Our Practices

Our Practices

We strive to follow the simple, practical teaching of the the early church found in Acts chapter 2.
Below, read more about the four foundational core practices of what we do.

And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.
Acts 2:42

01 The Apostles Teaching

The early church didn’t have the New Testament. They were the ones who were writing and living it, but that doesn’t mean we don’t benefit from the same teaching of the Apostles. We have their words, their teaching, and the examples of their lives and we find that from the Gospels through Revelation.

How does this work today? Every believer is called to commune with the Lord every day through His word. We call this devoted to scripture, or in other words, to the teaching of the Apostles. Everyone in the fellowship also has specific gifts given by the Holy Spirit…and the responsibility to use them.

When the entire fellowship is in the word individually every day, then during the gatherings all have insights to share, questions to ask, and teaching to give. This is in contrast to the modern, traditional approach of everyone listening, or consuming, what one person teaches.

When just a handful of believers in a church family regularly spend time in God’s Word, it creates an unhealthy pattern. The few who teach end up carrying the full weight of “getting it right” and explaining Scripture to everyone else. This not only removes the personal responsibility that each believer has to study God’s Word, but it also places those leaders in a potentially dangerous position of influence.

Think of it this way: when every believer is devoted to studying Scripture, it creates a natural safeguard against false teaching (Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). But when most people simply listen without engaging with the Bible themselves, the entire fellowship becomes vulnerable to misinterpretation or even heretical teaching. God’s design is for all believers to be grounded in His Word, not just a select few.

02 The Fellowship

The Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia,” meaning “communion.” It’s where we get our words “communication” and “community.” But biblical fellowship goes far deeper than our modern understanding of these terms.

Think about the early church’s example in Acts 2:42-47. Their fellowship wasn’t limited to a brief Sunday morning gathering – it was woven into the fabric of their daily lives. They shared meals together, prayed together, studied Scripture together, and even shared their possessions. This wasn’t just casual friendship; it was deep, life-changing community.

When Luke describes the early believers as being “devoted to fellowship” (Acts 2:42), he’s painting a picture of people who:

  • Shared their lives authentically
  • Supported each other practically
  • Encouraged one another spiritually
  • Challenged each other biblically
  • Celebrated and mourned together

In our fast-paced, individualistic culture, we’ve often reduced fellowship to quick handshakes and surface-level conversations. But God’s design for Christian community calls us to something much richer – genuine relationships where we grow together, serve together, and help each other become more like Christ.

Consider how Paul describes this kind of fellowship in Ephesians 4:15-16:

“Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:46-47

03 The Breaking of Bread

This is the sacrament of Communion, but not a ritualistic approach to the Lords Supper, checking it off as a duty.

Devoted to the breaking of bread in the context of Communion means being brought into fellowship and relationship, a koinonia together with Christ as a community of believers and as an individual.

When we read about the early church being “devoted to the breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42), we’re seeing something far more meaningful than a box to check off our spiritual to-do list. The early believers understood this practice as a profound connection point with both Christ and each other.

The Lord’s Supper (Communion) serves as a beautiful picture of two vital relationships:

  1. Our vertical relationship with Christ
  2. Our horizontal relationship with fellow believers

Think about it this way: When Jesus instituted this practice during the Last Supper, He was sitting around a table with His closest companions, sharing an intimate meal. He chose this setting – not a formal ceremony, but a shared meal – to establish one of our most sacred practices.

When Paul writes about Communion in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, he emphasizes both remembrance and proclamation: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” This isn’t about individual reflection alone; it’s about community declaration of our shared faith.

04 Prayer

The greatest asset of the church is prayer. Being devoted to prayer means we pray individually (Matthew 6:6) and corporately as Jesus taught (Matthew 18:19).

We pray fervently and expectantly (James 5:16) because Jesus told us of a unique dynamic when we gather in prayer (Matthew 18:20).

Prayer isn’t just something we do – it’s who we are as believers. When the early church was “devoted to prayer” (Acts 2:42), they understood something vital that we often miss today: prayer is both the heartbeat and the lifeline of God’s people.

Jesus taught us about two essential dimensions of prayer:

  1. Personal Prayer: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:6). This intimate, one-on-one communion with God forms the foundation of our relationship with Him.
  2. Corporate Prayer: “If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). There’s something uniquely powerful when God’s people unite in prayer.

Think about it like this: Personal prayer is like our daily conversations with a loving Father, while corporate prayer is like a family meeting where we collectively seek His guidance and provision. Both are essential, and both carry unique promises.

James reminds us that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). This isn’t about perfect performance but about praying with:

  • Fervent faith
  • Honest hearts
  • Expectant spirits
  • Persistent dedication

And when we gather to pray, Jesus promises something extraordinary: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). This is about the unique presence and power of Christ manifest in our corporate prayer.