Christian Community and Church Life
Christian community and church life form the foundation of how believers experience God's love and share it with others. The early church in Acts provides a compelling picture of what it means to live together as the people of God, unified by Christ's love and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The Heart of Christian Community
The need for authentic Christian community runs deeper than mere social connection. As one Church At The Cross leader explains, "We have been created for community, and not just any kind of community. We've been created to be a part of a community that dwells with God, that loves Him and loves one another" (LG Refresh Session 1, 1:19). This reflects Jesus' teaching about the two greatest commandments: to love God with all our hearts and to love one another as ourselves.
The brokenness of sin has led to isolation from God and relational troubles with one another. However, Jesus brings renewal not just to individuals but to entire communities. "Jesus doesn't just set out to renew individuals, but he sets out to renew individuals and by His Spirit place them within community where that community is renewed as one" (LG Refresh Session 1, 2:29).
The Acts 2 Model
The early church in Acts 2:42-47 provides a beautiful vision of what Christian community looks like when empowered by God's Spirit:
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers... And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need" (LG Refresh Session 1, 5:13).
This passage reveals three key characteristics of biblical community:
A Unified Community
Christian unity goes beyond surface-level similarities. In the early church, thousands of individuals from different nations, languages, and backgrounds were brought together by their common experience of Jesus (LG REFRESH Session 2, 3:29).
"What they have most in common with one another is their unity in Christ—the fact that they're bought by the blood of Jesus and the love of God has come for them" (LG REFRESH Session 2, 4:10). This unity in Christ becomes more significant than all their other differences.
The community lived with radical togetherness: "They lived their life together, they centered their life around being the people of God" (LG Refresh Session 1, 6:00). When someone had a need, the church responded: "We got you, we got your back. How much do you need? Where do you need a place to stay? How much food do you need? We got you" (LG REFRESH Session 2, 1:40).
A Worshipping Community
Acts 2:42 shows that the early believers "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." Each element reveals important aspects of worship in community:
Devotion to Teaching: They were "steadfastly attentive to the apostles' teaching," hearing about "who Jesus is, what Jesus had accomplished... his perfect life and death and resurrection" (LG RERESH Session 3, 1:43).
Fellowship (Koinonia): The Greek word for fellowship means much more than casual socializing. It encompasses "participation, partnership, and distribution"—sharing not just physical needs but also encouragement (LG RERESH Session 3, 3:11).
Breaking of Bread: This included both the Lord's Supper and shared meals, emphasizing the importance of eating together as a community practice.
Prayer: They were devoted to intentional, consistent prayer for one another, following the pattern of Hebrews 10:24-25 to "stir up one another to love and good deeds" (LG RERESH Session 3, 4:12).
A Missional Community
The early church's life together was inherently evangelistic. "Their life together was so unique, so compelling because the Spirit was empowering it, that it was an evangelistic event to those around them and they welcomed others in day by day" (LG Refresh Session 1, 6:26).
At Church At The Cross, this is expressed in the belief that "our life together is an evangelistic event" (LG Refresh Session 1, 6:19). When the Spirit empowers genuine love between believers, it creates something distinctive that draws others to Christ.
The Role of Life Groups and Discipleship
Smaller community groups are essential for experiencing the depth of fellowship described in Acts. "You can't have that fellowship that is spoken of in Acts... you can't do all of that in one hour on Sunday morning" (LG RERESH Session 3, 5:33).
Life groups provide opportunities for participation where "you do not need to be a teacher or have a visible teaching role in the church in order to be contributing in meaningful and necessary ways to the church body" (LG RERESH Session 3, 6:18).
Discipleship groups offer same-gender fellowship where "men can speak to men in a very particular way and encourage one another," providing voices that can say "I understand what that's like... let me partner with you" (LG RERESH Session 3, 6:55).
Living Out Community Today
Even in challenging circumstances, Jesus continues to create authentic community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Church At The Cross witnessed remarkable expressions of biblical community: gifts dropped at doors, Zoom prayer meetings for the sick, dozens of meal trains, and people worshipping together while maintaining physical distance (LG Refresh Session 1, 7:13).
The call for every believer is to examine how their life can increasingly reflect this Acts 2 vision—living in unity with other believers, participating in worship and fellowship, and joining God's mission to welcome others into His community day by day.