Trick question: how many churches are there in Tampa Bay?
Answer: one.
“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:4-6
Estimates indicate over 200 active Christian denominations in the U.S. and upwards of 40,000 worldwide. It is human nature to divide. Divine nature unites, because God Himself is One. And the unity of the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is our example and goal for unity in the Church.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
John 17:20-21
Did you catch that? Just as the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father. That is the pattern: perfect, harmonious, mutually submissive oneness in the bond of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ prayer also supplies the means of unity, “that they also may be in us.” Only as we abide in Jesus, remaining relationally connected with Him, can we maintain unity with one another in the church. And then we see the result: “that the world may believe.” Our unity is essential to our witness in the world.
Tampa Bay 4 Christ is our growing network of Bible-based churches committed to reaching every man, woman and child in Tampa Bay with the gospel. As the image above shows, we are building five teams to pursue our five priorities: prayer, health, discipleship, service and multiplication. A growing group of pastors and leaders is seeking to live out our unity in Christ in practical ways by praying together, meeting together, training disciples together, serving together and planting churches together.
Think about your neighborhood. How many followers of Jesus live near you? What would it look like to work together with those brothers and sisters in Christ to reach the rest of your immediate community? Could you meet with the believers to pray a couple of times each year? Could you host a block party to get to know your other neighbors better? Could you start a monthly potluck dinner as a way to build relationships more consistently?
Maybe your workplace or school would be a better place to labor side by side with other believers.
The point is that we are not competitors in the church marketplace, we are family, laboring together in our Lord’s harvest field. Take some time right now to read and pray through John 17 to feel the heart of Jesus and join in His prayer that we would all be one!