Society's institutions come and go. Some last longer than others. A sandwich shop may open its doors—and then close them a few weeks later. A civic organization may stand for decades, even generations. But most organized activities have a relatively short life when measured against passage of the centuries.
Church is one of the exceptions. It tends to be a "survivor." For some reason, when a community of people find common ground for worship, it isn't unusual for that activity to grow roots of continuity. There's plenty of evidence on street corners around the world that a church can have distinctive staying power—even beyond centuries.
When it comes to church organization, why should it be more enduring than the sandwich shop? Or the civic group? Or even a national government? In a word, God. The most powerful motivating force in a church is the common desire to place God at the center of our being.
