Our Meetings
What are your gatherings like?
We endeavor to practice our meetings according to the pattern found in the New Testament.
The Bible tells us that the meetings of the believers should be characterized by mutuality (1 Cor. 14:26; Col. 3:16) and vitality (Eph. 5:18; Rom. 12:11) with Christ as the center (Matt. 18:20; 1 Cor. 14:25).
Mutuality
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate by praying, praising, singing, or speaking.
In particular, you will find that most of our gatherings have an open discussion component where everyone is encouraged to ask questions, offer responses, or share something they have received from the Lord for the benefit of building up one another (1 Cor. 14:31; Rom. 14:19). Everyone is a speaker and everyone is a learner.
This means that our meeting can sometimes seem very dynamic and not according to any particular format. And we believe that this gives the Holy Spirit the freedom He needs to lead our meetings organically, through all those who are present, in mutuality.
Vitality
Following are some of the practices we have found beneficial in helping us to be filled in spirit to be full of vitality.
Calling on the name of the Lord
The early Christians were identified by their practice of calling on the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 7:59; 9:14; 1 Cor. 1:2). We have found that calling on the name of the Lord, either personally or corporately, is the easiest way to receive and enjoy the unsearchable riches of Christ (1 Cor. 12:3; Rom. 10:12; Eph. 3:8; Gen. 4:26).
Saying the Amen
Another name of the Lord is the Amen (Rev. 3:14). In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul speaks of saying the Amen at one another’s giving of thanks. Moreover, we find examples in the Bible of God’s people saying “Amen” at the end of each sentence or thought during expressions of promise, exhortation, praising, or blessing (Deut. 27:15-26; Neh. 8:6; Rom. 1:25; 9:5; Rev. 22:20, 21; 2 Cor. 1:20). In this light we practice saying the Amen to call on the Lord and to affirm and support each other’s prayer and speaking.
Speaking to one another
Ephesians 5:18 through 19 tell us how we, the believers, can be filled in spirit by speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and by singing and psalming with our heart to the Lord. This is implemented during our singing times by declaring the lines of the hymns to one another and applying them to ourselves in prayer (Eph. 6:17-18).
Although we can testify to the great benefit of these practices, in the spirit of inclusivity, we do not insist on them nor forbid other Christian practices.
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