The apostle Paul wrote to a young church in Thessalonica that had none of the things we often associate with influence. They were not large, wealthy or established. Yet Paul described them with these remarkable words: "You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia." (1 Thessalonians 1:7) What made this church so remarkable was not its resources, its programmes or even its rapid growth. It was the transforming power of the gospel at work in ordinary people. Their faith became visible. Their love became tangible. Their hope gave them resilience in suffering. The way they lived together caused other churches to take notice and gave credibility to the message they proclaimed. That is the kind of church we long to become.