Key Bible Passage(s):

Acts 2:37-47; I Cor.12:12-26; Eph.4:11-16

Tier 1:

Believing in the Church is something Christians do. You can’t separate this line out from all the others as if it is optional. It isn’t. Church isn’t optional. Except in exceptional circumstances, you cannot think of being a Christian without thinking of being part of the Church. The Church - the other people around us who are Christians - is critical to our own life and growth as disciples of Jesus. This is where the Spirit is at work, changing us into the image of Jesus.

Tier 2:

Understanding how a Church works is important. There are both ‘formal’ (institutional) aspects and structures of Church life, and also ‘informal’ (relational) elements. It is easy to focus on one side to the detriment of the other, but both elements need to be recognised, and participated in, if the Church is to fulfil it’s Spirit-given mandate… Failure to engage in either will lead to spiritual atrophy.

Tier 3:

The Church (the communion of saints) is supposed to be a microcosm of New Creation life. Old Creation life is ebbing away and the divisions that scars Old Creation humanity have no place in this community of the Holy Spirit. That isn’t just about our own congregation - it’s about Church’s all over the world.

The Church is not a religious community of worshippers of Christ. It is Christ. Christ Himself who has taken form among people.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer

Group Exercise:

at start of the session:

What would say was the central message of Christianity?

What would you say to someone who asked you what it meant to be a Christian?

after a few minutes of discussion:

Did the life of the Church feature at any point in your discussion?

Why / why not?

First main discussion session:

What would you say to someone who thought they could be a Christian without really going to, or being involved with a Church family..?

No-one can have God as Father, who isn’t prepared to have the Church as their mother… Do you agree?

If someone was moving to a new town, what would you advise them to look for in a Church they were considering joining? What constitutes a ‘good’ Church? Can you think of Bible passages to support your answer?

Second main discussion session:

Based on what we’ve been thinking about this evening, if we want the Holy Spirit to bless our ministry, worship etc. what do we need to have in place?

What are the greatest challenges we face in our pursuit of this vision of Church?  What can we do to overcome them?

What difference does it make that Jesus and the Apostles deal with Christians corporately, i.e. as Churches?

Homework:

Continue to memorise the Apostles’ Creed

Over this half-term we will be working to memorise Matthew 5:11-16. You will have to keep refreshing Matt.5:1-10 whilst you do this.

(we’ll memorise the whole of the Sermon on the Mount over the next 3 years)

To Be a Christian, Q&A 84-104

Where could you get involved with others at your Church? You might want to start simply with finding out what’s going on. Check out our Church website to get started.

…or a bit further afield, have a look at our Church’s Global Mission Partners.