This month’s note for our church ministry is a bit different. Two books I have found quite helpful in the conversation of revitalization (and both of which I recently discussed with our congregation at various points) include Joseph Hellerman’s When the Church was a Family and Colin Marshall and Tony Payne’s The Trellis and the Vine. I believe our church is at a great point to be thinking through some of the biblical principles outlined in these helpful volumes.
1. A Family: We see repeated throughout the New Testament language of family. Brother (and sister) language is explicitly utilized in 19 of the 21 epistles. That language is not merely affectionate titles or honorifics simply for sounding nice. No: God’s Word uses the language on purpose, directing the early church to identify themselves as what Joseph Hellerman describes as a “society of surrogate siblings.” As we’ve mentioned at several points this year, especially from Peter’s epistles, if we are called to unity as surrogate siblings, we must strive and persevere together for that unity. Those who are in union with Christ by the Spirit of God must fight to love one another and reconcile with one another — proving the work of Christ’s gospel is transforming the earthly “family” into the heavenly family of God. We aren’t just a family when everything is nice and tidy, real family is revealed when we have to work out differences, opinions, conflicts, pains, and shared griefs. Amen!
2. A Family in Ministry: We see repeated throughout the New Testament language of ministry. For as much as we reflect on the elders and deacons, the structure of authority, submission to God-given authority figures (shepherds) and church discipline, we also see this as a shared, communal work. Colin Marshall and Tony Payne provide a unique allegory to a principle as old as the church itself: church leaders and members ought to focus on people and not on programs. The leadership of the church, as a family-focused leadership, is meant to act as a trellis that supports a growing vine. Trellises without vines serve only themselves. But a trellis that supports and trains up a vine will make the vine demonstrate the glory given to it. The healthiest churches are people-growing churches. We want to train up new generations who train up others for the sake of making more trellises and healthier vines. We don’t merely look to authority figures and hope they do the things we want. We look to our brothers and sisters and see where we can grow and where we can be trained by leaders.
As we look to our own church we want to ensure two things are happening: first, that we are growing closer together in siblinghood and second, that we are identifying and investing in faithful and spiritually mature brothers and sisters who train up fellow-members to the same work. We look ahead to our women’s, men’s, and other discipleship and mentoring opportunities and call on the Lord for the work of family ministry and vinedresser ministry! If you would like to read these two books, or other recommendations, I am more than happy to assist you. These kinds of conversations are helpful ways to identify just how the Lord works in His church.
Pastor Chris
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