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Substitutes?

18 March  2007                                                         

What is necessary for All Saints to grow as a church? Numerically or spiritually do you mean? The distinction is false. A church can’t grow numerically as a church unless it grows spiritually. It could grow numerically as an association or centre of human interest. It could even grow numerically as a source of entertainment – but then it would not really be a church.

If it grew by conversion growth, that is people joined it who were beginning to follow Christ, then this would be serious spiritual growth as well.  If it grew spiritually in its devotion and  love for Jesus as a church, then it would also grow in its internal fellowship relationships.  That is what a church is – a fellowship. It may be possible to think of individual Christians growing in their own relationships with Jesus without the church growing. But in that case their real spiritual growth would be seriously stunted because they would have neglected one of the chief aspects of Christian life – fellowship.

In an expatriate enclave it is easy to mistake the church for another expatriate refuge. But the Christian church, following the tradition of its Jewish ancestors, is a pioneer of expatriate living (exiles, foreigners, sojourner, aliens, they called themselves in the past). And as such it has been at the forefront of church growth, in the van of crossing new boundaries to bring the gospel of Jesus to new groups of people. The fellowship of people who love Jesus is able to cross boundaries and to draw people into the fellowship who are attracted to Jesus and his disciples.

But without the fellowship church becomes another service provider, like a gas station or supermarket (with the same fickle customer loyalty). What is necessary for All Saints to grow is Christian fellowship – the same as any other church. Fellowship cannot be provided as a service, any more than love can. It has to be given to be received.

Some people may feel that this is beyond their ability, interest, or commitment. So they commit to support the program, or to attend the services in the hope of gaining something for themselves. But in the long run the more who do this the faster will be its decline, unless it transforms itself into a different kind of association. Then it may have the appearance of church but not the reality.

Unfortunately (actually it is fortunate) fellowship cannot be substituted with a look-alike.  And the growth of the church has to happen spiritually.

Dale

Comments

What a wonderful thought that Christian fellowship is the most important thing in a church, like the bible says: For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. So, let us love to one another for Jesus Christ has already loved us, He is loving us, and He will always love us.

Posted by Lidia on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 03:03:55

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