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CREATING COMMUNITIES OF WHOLENESS WITH CHRIST AT THE CENTRE
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Acts 2.42-47 - John 15.5-11
LOVE IT OR LOATHE IT – BUT WHAT IS IT?
For some of us the church is where we find our security, it is where we feel safe. For others it represents constraint and even repression and they never want to go near it.
Church is the people of God. This is why Chapels are called Chapels – because the word ‘Church’ should never [if you’re being pedantic] be applied to bricks and mortar, only to the ‘living stones’ [us] that form the people of God. In the Church of England we do describe our buildings as churches, and our buildings are often wonderful and holy places, but without the people of God, they loose their spirit and become just museums.
* Brainstorm the words and images that you connect with the word ‘Church’.
* Then brainstorm your memories of what church has been for your and your dreams about what it could be.
* Are there any connections?
* Is there anything that you’d like to feed back to the Ministers and PCC to inform future plans?
THE EARLY CHURCH
In the Acts of the Apostles [2.42-47] we read of the characteristics of the early church.
* A leaning church – they never stopped learning about God and their faith – they were always moving forward rather than looking back. One of the great dangers for the church is that we do just look back. Instead each day we should seek to learn something new and enter more deeply into the wisdom and grace of God.
* A church of fellowship – they had a great quality of togetherness and community.
* A praying church – they knew they could not meet the challenges they faced in their own strength. They also knew that they did not need to, because through prayer God’s power is released into the world and God’s people are strengthened.
* A reverent church – they were very aware of the majesty of God who they worshipped.
* A church where things happened – they expected things from God and they saw results.
* A sharing church – they shared all that they had and never let members go hungry.
* A worshiping church – they never forgot to worship together.
* A happy church – they were full of the joy of God.
* An attractive church – their faith and lives and works were so attractive that people were drawn to them.
* What aspects of the early church do you recognise in our church today?
* Are there characteristics that we could or should be developing?
* What do you think is your role within the church?
* How could your role develop?
THE VINE AND THE BRANCHESJohn 15.5-11
As is so often the case Jesus uses common images – there were vines all round Palestine, people would have known what he was talking about. He describes himself as the vine from which everything else grows, including the branches, which are all of us. But vines, like all other plants, need to be pruned, sometimes aggressively, and then from bare stumps can shoot out again. And there are times when there are parts of our lives that need to be pruned, even aggressively, so that there can be a chance of new healthy growth.
* What kind of branch are you?
* Are there parts of your life that need to be pruned back?
* Are there parts that need to be encouraged to grow? If so, how?
ABIDING IN JESUS
We are a part of the vine, connected to Jesus, and so we abide in him, live with him. But it’s easy to loose touch with that. It is, and always has been, incredibly difficult to be a Christian on your own. Living the life of Christ, abiding in Jesus, involves doing it together. Look back to the list of the qualities of the early church. We need to gather together as God’s people to, pray, learn, share, worship, support and laugh!
Churches are not perfect, just as Christians are not perfect, but they are still, following the call of Jesus and the example of the early church, an incredibly important part of what it means for us to be Christians.
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CHURCH
* The Universal Church – is the global community of all Christians. We often don’t know or even know about each other – but think of the millions praying with us at any one time…
* The Denomination – is how the church is subdivided, into Catholics and Anglicans [Church of England] and Methodists and Baptists etc. There are clear differences between the denominations, but what unites us is far greater and more important than what divides us.
* The congregation – is where we meet in our local community or parish, it is our local church, within which we live out or Christian lives, share fellowship, pray, laugh and worship.
* The small group – is a group of 10-12 people with whom we meet regularly. Church on Sunday can been too big and not an easy place to talk or even learn and pray, so small groups [we call them HomeChurch Groups] are incredibly important [if you’d like more info contact Mike on mike.haslam@nschurch.org.uk ]
* What do you think is the role of small groups within the local church?
* Would you consider joining one of them or encouraging others to join?
PRAYER
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
than in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name.
Amen.