In the movie Dances with Wolves the young calvary soldier played by Kevin Costner is assigned to a post way out on extremes of the western frontier. He finds the fort dirty and broken down. This accurately portrays the work of the modern day pastor. His job is to “set things in order.”

Gene Wilkes says the church is a “kingdom outpost.” The priority is not on the church but on the kingdom. The church’s role is to advance the dominion of the King. The church is not the end, it is the means to the end. The church though unlike any other human agency is God’s chosen instrument for redemptive advancement. Put bluntly God works primarily through churches not orphanages, soup kitchens or places of higher learning. The church is God’s tool and as such we are all to be church champions. The church is called the body of Christ. for through it the Spirit of God lives and works.