Walking into Church-Session Four
New Street Baptist Church-09 August 2020
Hello and welcome to the fourth session of ‘Walking into Church’. We hope you’ve enjoyed the weeks so far - do comment, encourage others and join in as much as possible (you can comment at the end of the page).
Psalm 145:1–9
Great is the Lord
1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendour of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
- What have you been most thankful for this week?
Brian and Angela
Brian sent us this video with an update on their situation and a verse of encouragement:
Ruby
Ruby sent a letter of encouragement and one section was read out which said: “One of my Bible readings this week was from 1 Peter 1:5 which talks about being ‘shielded by God’s power’. As ‘shielding’ is the expression so often quoted these days it seemed very appropriate to be reminded that God had it all in hand.
I thought of the Hebrew people too in Egypt at the time of the plagues and how God could plague all of Egypt and shield his people at the same time.
Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty there is nothing that He cannot do, for me, for you, that’s true!”
Sue
Sue was thankful for the opportunity to hear a word from David via video from the book of Job and gave her thanks for the messages from New Street which had been delivered each week.
Simon
Simon shared a word he sensed God gave him as a he saw the news about the situation in Lebanon. It reminded him that sometimes sin and the mess it causes isn’t always the direct result of us doing something wrong, but sometimes it can be the result of our inaction or when we don’t do the right thing at all. Although we’re not saved by good works it’s a reminder of the need to spur one another on in pursuing the things of Jesus.
Simon also mentioned this video:
In the midst of the explosion there is a Greek Orthodox Church with a lamp which continuously burns and it managed to continue even amidst all the carnage. Simon felt it was a reminder than even in the darkness the light of God is still there.
Naomi
Jude 24–25
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
25 to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Dale
Dale has also sent us some photos from his time at a family wedding across the pond. We rejoice with him and give God thanks for the wedding of Ethan and Kaleigh Simmons. Take a look at the photos here
Talk 1 -When does church finish?
In many ways this is the most difficult session to discuss in the current circumstances because it is the hardest one to apply due to the restrictions. That said, although we can’t have a time of fellowship or refreshment it is still worth spending some time considering why a time for informal fellowship is an essential part of how we gather together.
This reflection will prepare us well for the day when we can hopefully restore this time but also the principles this session continues to encourage are all about intentionally making the most of every opportunity to minister to and encourage one another, motivated by love. We can still be apply them, but we might just have to work a bit harder to do it.
So let me ask you this really important question? When does church finish?
You know how it is. The final hymn or closing prayer, they can be a bit like the starter gun at the races, the signal for some to start running to the door and off to Sunday lunch! Religious act for the week done.
But of course, this doesn’t really seem to reflect the attitude of loving sacrificial service we’ve been exploring does it?
So far we’ve seen how church is more than just the building, more than just turning up for what I can get out of it, more than just the activities we do together. We gather as Church in the presence of God to worship him but also to build up, encourage and comfort one another in Jesus. We attend not to tick a religious box but because our very presence is an act of encouragement to other Christians. We attend because we have been instructed by Jesus to speak his word into one another’s lives.
And if that is the case, then the time which happens after church isn’t just inconsequential time after church! In fact, the reason we find the absence of time for fellowship over tea and coffee to be so painful and uncomfortable is not because we just like a good chat over coffee but because it is an essential part of what we do together as the people of God meeting in his presence to minister to one another.
That informal time after the service is still church, it is still the gathering and it’s essential we understand it’s a time for us to continue in the ministry of encouragement and doing life together with Jesus.
Let’s talk about it!
- At your church, what tends to happen in the time after the formal part of church is over? What’s good and what is not so good?
- Who do you normally talk to, and what do you talk about?
Most shared that they tended to use the time as an opportunity to catch up with others about how they were doing, what their week had been like or what was coming up. It’s easy to turn those conversations into ministry by offering to pray for each other there and then.
- Do you find it difficult to talk about spiritual matters? If so, why is that, do you think?
Some mentioned that there can be challenges going deeper in our conversations, particularly if we’re trying to look after children at the same time. It was a helpful reminder to seek out these meaningful conversations at other times too.
Talk 2-How to build over coffee
The informal fellowship we talk of after church is actually an invaluable part of our gathering, an opportunity to build one another in love and it’s a real shame if we fail to make the most of it by dashing off home or limiting ourselves to small talk about the weather or football.
- So how can we make the most of this important time to love people at church?
It’s what we’ve already seen — the key principle is to speak God’s word. We grow in Christ, and gain encouragement and strength and hope, when we understand the truth and put our trust in it.
And the source is the word, the bible, the words God himself has spoken to us.
As we talk with each other, this is the essential way we build and encourage each other in love. We speak the word to each other. This is the foundation.
Now you might feel that you’re not very good at that or starting those kinds of conversations. They key is always to pray, before and during that God will open up opportunities for you to have encouraging conversations.
The easiest way to get start is to note down something interesting or a specific question you might have in relation to the sermon that morning and ask someone about it. Even if the conversation doesn’t go anywhere, you’ve been an encouragement just by modelling interest about the word of God.
- Read the following Bible verses. What do they teach about the ‘everyday Word ministry’ we can have to one another?
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Hebrews 3:12–14
Colossians 3:14-17
Ephesians 4:11-16
- What comment or question could you have used about a recent sermon to begin a conversation centred on the word of God?
- What sorts of things stop us from ministering to others informally at church?
Leaving quickly, lack of confidence, embarrassment, lack of thought or preparation.
- What does all this mean for what time we leave church?
It means we’re happy to stay longer so that we can build meaningful relationships with others and even possibly invite someone round for lunch (when that’s ok again)!
Assignment:
- Check in with someone over the phone for now, and offer to pray with them
- Ask someone for their testimony story and share your own
- Start a conversation with someone about what you are learning about what it means to love your church at the moment.
