Our Practices
Very simply put, we strive to follow the simple, practical teaching of the the early church found in Acts chapter 2. 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
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
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 word, 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 only some in a fellowship gather with God daily in His word, then the few who lead and teach have the responsibility to “get it right” and then explain scripture to those who merely listen. This takes the responsibility away from every believer in the fellowship to be devoted to the teaching of the word, and it places those leaders in a powerful and sometimes misused position of to lead many into false teaching. Everyone devoted to the word is protection against potentially heretical teaching.
02 The Fellowship
The Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia,” meaning “communion.” It’s where we get our words “communication” and “community.”
The fellowship of the early church didn’t happen for 2 hours on Sunday morning, it was every day life, in relationship, in community.
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.
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).