Primer, Transformed and Small is Big, Slow is Fast. His latest book, SLOW BURN: Relaxing Into Theology hit #1 on Amazon.

"I help those with a high commitment to intentional living in the areas of their family, faith and work acquire the leadership skills and tools necessary to succeed and leave a lasting legacy."