The task of the church

The church today is trying to do so many tasks because it has forgotten the task for which it exists: delivering the good news...

The task of the church is not, paternalistically and patronizingly, to do the world's work for the world, as if the world were incompetent to do it, or as if God had abandoned the world.

(p.184-186, Mark C. Mattes, The Role of Justification in Contemporary Theology)

NB that as a Lutheran Mattes is not suggesting that Christians don't do the world's work in their roles as parents, children, employees, citizens, etc (cf. Mark 7:10-13), just that the gathering that is the 'church' doesn't.