Jesus' purpose and plan for the church • a loving family whose members are loyal to and take care of each other • a sheltering house where people share life and meet each other’s most basic needs • a holy temple where God lives with His people and receives their worship • a beautiful bride enjoying intimacy with Jesus, the Groom • a luscious garden providing beauty and nourishment for all who enter it • an intricate body whose diverse parts, directed by the Head, accomplish amazing things • a building under construction, founded on a Rock, facilitating collaborative and creative productivity • a vulnerable flock dependent on the leadership, protection, and care of its Shepherd • a holy nation illustrating how wonderful it is to live under the wise and loving rule of God • a royal priesthood representing God to the world and inviting the world to God • a global kingdom where King Jesus rules in righteousness, justice, wisdom, and love • a chosen people who live in covenant relationship with God and each other Who would not want to be part of a church like that?