The word God is limiting not only because of thousands of years of misperception and misuse, but also because it implies an entity other than you. God is Being itself, not a being. There can be no subject-object relationship here, no duality, no you and God. God-realization is the most natural thing there is. The amazing and incomprehensible fact is not that you can become conscious of God but that you are not conscious of God.

if I may may quote Eckhart Tolle

The Church Is People

The Greek word that is usually translated "church" in our English Bibles comes from a Greek word that originally had no inherent religious meaning. Instead, the Greek term EKKLESIA originally referred to a group of people.

The emphasis of New Testament teaching of the "one body" (a term synonymous with the church) is that there is no distinction among Christ's group of people regarding race, gender, nationality, or social standing. Even the centuries old distinction between Jew and Gentile is removed in the one body.

http://www.bible.ca/ef/topical-what-the-bible-says-about-the-church.htm

such a question will ruffle the feathers of many. Which reminds me what someone once told me, “ God does not need to receive but humans need to give”

Hey Robert,from a biblical perspective, the church is the creation of God.

A few things would have to be delineated in order to properly understand what the term "church" is and is not.

Generally, the vast majority of people think that the term church refers to a place or building. This is the furthest thing from the truth.

God deals with three classes of people. In 1 Corinthians 10:32 Paul mentions who these people are in his letter to the believers in Corinth. He wrote, "Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: "

As Vesuvius stated, "The word ... "church"... comes from a Greek word that originally had no inherent religious meaning. Instead, the Greek term EKKLESIA originally referred to a group of people."

This group of people were "a called out assembly of believers". They were called out from the two groups (Jews and Gentiles) thus forming a third group called the church.

This group of people believed that Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh, who died, was buried and resurrected on the third day.

Nothing has changed in this original definition.

There are certain "christian" groups that, over time, changed the definition of the term church to mean "the building".

When reading the bible, never does the word church ever mean a building. Read it with the understanding that the word actually means "a called out assembly of believers." This will take the confusion as to what the writers were saying.

I have chosen a few verses to demonstrate this:

1) Church in this context cannot mean a building,

Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

2) Jesus Christ died for the redemption of the church i.e. for the souls of the people not for bricks and mortar.

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Ephesiamns 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

3) The term "house of God" refers to the body of believers. God lives in and through them.

1 Tim 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

As a side note: I would have to completely disagree with Michaela when she stated, "I don't think God needs anything to publicize his work, especially not a set of doctrines or institutions."

These are my reasons:

1) Jesus said in Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

The church (people) have a mandate to go out and speak, announce, publicize, etc. that the Savior has come to save them from their sins.

2) This is done by establishing 'doctrines' or in other words teaching what was said.

Definition: Doctrine: The doctrines of the gospel are the principles or truths taught by Christ and his apostles. 2. The act of teaching. Example Mark 4:2. 3. Learning; knowledge. 4. The truths of the gospel in general.

Jesus publicize his work, by putting forth his set of doctrines.

Mark 4:2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Creation of church is man. The split of the beginning is man. It will eventually be political. I have seen it for 26 years. All things start out as good, but not matter how good the intentions are, money, power and popularity corrupts.

If each of us are able to put ourself in the context of being one of the seven blind men touching the elephant, and then describing to the others what we believe the elephant is like or perhaps means to us, then we might realize that this question is redundant. Or maybe that God and man created the church and they are one and the same, they just haven't felt that part of the elephant, yet.

As a Muslim I have always been told that the connection between humans and God is direct and we don't need "middle-men" for this connection. Yes we do need scholars to help us understand and interpret the deeper aspects of any religion, but their job is simply to impart knowledge not dictate what is right, wrong, acceptable or unacceptable, that is what God gave humans concsiouness for, to make choices and discover. Technically in Islam any religious rite can be performed by any person such as leading the prayer congregation, funnerals, even marriages.

It is the advent of organized religion and the religious middle-men be those Mullahs, or Pundits or Priests who have created all the dogma and its subsequent problems. However, that having been said, there is a place for a place of worship in all religions in the form of Church, Synagogues, Temples and Mosques. But their primary reason is that of a community centre, where people can come together, discuss, share and solve problems.

So if the question is do we need physical places such as churches - the answer is yes. If the question is do we need Church as the custodian of religion then no. In any case it is the creation of man. God does not need people to communicate with us, He can do that through our subconscious.