EXTRA! Ideas for Adults – Being an Authentic Church – Session 1

1 month ago 23

Date: April 14, 2024

Built on Christ

The Point: Everything in the church centers on Jesus Christ.

Get Into the Study

Share the following after discussing the opening question.

Nonreligious people say they need churches too—only without God. That’s why a movement of secular congregations has sprung up across the Western world. One so-called “atheist church” organization (though not all attendees are atheists), Sunday Assembly, urges its congregations to mimic the elements of a Christian church. They sing songs led by a band, share testimonies that extol rational thinking, and hear a central lecture in each service on a topic of interest. At one Sunday Assembly gathering, an astronomer spoke about a NASA mission to Pluto. Then the congregation sang “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by the Beatles.

Sunday Assembly and another popular secular church organization called The Oasis have dozens of chapters, some with hundreds in attendance. These gatherings have been dubbed “atheist megachurches.” They seek to provide community and ritual without what attendees see as the incumbrance of Christ. “I honestly can’t think of a word to describe it,” said one member of Sunday Assembly. “I mean, ‘life-changing’ sounds stupid, but Sunday Assembly just helped so much. I’ve always struggled with depression, and I’m so much happier now that I have this group of friends who share my beliefs and who are trying to do good out in the world with me.”

This is a vast contrast with the true church, where ceremonies and community are utilized but everything centers on Jesus.

https://theconversation.com/church-without-god-how-secular-congregations-fill-a-need-for-some-nonreligious-americans-215749

https://www.sundayassembly.org/

Get Into the Study [Option from Adult Leader Guide]

Play a video clip of a simple meal well-prepared. Then ask Question #1.

Study the Bible

As you discuss question 2, share the following.

Sad to say, the scriptural ideals of love and unity are not realities in many American churches, according to a report by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of congregations reported some type of conflict in the Fall of 2023, a survey of 1,700 religious leaders across 40 denominations found. That’s up from 61 percent in early 2023 and 64 percent in 2020, according to previous Hartford Institute studies. The present wave of church conflict coincides with low congregational morale. Thirty-five percent of churches say their future looks uncertain.

The conflict also leaves some pastors thinking about departing from their churches, or even leaving ministry altogether. Nine out of 10 pastors (91%) who consider leaving pastoral ministry “fairly” or “very” often serve in congregations with conflict. Among pastors who never consider leaving pastoral ministry, just 63 percent serve in churches with conflict. On the positive side, unity is a powerful driver of healthy church ministry, researchers found. “What is positively associated with fewer thoughts of leaving,” the report concluded, is “being in a church with a bright outlook for the future, one that has less conflict, is more open to change and adaptation, and cultivates good, healthy relationships between the members and pastor.” Once again research confirms Scripture’s teaching: church unity is vital.

https://www.hartfordinternational.edu/news-events/news/hirr-releases-new-report-increasing-clergy-discontentment

The week’s writer for Extra is David Roach. David is pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama. He and his wife Erin have three children.

Additional Questions

Icebreaker

What newsworthy event in your lifetime captured your attention and impacted your life?
What is your favorite building in your community? Why?
What’s a food you hate for people to mess up?
What’s a food you might consider yourself a snob about?

1 Peter 2:1-5

What’s expected of church members where you attend?
Why is it important to be part of a church?
What are some of the ways our church provides the opportunity for people to hear and “taste that the Lord is good?”
What does it mean that we are a “spiritual house”?
How can we develop an appetite for God’s Word?
What are some ways God “grows” us and matures our faith?
How would you describe the meaning of the church to someone in a single sentence?
Which of the metaphors in these verses most resonate with you?

1 Peter 2:6-8

How would you describe a church that has wandered from Jesus being the central part of its life?
What does it mean for Jesus Christ to be the foundation of your life?
In what ways does the church today demonstrate that Christ is its foundation?
Where do you see people “stumble” over Jesus today?
What are some things that cause people to stumble over Jesus?

1 Peter 2:9-12

What are activities in the church that can compete or take the place of proclaiming and glorifying Christ?
When have you received God’s mercy?
When have you experienced a desire to share with others the way that God has called you “out of darkness into His marvelous light?”
When has your affiliation with Christ caused you to feel like an alien in our culture?
How have you experienced God calling you into His marvelous light in your life?
What can we do to better set ourselves apart from the world?