What is the biblical definition of a local church and its role in spiritual growth?

The local church is the geographic assembly of saints, where believers gather for the purposes laid out in passages such as Hebrews 10:25; 13:7–17; and Ephesians 4:11–16. It serves as a base from which believers are sent out to carry truth into Satan's world and to which they return to recover from the wounds of battle. The local church is the training ground for spiritual advance, service, and the application of God's Word, without which no believer can achieve designed spiritual greatness. Every believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit into union with Christ at salvation, making them part of the Body of Christ regardless of local attendance. The Church's two-fold mission is evangelism and edification, accomplished through unique spiritual gifts given to every believer. Spiritual growth cannot happen apart from the local church, where gifted teachers equip the saints for the work of service, setting believers in order according to their need so each one finds and functions in his spiritual gift. As all the gifts function, the believers edify and strengthen one another, and the whole body is built up so it can do what the Church is meant to do—evangelize and tell the world about Jesus Christ.