Be the Church: Embracing Our Shared Identity in Christ

The Colson Center’s 2025 National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky brought together over 2,000 believers around a simple but powerful charge: Be the Church. With Identity Project in attendance, we were reminded that our identity in Christ is never an isolated reality—it’s meant to be lived out in community.

Key Themes from the Conference

The conference explored what it means to embody the Church in today’s world through four powerful plenary sessions:

• Be Confident: Christ’s Promise of and to the Church
• Be Distinct: How the Church Must Stand Out
• Be Virtuous: The Habits of a Church Committed to Truth
• Be Bold: The Church’s Necessary Witness

Each message echoed a truth we hold at the core of the Identity Project: we are most fully ourselves—not in isolation, but in connection with God and others.

The Identity Project at the Conference
During the conference, Identity Project hosted a sponsor table and participated in a press conference, connecting with parents, pastors, educators, and everyday believers who are using our resources in their homes, churches, and communities. We heard story after story of how IDP’s video series are shaping conversations around identity, gender, family, and faith.

As we engaged with attendees, we were reminded that our God-given identity can’t be separated from our place in the Body of Christ. As Genesis 2:18 reminds us, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” From the beginning, God designed us to live in fellowship—with Him and with one another.

What It Means to “Be the Church”
In Hebrews 10:24–25 we read:

The Church is where encouragement, accountability, and formation happen. We weren’t made to navigate our identity alone. In a world increasingly defined by disconnection and loneliness, the Church stands as a community of grace and truth.

A Biblical Answer to a Lonely Age

Today’s cultural moment is marked by what experts call an “epidemic of loneliness.” Despite digital connection, many people feel emotionally and relationally isolated—especially younger generations.

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, while secular, points to a truth affirmed in Scripture: after safety and survival, our deepest needs are for love, belonging, and purpose. These are fulfilled not through individualism, but through meaningful relationship—and the Church is uniquely equipped to provide that.

The Church is where we discover who we are and why we matter. It’s where our unique gifts are shaped for service. It’s where we move from being consumers to contributors. And it’s where we bear witness together to the image of God in each person.

Trusting Him. Shaping Me. Restoring Us.

At Identity Project, we believe that being shaped by Jesus leads to personal transformation—and that this personal transformation fuels cultural restoration. That begins in the Church.

To “be the Church” is to:

• Trust in God’s design for human identity and community.
• Be shaped by Christ together, not just as individuals.
• Live out our faith boldly in families, congregations, and the wider culture.

Practical Steps to Live This Out

• Engage with community: Don’t walk the journey of identity alone. Join a church, a small group, or a discussion circle.
• Share the journey: Watch Identity Project resources with others. Invite a friend, a youth group, or your whole church.
• Model the truth: Let your life demonstrate the joy and purpose found in Christ-shaped identity.
• Encourage your Church: Share Identity Project with your pastor or ministry team as a resource for equipping your community.

Conclusion

At a time when many are confused about who they are and where they belong, the Church is called to be confident, distinct, virtuous, and bold. You are a part of that calling.

Let’s not simply attend church—let’s be the Church. Let’s live into our identity together, in Christ.

Start exploring IDP’s free video library today at IdentityProject.tv, and bring others along with you. Transformation begins when we stop trying to do it alone.