Being vs. Doing: Living Out Our Vision Like Jesus

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." – John 1:14 (ESV)

In church life, it’s easy to focus on doing all the right things—attending services, serving in ministries, giving offerings, and participating in programs. But Jesus didn’t call us to a checklist of activities—He called us to be His disciples.

At Gloucester Point Baptist Church, we believe in Equipping Disciples and Leaders for Tomorrow’s Challenges with Grace and Truth—not by simply doing church things, but by being the Church.

A church that is focused on doing sees success in terms of activity:
✔ Attending Sunday service
✔ Joining a Bible study
✔ Volunteering in a ministry
✔ Giving tithes and offerings
✔ Participating in missions

While all of these are good things, they can easily become a religious to-do list rather than a way of life. A church that is focused on being sees success in terms of transformation:       ✔ Living daily in God’s presence
✔ Growing in Christ beyond Sunday mornings
✔ Serving because of love, not obligation
✔ Giving generously, not just financially, but through time and relationships
✔ Making disciples in everyday life—not just in church programs

Jesus didn’t just do ministry—He was the embodiment of ministry. He lived among the people, walked with them, shared meals, entered their struggles, and discipled them in the everyday moments of life.  

Too often, churches can fall into a CEO mindset, running like an organization that executes tasks rather than a body of believers living in community. But Jesus modeled something completely different:
•  He didn’t hold meetings in an office—He walked with His disciples.
•  He didn’t just teach from a pulpit—He taught through real-life conversations.
•  He didn’t manage people—He loved them, served them, and invited them into His life.

Jesus’ ministry wasn’t about a place—it was about a presence. He dwelt among the people. If we are to follow His example, we cannot settle for just doing church—we must be the Church. That means:
•  Going out into our community, not just waiting for people to come to us
•  Discipling people in everyday moments, not just in scheduled programs
•  Building deep relationships, not just attending church events

Being Jesus in our workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods Are We Just Doing, or Are We Becoming? The danger of doing church without being the Church is that we can have full schedules but empty hearts. We can be busy with ministry yet fail to be transformed by Christ. Jesus never said, “Go and do church activities.” He said, “Go and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). That doesn’t happen just in a building—it happens in life. So let’s ask ourselves:
•  Are we simply checking off religious duties, or are we becoming more like Jesus?
•  Are we just attending church, or are we living out the gospel?
•  Are we just doing ministry, or are we being transformed by Christ?
If we want to be a church that truly follows Jesus, we must move beyond doing the work of the church and step into being His disciples in the world. Let’s not settle for a checklist faith. Let’s live as Jesus did—among the people, in real life, equipping disciples and leaders for tomorrow’s challenges with grace and truth.

For His Glory,
Pastor Dillon Evans