Everything about the way we gather as the church is changing. A new reformation is here. It is upon us. We can’t go back to business as usual.
The best of the old form is a gathering (in person or online) with His manifest presence without participation. In this structure only leaders participate from a stage while everyone else spectates. The hallmark and focus is a service with a powerful worship team, prophetic ministry and transition, and revelatory sermons from an anointed speaker. Most behind the scene decisions revolve around numerical growth, impact stats, and financial results. Everything rises and falls on attendance (in person or via streaming), ministry impact numbers (how many people were served and healed), and keeping the tithes going. The service experience is everything!
But there is a shift today. A reformation of structure is happening in the church. Success is no longer a powerful service from a stage, but the body of Christ’s participation, discipleship, and transformation. As we gather with His manifest presence and glory, leadership is in place to facilitate everyone’s participation. When we come together around His presence each one has a song, a word, or a prayer. At the gathering all the people participate in His presence. Financial offerings and tithes are collected for mission and to bless the people in need in the body and local communities. Leadership and authority are in place at a gathering. But they are no longer defined as the main participant in anointing, gifting and skill. Leadership is defined as a facilitator. Their main role is to see the dancing hand of God and draw out everyone to participate in anointing, gifting and skill. It doesn’t even matter if leaders are good public speakers anymore.
Note: There is a place for equipping and training from anointed men and women of God with a preaching and teaching gift. Paul and Peter did it. There is much value in receiving Instruction and impartation from leaders and fivefold gifts. But this is not the normal for body gatherings, it is the exception.
The point is that the focus of gathering is shifting from a service where everyone spectates to a fellowship where everyone participates.
“When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” 1 Corinthians 14:26
The weakness with service and stage driven gatherings is that it doesn’t allow everyone to participate. For most of the body it is a spectatorship. There is worship, but the involvement is limited to singing along to words on a screen and a team on a stage asking you to lift your voice and your hands. There is the preaching of the word. But the involvement is reduced down to sitting, listening, and taking notes. Even most online ministry continues to perpetuate this weakness whether it is a streaming platform with 1000’s of hours of uploaded videos to prerecorded ecourse classes. None of these things truly invite the body into participation. These environments are good for focused times of instruction and impartation, but they aren’t beneficial for body life. Again these gatherings are meant to be the exception, not the norm.
The structure reformation that is here isn’t about a building, meeting in a home, or going online. It is about a change in the way in which we gather, whether in a large building, a home, or online. It’s about fellowshipping and participating with one another. It’s about everyone in the body being allowed and able to bring their word, prayer, and song. It’s about a structure shift that says “when we come together around His presence everyone one has something to bring”! The teaching and revelation of the word is that much richer when we learn from one another. Worship is that much sweeter when everyone is able to sing their own song. Prayer finds its power when everyone declares, releases, and agrees together.
“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16
When we gather around His person and presence and as “each part” does its work we build ourselves up in love. Not as “some special parts” do the work. We must grow up into maturity in Christ. Maturity is calling! We can no longer be okay with spectatorship. Everyone must participate when we gather, so we can grow up in Christ.
I want to bring encouragement to you. You don’t need to be the most anointed or gifted to be a leader in the church. You don’t need to carry the pressure of doing all the participating at a gathering. You don’t have to prepare a service order or a sermon. You just need the Holy Spirit. He will help you to facilitate everyone else’s participation. Make your aim His presence and everyone’s edification in Christ. We are all on a journey of growing as His bride and disciple. Brand new believers and mature believers can join in. You can invite new converts, your friends, and family over for dinner and fellowship. You feel like you can’t preach? It’s okay. Facilitate reading the Bible together. Learn and grow together. Ask one another questions. Do a bible reading in a year plan. You can’t play an instrument? It’s okay. You can sing a-cappella together or put on worship from YouTube. People need ministry? You don’t have to feel overwhelmed. Allow everyone to share their needs and meet them together. Encourage one another. Pray for one another. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you.
The reformation of how we gather is upon us. This isn’t the time to dig our heels in the ground and stay where we have been. This isn’t the time to continue with business as usual. It’s time for us all to have permission to look at what we are doing and ask if it is really working. It’s time to have those hard conversations and reflect with God and one another. Many are exiting the church and have been for years. Instead of attacking the people for their lack of commitment to the church gathering, or endlessly reworking the same structure, maybe we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves in humility if what we are doing is the cause. People are longing to grow, to be a contributing part of something bigger than themselves, to participate, to be challenged, to have authentic life on life relationships. There’s a cry and longing in the hearts of this generation. Will we listen? For too long we have pointed the finger at a generation for their lack of attendance. But going to church is no longer the relevant question. It’s time for us to be the church! To see each part in the body participate and grow into maturity in Christ. To put on the fullness and step in the glory. There is so much more in store for us as His church. As we gather around His presence and glory, and participate in the spirit as the bride, we will grow and put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
By Micah Level
How has today’s blog challenged and encouraged you? Share in the comments.
Read our blog, “Receiving from the body” for more on this topic.