--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Church exists by mission, just as a…" description: "\"The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning.\" — Emil Brunner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/emil-brunner-33461_burning_the-church-exists-by-mission-just-as-a-f_1075621.png" --- # The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by… ![“The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning.” quote by Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/emil-brunner-33461_burning_the-church-exists-by-mission-just-as-a-f_1075621.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/emil-brunner-33461_burning_the-church-exists-by-mission-just-as-a-f_1075621.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/emil-brunner-33461_burning_the-church-exists-by-mission-just-as-a-f_1075621.png) > “The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning.” [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A church’s purpose is defined by its active mission, just as fire’s identity is defined by burning. **In simple terms:** Purpose is shown through action. Key Takeaway Define purpose through active service. Themes purpose mission identity Mood reflective inspirational Type theological motivational When to use this quote - church leadership - community outreach - faith practice - mission planning Key Concepts theology symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How does mission shape identity? - What actions reflect true purpose? A Different Perspective A mission alone doesn't guarantee impact without effective execution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-exists-245163/) [Exists Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists-burning-2145595/) [Exists Mission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists-mission-2145596/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Mission Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mission-just-2067289/) [Missions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missions/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning. Where there is no mission there is no Church; and where there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-church-exists-by-mission-just-as-a-fire-exists-by-burning-where/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The Church exists by mission as fire exists by burning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-church-exists-by-mission-as-fire-exists-by-burning/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [“Mission is not just something that the church does; it is something that is done by the Spirit, who”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/mission-is-not-just-something-that-the-church-does-it-is-something/) [Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/) > [I am thankful that the church exists, thankful that it has done such great things, giving us laws, for instance - 'thou shalt' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/i-am-thankful-that-the-church-exists-thankful-that-it-has-done-such/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-church-exists-for-nothing-else-but-to-draw-men-into-christ/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The Church is the Church only when it exists for others...not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-church-is-the-church-only-when-it-exists-for-others-not/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [The truth is that most mission work is carried out where the church already exists Only small percentages are working where the church is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-verwer/the-truth-is-that-most-mission-work-is-carried-out-where-the-church/) [George Verwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-verwer/) > [The church is only the church when it exists for others. To make a start, it should give away all its property to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-church-is-only-the-church-when-it-exists-for-others-to-make-a/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“to tell the world of its true Centre, of the law of mutual sacrifice by which its parts are bound together. The Church exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-chapman/to-tell-the-world-of-its-true-centre-of-the-law-of-mutual-sacrifice/) [Mark Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-chapman/) > [The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-church-exists-for-nothing-else-but-to-draw-men-into-christ-to/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The Church exists to connect people at the level of their hunger for a new world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/the-church-exists-to-connect-people-at-the-level-of-their-hunger-for/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [“...the institutional church, which exists to serve the people of God, is never to be confused with the church as mystery - the Christ-centered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/the-institutional-church-which-exists-to-serve-the-people-of-god-is/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [The church exists primarily for two closely correlated purposes: to worship God and to work for his kingdom in the world ... The church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-church-exists-primarily-for-two-closely-correlated-purposes-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Church is the Church only when it exists for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-church-is-the-church-only-when-it-exists-for-others/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [For this, to be sure, from the child's primer down to the last newspaper, every theater and every movie house, every advertising pillar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/for-this-to-be-sure-from-the-child-s-primer-down-to-the-last/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) ## More by Emil Brunner > [What until recently seemed to be only the apocalyptic fantasies of the Christian faith has today entered the sphere of the soberest scientific calculations;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/what-until-recently-seemed-to-be-only-the-apocalyptic-fantasies-of/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The more man distinguishes himself from the rest of creation, the more he becomes conscious of himself as the subject, as an "I" to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-more-man-distinguishes-himself-from-the-rest-of-creation-the-more/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [So long as we stand "under the Law", we cannot perceive this hidden unity of all the commandments. 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This incense offering makes the air more endurable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/all-philanthropy-is-only-a-savory-fumigation-burning-at-the-mouth-of/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) > [Time is a vindictive bandit to steal the beauty of our former selves. We are left with sagging, rippled flesh and burning gums with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael/time-is-a-vindictive-bandit-to-steal-the-beauty-of-our-former-selves/) [Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael/) > [One writes because one has a burning desire to objectify what it is indispensable to one's happiness to express.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/one-writes-because-one-has-a-burning-desire-to-objectify-what-it-is/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast, and their fast runs too slow." Ken Mierke says. 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