9. How to meet
So far I have referred to meetings rather than church services. Church services ought to be a form of meeting. In the Anglican tradition they are meant to serve the goals of building up God’s people by the regular hearing of the Word of God, by the confession of sin, by the prayers and by bringing our praise and thanksgiving together.
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And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. From the Morning Prayer Service of the Book of Common Prayer 1662 |
These traditional Sunday meetings of the church serve valuable purposes because they bring many together to hear the scriptures and to praise and pray together. They allow disciples to recognise and be encouraged by the fact they are part of a larger group. But the larger meetings do not need to be restricted to Sundays. And they do not need to be especially large (although they could be). One of the difficulties with church size (as I said earlier) is that congregations are self-limiting because of the fellowship relationships in the church.
One of the ways to allow more disciples to join in is to multiply the number of church meetings of this size. This also fits the reality of the mega-city because it allows the large meetings to be spread around in different localities. Mega-city churches do not have to be mega-churches.
In any case a normal Sunday church meeting is already too big to do some of the things that are crucial for the life of the church. The mutual ministry of the word of God, the praying for each other, the bearing of each other’s burdens happen better in small gatherings.
The church in the days of the apostles met in homes (there was usually no other place). Later, when Christians were allowed to build or to use large buildings, the nature of their meeting changed – but not necessarily for the better. The gain also reflected a loss.
One of the ways that the church can grow in the mega-city is by multiplying small meetings of the church. And not only in homes, but also in work places, and in any public places that a dozen people can meet in peace.
But the problem that faces the larger meeting also faces the small meeting. Fellowship relations in the group tend to close the group to new people. And in fact although new people can be drawn in, there is a numerical limit. More than about 12 people in a small group means that some will become non-participants, and will gradually drop out. So what is the answer?
10. Multiplying
The solution to this brings us back to one of the main issues for disciples in the church. The multiplying of disciples implies the multiplying of churches. And just as the making of disciples is an intentional activity directed by the Spirit of Jesus, so is the multiplying of churches.
Some churches have multiplied by dividing. Disputes, power struggles, bad teaching have regularly led to church splits. This is not a good way to multiply churches. However some evidence suggests that new disciples find it easier to enter new churches than ones that are long established.
So one of the challenges for small and large church meetings is whether in the process of making disciples we can commission a starter core of a new meeting that can more easily draw in new disciples. In my experience this is an effective strategy. But it has to overcome the unwillingness of people to leave behind some relationships in order to make new ones.
This is one of the difficulties of the mega-city. It is fluid. People come and go. Relationships are temporary. So we want to hang on to whatever relationships we have.
But the world and life is temporary. By contrast the fellowship of God’s people is eternal. We are part of a heavenly church that includes all those who belong to Jesus. Wherever we go we find we are part of the same fellowship. A fellowship that is being continually renewed and increased.
So although close friendships are very helpful in a city that is always changing (especially if you are a temporary expat), the desire to multiply disciples and churches does not mean the death of friendships, but rather offers the promise of increasing them.
The call of disciples is not to live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. And his primary call is still to make disciples from among all the nations. And to build them up into unity in his body.
11. Conclusion
We have been discussing making disciples and the building up of the disciples in the one body of Christ through the meetings of the church. We have not been discussing the importance of church activities or programs. In many modern churches, the activities of the church can become not only the centre but the whole of a Christian’s life.
But God’s call on our lives takes us into many vocations and occupations. For some disciples their main ministries will be connected with building up the church. Others will be called to help with the household tasks of the church. But others will be called to minister for Christ outside, in the workplace and in the public life of their society.
All of us however are part of the group of disciples whom God is using to call others to himself. All of us are part of the one body of Christ into which he has baptised us by his Spirit. So all of us have a share in these ministries. All of us need each other, all of us are needed by the others so that we can grow up into Christ and be encouraged and supported. All of us are God’s helpers in bringing his message and calling others to be disciples of Jesus too.
Copyright © Dale Appleby 2009