As a disciple-making family, I think we’re mostly past the notion that the “church” is a building. That our language can’t differentiate a church building from the church people (Greek ekklesia, Hebrew qahal) is just one of the odd philological coincidences we’ve inherited as English speakers. But church buildings are another inheritance altogether. In the New Testament, there is no evidence of Christian disciples meeting in a building designated as a special place of worship, save for when they prayed and sought to bear witness to the risen Lord Jesus at the Jewish temple. The “church” meetings took place in houses or homes of Christian disciples.
When he (Peter) realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. – Acts 12:12
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. – Romans 16:3-5
Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.– Colossians 4:15
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house. – Philemon 1:1-2
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you (ya’ll) and does not bring this teaching, (ya’ll) do not receive him into your (all yall’s) house… – 2 John 1:9-10 (Note that all these folks share one singular house… presumably the house where they gathered for worship.)
From this, I conclude that having a building for worship is just an improvisation on the New Testament model of designating a “house” for worship and meeting together as disciples. Church historians like Everett Ferguson know that church buildings didn’t arise widely till Christianity was more tolerable to Roman society, starting during and after the reign of Emperor Constantine in the 4th century A.D. And when churches previously meeting in homes chose to build meeting places, they did so to fulfill practical needs:
“Why did early Christians remodel or build separate structures for worship instead of continuing to use private houses or public spaces? Probably for the same reasons we do today. As the church grew, it needed to accommodate a joint assembly. Special functions, such as daily Bible teaching, baptisms, and the distribution of gifts to the poor, required readily available facilities. Special buildings also gave the church a visible sign of permanence.”1
Note Ferguson’s explanation for the advent of church buildings – the reasons were similar to ours today: space and capacity issues, communicating permanence to a community, designing spaces that are fitted for the needs of worship, and offering a mission outpost to care for neighbors – remember the earliest churches were often the sole social safety net in their communities.
As a disciple-making family for Loveland and the world, our buildings and outdoor spaces are a mission outpost to accomplish our Great Commission purpose. But what should that look like for us as Faith Church Loveland at 2707 Wilson?
That’s an exciting conversation we’re having together as a church right now! We’ve listened to a broad swath of folks from our church family about these questions and a small handful of themes have emerged which we will share at the upcoming info meeting on Saturday August 17 at 10am! If you haven’t had the opportunity to share your thoughts on how our property could better serve our mission, please fill out our survey here: 2024 Property Evaluation Survey.
But even as we have this property conversation, I would be remiss as a pastor if I overlooked the house-church focus of the New Testament. In small groups meeting in homes, disciples grew together in Christ, devoted themselves to rhythms of prayer, meditated on Scripture, shared meals (and probably the Lord’s Supper!), and mobilized for service and witness in their communities. I would even suggest that the center of our mission may not be in the sanctuary, it may be in your living rooms and kitchens. If you wonder about what it’s like to do church a little more like what we see in Acts 2:42-47, consider checking out a small group this fall. You’ll hear more about those in the coming weeks.