What is the Church? (Group Study, Video Sessions 3 & 4)
David Fitch defines the Church as “a community of practices which join people together in their submission to Jesus as Lord.”
Before diving into sessions 3 and 4 of the group study, What is the Church: Why It still Matters, take a moment to reflect on this question: How do our practices embody our beliefs?
(If you would like access to this video study, please contact Groups director Jessica Flake.)
Session 3: Practical Implications
Practices, or Belief Statements?
1.David Fitch says that when organizing a church people often start with belief statements, not practices. What can happen when our beliefs remain disconnected from our practices?
Programs, or a Whole Way of Life?
2. What do you think the difference is between ministry “programs” and ministry as a “whole way of life”? What might ministry as a whole way of life look like in practice?
Coercion or Presence?
3. Discuss the difference between leading coercively and leading out of presence. What are some benefits to leading from presence, especially in our current time and place? Is there anything about this that raises questions or concerns?
According to Fitch, when the outside culture challenges our beliefs, we should lean on practices of mutuality where we listen to one another, and read the Bible together, saying “it is good to us, and the Holy Spirit, that we do this together” (Acts 15).
Acts 15 recounts the Council at Jerusalem, where the early church leaders debated the extent to which Gentile believers needed to accept Jewish practices. This was a pivotal, and contentious, moment during the infancy of the Christian movement. Read Acts 15:22-29 together (for a fuller context, you may want to start at verse 6).
4. What lessons can we learn today from this moment in the history of our faith?
Session 4: The Practices
1.What practices does your church emphasize regularly? Why do you think your church decided to focus on these things?
2. Which of the seven practices that Fitch will talk about in this study are most familiar to you? Least familiar? Which seems most (or least) in your wheelhouse?
The Lord’s Table (Communion)
Reconciliation
Proclaiming the Gospel
Being with the Least of These
Five-Fold Gifting (Portions of Grace)
Being with Children
Kingdom Prayer
3. Why is it important to practice these things in our daily lives, outside of only Sundays?
4. Which of these practices do you think it would be the best to start with at St. Mark’s? What would be challenging about starting this new practice? What would be rewarding?
