A few weeks ago I asked a fellow trainee-pastor-friend what, if unhindered, might his church look like? I thought I might try and answer my own question.
So, ‘church’ would get together for one main meeting per week (at whatever time is most appropriate, maybe late Sunday morning, 11-12ish). None of the legalistic “you have to attend church twice on a Sunday if you want to be a member…” that I get told these days.
So, one main meeting per week. Followed by lunch together. I don’t think enough churches eat together. It’s a brilliant way to develop a proper community feel. It needn’t be a big deal. Maybe just sandwiches, or bringing a packed lunch. But if a church has the facilities, it’s not hard to knock up chilli for a big group.
So, one main weekly meeting followed by lunch. Then during the week there’d be a bible study and prayer meeting, pretty regular really. But, hopefully, it would work that there were only two meeting per week. Not five or ten like some churches. Just two meeting a week – the expectation being that most people would attend both of them.
Then the church would be free the rest of the time to pursue community, relationships, evangelism and maybe further bible study of their own accord.
Oh, the other plan would be that the church would have one, single, coordinated programme. That is, each week the sermon and bible studies would be on the same passage. So a passage is explained/preached on Sunday and then explored and applied further in bible study. Then next week, the next passage is preached and studied. The whole church studies and applies the bible together.
