What about Church?
When you say the word church people think of all sorts of different things. Some people think of an old religious building, others of a modern building. Some people think of old people sitting in pews, others of people clapping and waving their hands in the air. Some people think of weddings, others of grave stones. The image that comes to our mind when we think of "church" depends greatly on our experiences - either personal or as a result of TV or films. However, really we should think of the word church in the way that the Bible describes and explains it.
The word church in the Bible comes from the Greek word "ekklesia" which means "gathering" or "assembly." So a church in the Bible is a gathering of people that believed in Jesus - the word is not used to describe a building but a group of people.
What should church be like? - The Bible describes various things that believers should do when they gather together but it doesn't go into detail about the particular style or way that these things should be done. It seems that the heart attitude of those doing the things is of more interest to God than the format or style.
What are some of the things that the Bible says should be done when Christians gather together?
Acts 2:42 says, "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Teaching
The early church didn't have all the Bible like we do, as it hadn't been written yet, so they learnt from the apostles teaching. Church should include learning about God and how to improve our relationship with him through the Bible.
Fellowship
The early church spent time with each other, helping each other, supporting and encouraging each other, caring for each others needs. Church should include relationship building with others who also believe in Jesus.
