COMMUNITY THINKING
Paul’s Idea of Community…
The Apostle Paul’s idea of a church meeting seemed to be one with an emphasis on those gathered, as opposed to the church building in which they gathered.
When I first envisioned Community of Believers Ministries, its original design was to have no functional church as we know it today. It was only to have a sanctuary, used for corporate worship only. No meetings, committees, classes, etc. The ministry was designed to create a network of Believers, who connected with one another daily, weekly, monthly (more like the Lucan account expresses in Acts chs. 2 & 4). This design was emphasized to encourage personal development with like Believers; producing a more rapid and more efficient growth in each disciple. In relationships of trust, there is less to contend about, and more time to encourage growth. Note these excerpts taken from Paul’s Idea of Community, by Robert Banks; p.41:
“Paul’s rather vague way of referring to meetings of the whole church suggest that its meetings were less frequent. Since voluntary and cult associations met on a monthly basis, these larger Christian gatherings may well have followed suit.”
“…the term ekklesia consistently refers to actual gatherings of Christians as such, or to Christians in a local area conceived or defined as a regularly-assembling community….And never during this period is the term applied to the building in which Christians meet.”
“It was not until the third century do we have evidence of special buildings being constructed for Christian gatherings and, even then, they were modelled on the room into which guests were received in the typical Roman and Greek household.”
My point of emphasis is that I believe growth happens in communities, not necessarily in churches. (When I use the term church I use it as we know it today, the more structured and systematic version with a building and usually associated with a denomination or some form of hierarchy.) I see a lot of church gathering today, but often very little growth in the production of mature disciples. There is a whole new generation of children, youth and teens who know very little Bible, but they know praise and worship. Effective praise and worship has, in my experience, always been precipitated by a good foundation in the Word. Community is needed for growth, just as church is needed for worship. However, every community must have a connection to mature and healthy believers who have proven to produce fruit that lasts over time. Am I saying that Mega Churches are invalid? Not at all, I just think we need the Mega Church along with the community of Believers to help make Mega Disciples.
Paul’s Idea of Community…
The Apostle Paul’s idea of a church meeting seemed to be one with an emphasis on those gathered, as opposed to the church building in which they gathered.
When I first envisioned Community of Believers Ministries, its original design was to have no functional church as we know it today. It was only to have a sanctuary, used for corporate worship only. No meetings, committees, classes, etc. The ministry was designed to create a network of Believers, who connected with one another daily, weekly, monthly (more like the Lucan account expresses in Acts chs. 2 & 4). This design was emphasized to encourage personal development with like Believers; producing a more rapid and more efficient growth in each disciple. In relationships of trust, there is less to contend about, and more time to encourage growth. Note these excerpts taken from Paul’s Idea of Community, by Robert Banks; p.41:
“Paul’s rather vague way of referring to meetings of the whole church suggest that its meetings were less frequent. Since voluntary and cult associations met on a monthly basis, these larger Christian gatherings may well have followed suit.”
“…the term ekklesia consistently refers to actual gatherings of Christians as such, or to Christians in a local area conceived or defined as a regularly-assembling community….And never during this period is the term applied to the building in which Christians meet.”
“It was not until the third century do we have evidence of special buildings being constructed for Christian gatherings and, even then, they were modelled on the room into which guests were received in the typical Roman and Greek household.”
My point of emphasis is that I believe growth happens in communities, not necessarily in churches. (When I use the term church I use it as we know it today, the more structured and systematic version with a building and usually associated with a denomination or some form of hierarchy.) I see a lot of church gathering today, but often very little growth in the production of mature disciples. There is a whole new generation of children, youth and teens who know very little Bible, but they know praise and worship. Effective praise and worship has, in my experience, always been precipitated by a good foundation in the Word. Community is needed for growth, just as church is needed for worship. However, every community must have a connection to mature and healthy believers who have proven to produce fruit that lasts over time. Am I saying that Mega Churches are invalid? Not at all, I just think we need the Mega Church along with the community of Believers to help make Mega Disciples.
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