Tag: assemblies
Three Keys to Effective Church Meetings (How to Have Great Church Assemblies)
Today, our church had what I felt was a particularly good assembly. Considering some of our small group were absent, I found the feeling of its special effectiveness intriguing. In a small congregation, each person tends to be deeply valued and appreciated and, when they are absent, their absence tends to be more noticeable than…
Four Childhood Experiences That Fueled My Desire for Participatory Church
The following is an excerpt from my e-book House Church Reflections, which you can download free here. … As I reflect on my childhood, I recall four experiences which planted seeds in my heart which contributed to my desire to help start a house church. First, I remember participating with a group of Christians from south…
Why the Concept of Placing Membership isn’t Biblical (And Why Churches Should Stop Doing It)
One of the issues that I wrestle with when it comes to the church is the concept of placing membership. It’s one of those things where it’s difficult to separate what is from what should be. On the one hand, I see the practicality of a somewhat formal notice of belonging to a group of…
Jesus’ Church: Organism or Organization? (Why Our Thinking About the Church is Wrong)
I recently read a newspaper article written by a preacher that was discussing his view of the purpose of the church. Since I’ve been thinking and writing about similar things recently, the headline caught my eye, so I read it. The contents got me to thinking. As Christians, we understand (intellectually) the individual truths that…
Why the Phrase “The Church In…” isn’t Always Clear in Scripture
In the New Testament, when you read the phrase “the church in,” what do you think about? A specific assembly of Christians meeting in a certain place? Or the segment of Jesus’ body that was living in a specific town or region (regardless of where they assembled)? In the post “Separating What is from What…
What Are Your Assemblies Like?
One of the men leads the assembly. He sets the order of events, but we adapt to the circumstances of the meeting. During the course of a typical Sunday assembly, we: Each person is encouraged to actively participate throughout the assembly. This encourages personal (and group) growth and helps us live like the family we…