Whilst reading my church planting manual, I found this case study which I thought was really interesting...
Juan trusted Christ at a Billy Graham crusade meeting in New York City at the age of 18. Counseled for ten minutes about his new-found faith, he was encouraged to find a Bible-believing church. He visited several and settled into an independant Baptist congregation in the Bronx. Juan observed a number of things that were important to this group of Christians:
- Churches own buildings, even though just store fronts; people sit on benches in rows; they come nicely dressed; they are greeted by ushers who hand them bulletins to read.
- Churches have hymnals available for everyone; there books have both words and music, whether the people can read music or not; there's an organ (seldom played), a piano and a small choir
- Churches have two gatherings called "Services" on Sunday, the morning one being preceded by a Sunday school. There's a prayer meeting on Wednesday nights. The Sunday services begin with singing led by a song leader and then include announcements, pastoral prayer and a sermon by the pastor.
- The pastor is a seminary graduate who did not belong to this congregation before going to school. He was called by the congregation mainly to preach to them. He also visits the sick and calls on church members.
- Members are asked to attend all the meetings faithfully. After they have done this for some time, they are given Sunday school classes to teach if they have been baptized.
Juan grew spiritually, developed friends and became involved in the whole program of the church. Since he had speaking abilities, Juan was often used as a supply preacher. Five years later he felt called to start a church himself. Though he was a teacher in the public school system, Juan left his job and did some graduate work in a seminary. After a few more years as a co-pastor in his home church, Juan started his own church.
While I read that I just kept asking myself "I wonder if this is how Jesus imagined his church..."
What do you think?
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