Christ’s authentic church is made up of these components:
Jesus is the cornerstone and head of His church (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-21, Colossians 1:18).
The church is built on our faith that Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:18).
God does not dwell in any building or kind of building (Acts 7:48, 17:24-28).
Believers themselves are the temple because Jesus dwells in them (Romans 8:8 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:22).
Together, all believers are one body, with Christ as our head. (Romans 12:5).
Since believers are one in Christ, we should operate in a way that exhibits no prejudices or divisions that people who don’t follow Christ use (1 Corinthians 1:10, 12:13).
All believers are saints and a priesthood that makes up a spiritual house (1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10).
The Bible is our chief tool for teaching, as it has everything needed for a holy life and good works (2 Timothy 3:16).
Each believer has gifts and talents that can be used to help organize, serve, and lead local fellowships and to help meet needs (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:25, 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Peter 4:9-10, Galatians 6:10).
Leaders should model selflessness humility, and mutual sharing by rejecting worldly things like hierarchies, special titles, special clothing for teachers, or anything similar that promotes one person or a few as being more important than everyone else (Matthew 23: 4-12, Philippians 2:3-4).
This is the kind of community we are working to build up.
“Local gatherings of Christ’s church were never meant to become business mechanisms for people to become church professionals who do nothing but talk in church and earn lofty livings off the generosity of other hardworking people who are operating outside the church walls.
In terms of leadership, things were meant to operate more like how PTA groups or neighborhood associations do. ‘Hey, you are really good at this or that and have godly character., Would you share your time and skills with the group by serving as an elder or deacon?’
Claire Redick –
Elders did the organizing and teaching, and there was not a lead elder. They didn’t preach sermons to church members either. Preaching”, kerygma (κήρυγμα) in the New Testament (Luke 4:18-19, Romans 10:14), didn’t even mean giving sermons to believers who already attend a church. It was about traveling around to tell people who don’t know anything about Jesus who He is and why you follow him.
Robin Redick –