Page 62 - Ecclesiology revised short_Neat

1. State and define the purpose for the event. There may be a whole host of reasons to gather
believers together for a “fellowship.” One church started a program called “Dinner 8.” The plan was to
have three couples gather at one of their homes and invite a fourth couple who was lost or perhaps
looking for a church home. If lost, the purpose of the Dinner 8 was to share the gospel with the fourth
couple. Each couple had a strategic plan on how they could share a testimony of how God had changed
their lives. As a result of this fellowship, many couples came to understand the Gospel and came to a
saving knowledge of Christ. The group had a plan and set a purpose for the fellowship. The defined
their goals and sought to see Christ exalted in their time together.

There is nothing wrong with getting together for dinner as a part of a fellowship. The early church
gathered daily at one another’s homes and broke bread together. But the end is not eating together.
Something needs to be planned so that true fellowship can occur before, during, or after the meal.
Create a purpose for the meal. Plan a time of fellowship where those attending can hear of other’s
needs or can encourage one another. Accomplish something of eternal value during your time together.

2. Ask yourself, how does this event accomplish the goals and directions of the church ministry?
I would wager to say that most of the events of the church today cannot be connected to the purpose
for the church or the ministry that God has called her to. We have a “Men’s Ministry” at our church.
Once a month, the men of the church come together for a meal, sit around for a few minutes talking
with one another, then a special speaker challenges them in their Christian walk. For years, they have
conducted this fellowship on a monthly basis. But so far, not one act of “ministry” has been
accomplished by any attending the event. It would be better named, “Men’s social hour” because that
is what it is. Every church should carefully evaluate the purpose for every event on the calendar to
determine if what that event accomplishes moves the church down the road to accomplish her mission.

3. Plan to grow in Christ during your fellowship time. I recommend that during every fellowship
event, some mature believer should take God’s Word and remind those in attendance about a truth that
can assist them in their walk with Christ. Perhaps during a Christmas banquet, a teacher can review the
story of the coming Savior, seeking to bring new and refreshing information to the group, as well as a
challenge to apply the new truths to everyday life. This becomes that act of edification of the believers.
This presentation should be carefully and creatively planned to fit the event occasion. It should
naturally flow out of the purpose of the event. But when people leave the fellowship time, they should
be challenged toward Christian maturity.

4. Don’t get caught up with what the WORLD says is fun. Did you know that the word, fun, is never
found in the Bible? The word entertainment is not found in the Bible at all. Once we read "entertain," in
the sense of hospitality, but never the word entertainment. The word games is never to be found. The
word play is used a number of times: playing on musical instruments, playing the harlot, Israel sitting
down to eat and drink and rising up to play (a reference to their naked dancing and worse), the boys and
girls of Israel playing in the streets of Jerusalem after the return from captivity. But play is never used in
the sense we understand it today: having a good time. The words vacation, retirement, and sports are
not found in God's Word. xxxvii

We have been so caught up with the world’s philosophy that we think that the events we plan at church
need to be entertaining and fun. But are these ideas rooted in the Bible? Absolutely not. In sharing his
faith with the many churches Paul started, he never talked about how fun a time they had. In fact, just
the opposite is true. He endured great hardships just to come and minister with them. And the

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