The popular definition of a parachurch group is any non-church based Christian entity or ministry.

Ok forgive my ignorance – as I am just a member of laity – and perhaps have a huge misunderstanding here…

how can a Christian entinty or ministry be non-church based?

 Have we forgotten who the church is ?  

It doesn’t matter where people are gathered together for minister or what structure they take on, they are still “the church,” God’s called out people ministering in the name of Jesus.

The biblical ekklesia always describes a people.  The Church is not a building – the Church is not a Place.

How is it that we can seperate Church from State -

If we vote those into office w/ the values and beliefs we hold true – we cannot expect them to seperate from the fold… and not be the Church…

the current definition – the popular definition is all wrong..

I believe a better definition is:  a parachurch ministry is an entity or ministry that unites Christians from various congregations for a particular ministry purpose.

examples:

Youth For Christ

Foundation for Evangelism

Web Empowered Church

Campus Crusade for Christ

Traveling Evangelists

Christian Wrestling Federation

So it’s the church working together beyond the typical boundaries of their local congregations for a particular ministry purpose.

In short – ParaChurch is “the global church working together”