United in peace, for the world, we are called to strengthen the church.

How do we live a life worthy of the calling we have received as the church? God’s people are called to be the unified church, bearing witness to the matchless love of Christ. As we begin this week, we will discuss why are we called to be the church, how are we called to be the church, and how are we called to strengthen the church by making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace for the sake of our united mission.

This week our scriptural focus is Ephesians 4:1-6. True unity can be a challenge—so many issues threaten to undermine our oneness as the body of Christ. With that in mind, we encourage you to invite your congregation to examine our call to unity, the character of unity, and the case for the church to be unified.

Consider this week how the Evangelical Covenant Church as the body of Christ values this mission priority to strengthen the church. As a part of our church vitality process, we have identified Ten Healthy Missional Markers to help congregations identify their own health. You may choose to discuss these in your church as you talk about the unity Paul describes in Ephesians 4. More information and resources can be found here.

May your church community be blessed today as you journey together through Ephesians 4. May the God of peace bring your church family together around his purposes for the world. May we all be united in peace, for the world, as we are called to strengthen the church.