Church and community - the place where they meet?

Listened to a really good talk at church today about the importance of church in the community.

Acts 2:42-43,45-47 (NIV)They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. [45] Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. [46] Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Within any community there will be many smaller communities which operate. What place does the community of God have in the heart of a village / town?

Sometimes a village and church community comes together to work for good.

What are the challenges for our church community from Acts 2?

This was the early Christian community - they didn't have buildings, traditions, orders of service  and prayer books. They just had the basic message.

They got on with it to bring people to faith.

Firstly,

Acts 2:42 (NIV)They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The fundamentals of Christian life: teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer.

This is also the first thing we should do as a Christian community.

But how do we interact and work with the other communities around us?

We want to ...

Acts 2:47 (NIV)

....... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

What is the important thing about being our church in the community?

Eg. Faith and prayer in the heart of the community.

Even a large church community needs to thrive and grow to ensure that ..

Acts 2:47 (NIV)

........ the Lord adds to their number daily those who are being saved.

Church needs to have a two way door, from the community and to the community.

What are peoples experience of coming into church for the first time?

We need to make sure that we provide:-

- encouragement to come in

- welcome when you arrive

- encouragement to stay

Acts 2:44 (NIV)All the believers were together and had everything in common.

All believes doing it. We mustn't think that the welcoming is just done by the welcome people.

We all also have a place in other communities, at work, at school, where we live and relax.  How do we ensure that we have faith and prayer in the heart of other communities?

We long to be able to:

Acts 2:47 (NIV)praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

We need to blur the edges between church and community.