1. It must understand itself. What is the church's theology? The church is God's mission, and we must be both "the church"--the holy and distinct people of God--and "in the world"--deeply involved in its suffering. Essentially, we must be holy and worldly at the same time.
2. It must be organized. We need to have structures. Our mission is to get involved in the community, to be incarnational, to make friends, and to provide a "third space" for the community
3. It must express itself. What is the church's message? The message is the gospel, but it must be placed in the current context. We must join the ancient and present worlds.
4. It must be itself. Does the local church have life? We must be morally and spiritually visible to the world. We must manifest the invisible God.
