The Gallery Church:  The Story Behind the Name

What is in a name?  In the case of The Gallery Church, it is more than one might imagine.Yes, it is true that our church started gathering in an art gallery-rich Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. Yes, it is true that our church community values art and specifically the creators of art. Yes, it is true that the name The Gallery Church is a good fit for our context, but the name goes much deeper and is much bigger than our context.  The name Gallery Church embodies a firm belief that we, as followers of Jesus, are to "display His greatness to the world." Galleries are all about displaying works of particular artists.  The goal is to promote the mission and personality of the artist through his art.  In the process, the fame of the artist increases. In the same way, as a follower of Jesus, our lives should be like a gallery, where the work of God (the original artist) is on display for everyone to see. Jesus said to His followers, "You are the light of the world….let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." Followers of Jesus are not perfect and we don’t always live the way we should, but there is a commitment, a striving, to embody the life and character of Christ. His character was one of love, joy, peace, hope, patience and self-control.  When we embrace Jesus, we are embracing His character, a character that is distinctly different than what our culture typifies.

So, what is The Gallery Church?  We are a group of people who are embracing the truth and reality of Jesus and are allowing Him to transform our thinking about life, love, money, power, sex and relationships.  As He transforms us, that transformation will be put on display for the world to see.  It is not displayed for our benefit or our ego, but it is displayed in an effort to make the world a better place.  It is displayed in an effort to let others know that the gospel of grace is alive in us and is for everyone. It is displayed in order to return fame to is proper place, Jesus.   The Gallery Church is a community of people who exist to “display the greatness of God to the world.”