From Wikipedia--A church is an association of people who share a particular belief system. The term church originated from Greek "κυριακή" - "kyriake", meaning "of the lord". The term later began to replace the Greek ekklesia and basilica within Christendom, c. AD 300, though it was used by Christians before that time.

I find it interesting that although Widipedia describes the church as "a group of people," each of the pictures of "a church" are of buildings. Google image: Church.

Why is it that the church has been reduced to "a building?" How many times have I been asked, "so you started a church, where's your building?" Actually, the best question I've been asked, & the definition given within the question came from a militant Atheist who is our neighbor. She said, "So you've come here to start a community?" It boggled my mind when she asked because I have yet to hear anyone say anything about the people when I talk to them about church; this includes people who have attended church their whole life, or who attend churches who speak about mission: It is my conclusion that people, churched people!, don't know what church is. Church is a people who, not a place where.

This comes about because a friend of mine is about to do something new. He is the pastor of a church & confessed to me, "I've created a service of Sunday go to church people." He is about to step into a new direction where he can "be" the church to his community in the Bay Area. He's realized that it takes more than preaching about mission, he has to take what religious Christians find to be their safety blanket & turn it into a time where a group of people "go" & become the church to the world.