In the second place Christ builds his church so that it grows up strong and united. He uses the church to build itself. He equips it with his Spirit, his Word, and with trainers. The trainers are meant to equip all the disciples so that they can build each other up, and in so doing build up the church itself.
The church builds itself up as it meets together around the word of God, as the members share their lives together, as they pray together and as they break bread together.
To this end Christ gives gifts to his church. Some of the gifts are the people who are trainers or equippers. Others are gifts that are given to each person to be used for the common good.
How to do this so that the local gathering becomes more and more like Jesus, and is filled more and more with the presence of God, is the big question. Although the answer to this is pretty simple. People just need to meet together around Christ. Deciding to do this is the big step.
Dale