A Community of Connections Part 2

When people find out that I'm a pastor, they inevitably ask me the question, "Where is your church?"

I respond, "Well, we meet all over the place."

Then I grin.

I get a variety of reactions from this statement, and I'm still working on not getting defensive when I have to explain how a church of small-groups works.
Our church meets in small groups in coffeehouses, homes, bars, libraries, bowling alleys, etc. We share life together and learn from each other. We honor God through our relationships with each other as well as through meeting needs in the community around us; no strings attached. And, the leaders of these various groups get together on a weekly basis to share, pray, celebrate and learn.

I admit it. This is very different from what many people think “church” is.

It takes a while to get comfortable with the concept that a faith community can regularly connect with other believers (as well as those who are not Christians) outside the confines of a "church service".

After all, Jesus DID say that whenever two or three were gathered in His name, that He would be present. This has been one of the guiding forces behind our community of small groups, our community of connections.

We believe that you can live in fellowship with others, that you can honor God with your life, and that you can change your community by living your faith out in the world as opposed to trying to get the community to hear about your faith in a service.

Now, this isn’t a knock on churches that have buildings and large services. Many faith communities continue to grow God’s Kingdom through these tools. What makes me shudder, though, is all the people who won’t come to a service or church event. Who’s going to reach out and tell the good news to them? Who’s going to share their lives with the disconnected? Who’s going to patiently love others as they struggle (as we all do!) on this journey?

May we all be faithful to God’s call on us and our faith communities as we wrestle with these questions.

Related Scriptures

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.

Ecclesiastes 4:7-10
I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

John 4:19-24
“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, * where our ancestors worshiped?”
Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Acts 2:42
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.