The purpose of church gatherings: worship, instruction, and fellowship
In worship, we place our minds focus on the greatness, goodness, beauty, generosity and love of God
And we express awe, gratitude, praise in amazement of who God is and what he has done.
Worship
Strickly speaking, worship is an individual act but corporate worship does enhance our worship with God;s presence
Sometimes the more the marrier, right? But when it is too big of a regular church gathering? All the resouces and volunteers worth the event?
You may only know 50 out of 2000 people. In small groups, we know everyone and what is going on in their lives
Teaching
Preaching and the sermon have alway had a place in the life of the church. Jesus taught in the fields and in the synagogues
In the Protestant Reformation, preaching became the central event usually with a highly educated preacher, the people needed to be taught with all the elements: stories, humor, visual aides and a hook
Fellowship
Fellowsship translates to sharing or participation or communion
Paul speaks of the Lord's Supper as a participation in the body of Christ - 1 John 1:3-4
Church descibed in the New Testament is a fellowship, a sshared life in Christ
Their meeting were designed to encourage believers to lieve as Christians in every dimension of their live
There groups were small, if one of their number got off course, they knew it and intervenued and knew how to love them.
Small Groups
Traditional church with a focused stage assembly rarely find true fellowship
We don't have time to experience real fellowship with hundreds of people
It is difficult to confront people with their sins if you don't even know them
Church leaders are too concened about getting sued for invasion of privacy