The primary focus of any church should be three letters long, start with a capital “G,” end with a “d” and have an “o” in the middle there somewhere. Otherwise, the church is not a church anymore as much as it is a Christian gathering that is meant for another purpose. Some churches that lose track of their purpose end up becoming largely social clubs. Others sell their souls for the money to do bigger and better things while promising themselves that they will return to focusing on God once they have that new building or can pay the pastor more or have raised enough to make better contributions to the community.

Churches where God has become secondary do not normally intend to become such places. They often start out with good intentions. They are trying to raise more money because the current church building is a mess, and they need room for their growing congregation. They want to give members more opportunities for Christian fellowship and forming relationships with Christian brothers and sisters. They see a need in the community but do not quite have the cash or manpower to fill it yet. All of these are good intentions, but slowly they become the main focus of the church. 

This sort of mistake can happen to any church. Just because the church plays Christian rock from a huge stage does not mean that it has lost its way. Similarly, a little white church where everyone brings their Bibles on Sunday could easily have services that are empty of meaning.