What is the Church?
Tradition has taught us that the Church is the building that we grew up going to, usually on Sundays, wearing your suits and ties (if you're a woman, dresses) and if you're really into God, you go to the building more often than others. However, you may be surprised to learn that this is not what the scriptures call the "Church". The idea of "going to Church" didn't start until about 230 years after Jesus Christ was resurrected. The Bible, also known as the Holy Scriptures teaches that Christians are the Church (Romans 16:5, Colossians 4:15)
Romans 16:5 King James Version 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
The scriptures make it clear that the church is "in" the house, not that the house is the church. The church that is in the house, is the people of God, the Christians. The scriptures teach that Christians are God's building, the Church is God's people (Colossians 1:24, Hebrews 3:6, 1 Corinthians 3:9, 1 Peter 2:5).
1 Corinthians 3:9 King James Version 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
Christians are those that have obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ by believing it (Romans 1:16), repenting of their sins, and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their past sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). Please see "How to Be Saved" to learn how the Bible instructs people to become Christians.
From a true Christian perspective, according to what's written, the holy scriptures, I can say that I am the Church. My brother and I, we are the Church. Other members that we meet in our lives that have also obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ and continue to believe (Colossians 1:23), they are the Church, too.
An easy way to think about the Church is thinking the church refers to Christians in general. A Christian would be one person, where as a Church would be the group of Christians, depending on the context.
Lastly, there is a verse we'd like to discuss shortly:
1 Timothy 3:15 King James Version 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.
Hebrews 3:6 King James Version 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.