Jonathan Leeman writes, “a local church is a group of Christians who regularly gather in Christ’s name to officially affirm and oversee one another’s membership in Jesus Christ and his kingdom through gospel preaching and gospel ordinances.”

The five parts of this definition are:

1. A group of Christians
2. A regular gathering
3. A congregation-wide exercise of affirmation and oversight
4. The purpose of officially representing Christ and his rule on earth – they gather in his name
5. The use of preaching and ordinances (the Lord’s Supper and baptism) for these purposes