Transitioning to a New Way of Being the Church (Part 2: Getting Practical)
What does it look like for an existing church to transition to a new way of being church, where church is so much more than a weekend service.
This is a more practical exploration of the principles outlined in part 1 of this post. It takes the big picture ideas of how to transition to a new way of being the church and applies them to the week-to-week of life.
What to do with the weekend service
The weekend service has cemented itself into Christian tradition for the past couple of thousand years. It’s so much a part of our understanding of what church is, that the service itself has become synonymous for the word church. When we say we’re going to church, we mean, we’re meeting together to sing songs and listen to a sermon at our sanctuary. To remove this element of church would be unwise, at least to begin with. We would flounder, as if we’d sunk our ship without first finding land upon which to disembark.
Instead, we should use the existing platform of the weekly service to train and prepare everyone for what is to come. We should share stories which expand our understanding of who we are and God’s purposes for each other. We should also seek to include elements in our services which are helpful for not only personal edification, but also for equipping ourselves for the mission God is calling us to. If possible, we should find space for sharing in conversation. We should listen to the Spirit at least as much as we listen to the teacher. There should be a sense of momentum and enthusiasm for what we will seek to apply throughout the week. We should leave with a desire to reconnect with each other and to meet on the mission field.
Gradually, the service becomes a place to hear back on all of our being the church during the week. Stories of what God is doing encourage us in our own work for God’s kingdom. The service is a chance to pray for each other. It’s an opportunity to correct any drift from God’s purposes that we might experience. Our services provide an opportunity for people to use their gifts and to check-in with those who might otherwise drift away.
Exactly how the weekend service looks, it’s structure and what it includes, will vary and will depend on the make up of each congregation. However, the service is no longer seen as the only, or even the central, activity of the church. If the service was not to happen one week, or if someone were to stop attending the services, it would not be cause for alarm. There would be so much church happening around the service that you would still feel like church was thriving.
Beyond the Weekend Service
What occurs aside from the service then? Home groups? Pray meetings? Men’s and Women’s events? Alpha courses? Don’t these already occur in most congregations? Yes, and yes. However, these things are no longer viewed as extras. They are just as much a part of church as the weekend service. The intent also changes. Everyone seeks to meet together regularly and expects to experience close communion with each other and with God on these occasions. We attend with a sense of expectation that God will speak and move and heal and direct. We also attend with trust and transparency, sharing honestly with each other, being accountable and developing deeper, fruitful relationships. Importantly, there is a sense of mission, as we move into the wider community. We are visible in our faith, each one of us involved in the mission together. We don’t think of a church activity as having less significance if the pastor isn’t in attendance. We value time together, whatever the size of the group is, and our excitement comes because we know God is with us.
Furthermore, we seek church in the daily rhythms of our lives. We look for another Christian at work we can pray with. We pray before we go to the gym or meet for coffee. We send encouraging messages and check in on each other. We utilise video calls for short mid-week worship or prayer. We team up to share the gospel or to prayer walk our neighbourhood. All of this is church too. We regularly practice hospitality, and are over at each other’s places, living life together.
Discipleship happens in all these places and is the intention behind all these things. Jesus has asked us to make disciples and by living life together in every sense, we find church in any place we are together.
What else does church look like in the future? What else could it include? Keen to hear from you - tom@haventogether.com