In the past few months, I have probably looked at over 100 churches here at my computer. Everyone is different. The Bible is the standard for the church.
One area that I notice is the relationship between the church and the community. The church has to care about the people in the community. The church has to know the community. The church has to go into the community. What are the needs? How is the church known? How is the church showing the love of Christ.
I think I heard this from Brent Crowe. I had to go find the letter. Here is a small part from chapter 5. This is from before or around 200 A.D.
Christians are not distinguished from other men by country, language, nor by the customs which they observe. They do not inhabit cities of their own, use a particular way of speaking, nor lead a life marked out by any curiosity. The course of conduct they follow has not been devised by the speculation and deliberation of inquisitive men. The do not, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of merely human doctrines.
Instead, they inhabit both Greek and barbarian cities, however things have fallen to each of them. And it is while following the customs of the natives in clothing, food, and the rest of ordinary life that they display to us their wonderful and admittedly striking way of life.
Still thinking on this.
