Devoted Gatherings

The early church never gathered without a purpose. The early believers were acutely aware of what was at stake as a result of inactivity. Time was short, and their mission big.

So in Acts 1 when the Apostles remain in Jerusalem waiting for the promised Holy Spirit, they gather together, devoting themselves for days of intensive prayer and the study of the Scriptures.

After they receive the Spirit at Pentecost, the new converts gather together, “continually devoting themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Note how they are devoted to a purpose as they gathered together.

Broken Community

Our society holds ‘community’ as an ideal to be achieved. Indeed, the present generation craves community, in large part, because we are socially deficient. We are more comfortable behind a computer screen or mobile phone, making “friends” on Facebook than we are talking with those sitting straight across from us.

This starvation has caused us to idealize gathering together, but when we get together, we are quickly disillusioned with the brokenness and awkwardness of ourselves and others. As a result we enter once again into our isolation.

Purposeless Gatherings

There is a misguided, if only unspoken, notion today that if we just get Christians together in community—community groups, small groups, home groups, or whatever the name du jour happens to be—we will magically find purpose in our gatherings.

The reality is that while there may be benefits to just ‘getting together’ as believers, establishing our gathering together as amorphous social groups quickly lose their appeal and value. These gatherings need leadership and focus.

The Leader’s Quandary

But even leaders are presented with an immediate quandary. There seems to have been a shift in thinking over the past decade or more. What once had been groups centered around Bible study are now groups centered around relationship building with less clearly defined goals.

With this new model, one of the greatest problems for leaders is member expectations. Some group members come with the hope of just having a meal and getting to know others in the church. Others long for a Bible study. Some would rather read a book together or follow some other curriculum. Others just want a prayer group. Leaders are presented with the delicate task of keeping such groups purposeful while meeting the real needs of its members.

Purpose in Meeting

The example of the early church’s gatherings both in spirit and substance should also serve as a model for us. There is nothing of lackluster meetings that interest the members if it fits their schedule and mood. They devoted themselves to one another, to their God, and as a result reached the surrounding world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Their model was simple and purposeful, and ought to be ours as well. In order to reach the world with the Gospel, we must care for one anothers spiritual, emotional and physical needs as we gather together to devote ourselves to Scriptural truth, to rich fellowship, and to prayer—food is optional, though strongly encouraged!

Next: Hospital for Sinners: Finding healing in life's brokenness