So much of our language about “church” focuses on the place where we gather for worship, a hosted event (concert or outreach), or the many types of meetings that take place within a congregation—Bible studies, social gatherings, service projects, and youth groups to name a few.
Language shapes how we view church
We talk about going to church on Sunday (meaning worship service) or that “my church” feeds the poor, which is a wonderful and needed ministry. My point is that our language about “church” usually refers to location, event, or activity.
Is our language about the church a result of centuries of church experience, or does it define and limit the boundaries of our understanding?
Whatever the role of how we talk about “church,” we are still aware that “church” is the people who follow Jesus. But we nonetheless default to the language of location, meeting, or event. Therefore, we regard “church” as something I go to and participate in.
Meeting not “THE” Meeting
We often trade being deeply involved in one another’s lives for being somewhat regular attendees of church meetings.
Regular church attendance becomes the defining element of what it means to be a modern disciple. If we get to know people in the process, so much the better.
Going to a meeting is not the same as meeting together.
From the beginning, the “church” (meaning the people of Jesus) met daily in public places, such as the Temple courts, and in one another’s homes.
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts… (Acts 2:46 ESV)
Premodern society lacked daily work commutes, kids' sports programs, Zoom conferences, and gym workouts. People interacted closely all week long. That is just fact, not judgment. An advantage of New Testament culture was that it afforded time and opportunity for believers to know one another.
Today, we must carve out time for a multitude of daily and weekly responsibilities often forcing us to sacrifice relationships and prioritize how much time we can allocate to every responsibility, including involvement with other believers in the church. Even on Sundays, families go separate ways and meet together at the end for lunch. Friendships may be limited to participating in elective classes or assorted Life Groups.
Relationships grow over time with shared experience within an interconnected web among family, friends, and work. The Body builds itself up in love as each part does its work, which requires us to know one another well. Without time and opportunity, we do not easily grow as the Body of Christ.
The “go-to-meeting church” knows this truth that relationships build in smaller settings, over time, and with shared experience. That’s why we have invested in small groups, targeted programs, projects, and all sorts of potlucks. To some extent, they provide the framework for relationships to happen, but they do not normally provide robust and long-term environments necessary to know one another well. How many life groups are surprised when a couple announces they are getting divorced?
We cannot change modern American culture and superimpose a quasi-agrarian New Testament context. Nor should we. But we must recognize and work to counter the relational undertow that keeps the followers of Jesus from knowing one another well and, as such, building one another up in love as each part functions.
Practical Steps and Cluster Life
PRIORITY. Coming to know other believers must be a primary priority, understanding that our culture works against us. Building deep relationships may take months or years, and intentionality is essential. What changes must you make in your schedule and activities to have time for people?
LET YOUR CHURCH FRIENDS PICK YOU. That may sound counterintuitive, but the Holy Spirit builds up the church family, and because of that, some of the people you will become close with you may never have picked as friends. Practically, it is much more difficult to try to start a Cluster by inviting your friends. Instead, invite a few friends and let them invite their friends. We often forget that church-building in a Holy Spirit endeavor. Clusters, as the church, are not intended to be groups of friends but rather clustered networks of believers.
MEET, not MEETING. Clusters may start as weekly meetings (most do). Most Clusters take months for deeper relationships to occur. So, no pressure! Just meet. But the Cluster is not a Bible study, and the Cluster is not a meeting. Rather, the Cluster is the people the Holy Spirit brings together to worship, grow, and know one another well. Meet together whenever you can, either as a group or one or two over coffee. As the Cluster grows, people’s lives will begin to intersect throughout the week.
BE REALISTIC. Most people cannot or will not alter their priorities quickly, but as these Holy Spirit relationships grow, you will find that people will naturally reprioritize whatever conflicts with Body life. Then you will find that often people will invite their friends into the Cluster rather than only building relationships with them outside of church.
PRAY. Nothing happens without the Lord doing it. The life of the church is a spiritual endeavor and Clusters that fail to pray usually drift off track quickly.