The Church

Tonight the Vision Team of my church met to process how we've heard God calling Glade (quite loudly too) to move forward. A large part of our discussion was centered around the strengths of our outreach and the importance of small groups in the growth of our church. Several examples were mentioned of churches who were based on small groups, rather than the gathering of the larger body for Sunday morning worship, and how they've grown. One example was the Meserete Kristos Church (previously Ethiopian Mennonite Church) in Ethiopia. The church began out of a Mennonite missions work and was forced to go underground when the communists took power over Ethiopia. The church met in homes in groups no larger than 7, worshiping, praying, fellowshiping and communing together. After 20 years what had been a church of 5,000 became a church of 50,000. In 2004 MKC was a community of nearly 250,000 with an annual growth rate of 12.5%. (Wikipedia.org) It is churches like Meserete Kristos who embody the community of the first century Christians, and even the early Anabaptists. In these churches Christ is clearly alive and moving.

I'm wondering what a 21st century church would look like if it were completely shaped around the model of the church described in Acts. The key quality seems to be small groups, or house churches. The first Church met primarily in homes in smaller groups, and then met in a larger gathering to celebrate the life that was occuring in the house churches. The Church was not a place, but a people.

Another key aspect was that their small groups were centered around discipleship and spiritual formation. These groups prayed together, walked together, learned together, and grew together. New members were taken under-wing and adopted into the family, and rigorously discipled into the community of faith. Their time together was not only about fellowshiping together or even worshiping together, though both were a very large part. These groups met together to learn this new way of life that Jesus had taught, and how to walk with God in the world they were in.

A third key was their attention to the physical needs as well as the spiritual needs. The book of Acts tells how the congregations shared all of their possessions and resources, keeping nothing for themselves. Everyone was equal and no one went without a need met. The Church was a family, rather than an institution.

A fourth element was their tradition of sharing the Lord's Supper together at every meeting. The church consiously created a space for Christ to enter into their worship, just as they would another member of the group coming to join them. It was habbit to seek out the presence of God in their lives and in each other.

So what would Glade look like if the First Century church became the new 21st Century church? Rather than having the primary worship gathering on Sunday mornings in the churchhouse, the church would worship, fellowship and disciple together separated in small groups. And the members of these groups would come with a desire to learn and grow together.

What if the Church became a place where people knew that their needs would be met, no matter what they were? Glade is already providing for a need through the Angel Food ministry. How can we continue to meet needs? Maybe opening a community sharing table for garden produce, or a store where you can buy something you need with something you don't need. With the rising gas prices, why don't we carpool to church? I can almost guarantee that that would also lead to the return of the old tradition of sharing Sunday dinner with church families. The need for a nursery ministry during the worship service was mentioned tonight at our meeting. Imagine, if you will, a Church where not only did people bring ministry to their work, but they brought their work to the Church. This may just be a crazy idea, but what if the Church was where people came to see the doctor, or to get their car fixed, or to build their house, or to get their education? What if the Church was not a place, but a community?

And what if at the center of this community was the light of Christ, shining brightly to reach the world with His love and grace? I can guarantee that this church would not be contained within the walls of a building on 5011 Accident Bittinger Road. And I can guarantee you that this church would change this community. This is the Church of Christ.

A few months ago I wrote a paper on the topic of the Church for a scholarship application that ran along these same ideas. I'd like to conclude this entry with the conclusion of that paper-

As in Jeremiah’s vision of the potter shaping the clay as it seemed best to him, molding it, changing it, even breaking it, so too is Christ shaping His Church. He is calling the Body to return to the image of the first Church, a community of passion, grace, hope and service. The Church is called to remain steadfast in the mission to preach the Gospel until all peoples and all nations have had an opportunity to know salvation. The Church is called to embody Jesus’ teachings and live in righteousness, in “right relationship” with God. A renewed movement is needed to call the people to Truth. The Body of Christ is called to be the hands and feet, the ears and eyes, of Christ, to humbly kneel in order to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the people. The Church is called to stand as Jesus did, with open arms ready to love and walk with all who accept Him. The Church is called to be a sanctuary for the lost and broken, lighting the Way to the fulfillment, purpose, and joy of an intimate, personal relationship with Christ. The Church is called to be united once again as one body, serving one purpose, living one faith, and fulfilling one mission. And with Christ as the head, this Body will continue eternally as the Bride of Christ.