They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42
As a child, I was heavily influenced by the books I read. I was brought up on a diet of Swallows and Amazons and Famous Five, so all I wanted to do was go sailing, have secret meetings and bust criminal gangs. My grandfather built me a boat, so that was no problem. Busting criminal gangs is not really something that people would recommend for ten-year-olds. Secret meetings, though – well that’s another matter! One day I tried to organise a secret meeting for my brother, and the boy who lived opposite. We met in the shed in my garden (just like the Secret Seven!) and tried to decide what we should call ourselves. We couldn’t decide a name, let alone what we were going to do, so that proved to be our last meeting!
The New Testament, and Acts in particular, is packed full of useful information and guidance for churches. There’s no need for churches to wonder what they should be doing – all the information can be gleaned from the Bible! Here, at the beginning of Acts, we have a very famous, and quite simple verse, which tells us what the essential activities of the church should be. Since we are all members of the church, this advice is just as valid for us as individuals! The early members of the church here in Acts first of all ensured that they studied the teaching of the Apostles. We should ensure that we place primary importance on the study of God’s word in the same way. They also devoted themselves to fellowship, meeting together to discuss God’s word and to support one another. They undertook the breaking of the bread, which today we would probably call Holy Communion. They also placed great importance on prayer. If these four activities were considered so important to the early church, we should seek to follow their example and to undertake these activities ourselves. That is why it is so important for a Christian to belong to a church, since only by meeting together with other Christians can these things be done effectively.
We at Crossring also devote ourselves to these four activities. Our whole site is built around the word of God – why not take a look through our articles and read them for yourself? Together, we can help each other to understand the Bible better. We also have a forum, where we can meet together to discuss the Word, and to support one another. We also have a prayer forum where you can share prayer requests.
Most importantly, though, if you are not a regular member of a church, do give serious consideration to joining one. You will find it hugely helpful in your faith, and, you never know, you may even enjoy it!