One of the difficult things any organization faces is the loss of institutional memory. As people come and go the reasons for decisions may be lost. An organization’s culture may change as new folk come in after a period in which that organization’s values were clearly explained and then enacted. Sometimes a change in leadership can do this almost immediately.
Take McDonald’s, for example. The company experienced substantial growth around the world throughout the 1980s and 1990s. At point a new McDonald’s location opened once every 18 hours! Then a new CEO took charge in 1998. People were beginning to show concern for eating healthy food. Greenberg failed to understand the culture of McDonald’s had long been to provide a fresh burger and fries at a reasonable price. This is the reason for its incredible growth. He began to add salads and “healthier” gourmet sandwiches to its menu. No one goes to McDonald’s for a “healthy meal”. These changes caused a massive loss of customers and Greenberg left.
Churches often suffer for losing institutional memory. When a group of elders work together through a difficult issue, this memory can be immediately lost due to terms many churches have. Within a year or two most or even all of a church’s elders can be new with little understanding how or even why the previous elders had come to a particular decision. This also happens when the lead elder changes every four or five years. A guy comes in with fresh ideas and begins to change everything, only to leave when a better offer comes along. The next new guy comes in with even fresher ideas and begins implementing them, again, only to move along a few years later.
A fundamental assumption we have at New City is that when God calls a man to serve as an elder, he calls that man to serve with his life. We do not, therefore, artificially limit his time as an elder with a three-year term, as is common. An elder may need to step back from his responsibilities for a time, due to life circumstances. An elder may disqualify himself. The goal, however, is lifelong service. This applies to me as well. I’ve said this before publicly but when this church ordained me, it claimed me. That is, I do not have the freedom to look for another “job”, as if I could just send out a resumé to other churches looking for someone to lead them for the next 3–5 years and choose to leave this church. Before anything else I am a member of this church and so I am committed to this church.
Part of the problem we have, like any other organization, is the difficulty of holding on to our institutional memory. As new members join us they weren’t here for previous conversations about various things. It’s hard to summarize all these things for new folk and it would be cumbersome to say them all the time.
So let me introduce you to New City Church. We are, before all other things, a gospel church. That is, the gospel of Jesus is our reason for existing. We were called into existence because of the gospel and everything we do is directed to worshiping the Lord Jesus. The primary thing we do as a church is gather together on Sundays to worship God in Trinity. This worship centers on the Lord Jesus, but is most certainly Trinitarian in nature. We worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God.
As the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, we’ve determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul wasn’t saying he only taught about the crucifixion. He’s saying the gift of the Lord Jesus to his people is the center and foundation and aim of his entire ministry. To be a gospel church is to be a church that focuses on the Lord Jesus as the center and foundation and aim of our lives and of our church.
Our task, given by the Lord Jesus himself, is to make disciples. Our mission statement is short and pithy: “Making disciples. Period.” These three words encapsulate who we are and what we’re about. By pointing one another to the Lord Jesus, we are helping one another become like him. Maturation in Christ is our goal. Our desire is to become more and more like Jesus. We often complicate a theology of sanctification but it boils down to the apostle’s words to the Corinthians.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
Here we see Paul’s reason for preaching Christ and Christ alone. As his people behold him through worship, through prayer, through Christian service, through spiritual disciplines, through Christian community, they are being transformed into the image of Christ. Notice the passive here. God is the one transforming his people and the means he uses to do so is Christ. As his people look to Christ they become more and more like him. This growth is gradual: “from one degree of glory to another”. This is the work of God in Christ through his Spirit.
There are a variety of means at our disposal to assist in this growth. The primary tool given us is actually Christian community. Notice the collective nature of Paul’s words: “we all”. We, together, behold the glory of the Lord. This is why all of Paul’s commands are plural. Following Jesus and growing in Christlikeness is necessarily a community activity. From this we get our church’s philosophy of ministry. Our mission statement is three words: “Making disciples. Period.” Our philosophy of ministry is nearly as short: “Discipleship happens in relationship.”
Any cursory reading of the New Testament epistles shows the commands for following Jesus. We must love one another. We must bear with one another. We must encourage one another. We must pray for one another. We must teach one another. We must rebuke one another. We must bear one another’s burdens. We must tolerate one another. We must confess sins to one another. We must be kind and tender-hearted to one another. We must be devoted to one another. We must be devoted to one another. We must submit to one another. We must regard each other as more important. We must be hospitable to one another. We must forgive one another. None of these things is possible apart from Christian community, which is to say it is impossible to truly follow the Lord Jesus all by yourself. How do you welcome a fellow believer in your living room all by yourself? You can’t!
Whereas the single most-important thing we do as a church is gather together for worship on Sunday mornings, the second is closely related to it: we meet together in our homes for a meal and for Christian community. The very first church—a “megachurch”, I might add—found it essential to meet in the temple together for worship, and to meet from house-to-house. These household gatherings, which we call City Groups, were essential for the life of the very first church. What is quite interesting, however, is the church in Corinth, tiny by comparison, also met together on Sundays and from house-to-house throughout the week!
In First Corinthians 14 Paul speaks of the church there coming together “as the whole church”. If they only ever met together as the whole church, the adjective “whole” is utterly unnecessary. We never speak of the times we drive our “whole car”, for there is never a time we drive part of our car! The church in Corinth had between 50–75 people. In a small church it was still essential for them to gather together in smaller groups. In these smaller groups everyone was able to use their spiritual gifts for the good of the church. This is where real, deep, lasting Christian community develops.
The primary purpose of our City Groups is developing Christian community. This is where we can truly encourage one another and weep with one another and welcome one another and love one another and serve one another and comfort one another. To help foster this we strive to discuss sermons so as to help apply the message of the text to our lives. Our mission is, after all, making disciples—period. We also strive to pray together. As we pray our spiritual gifts are often on display, but even as we share our burdens with one another, the Lord is at work in us to encourage us and strengthen us and shape us and build us up through our brothers and sisters.
After these two primary activities, worship in the gathered assembly and community in City Groups, there are other things we do. The ladies get together from time to time for various activities. The men get together for bacon (and other stuff) occasionally. We are currently exploring ways to serve the children in our church more effectively. We’re not opposed to “programming”. We’re opposed to anything that actually interferes with worship and with the formation of deep, Christian community. Activities (programming) can give the appearance of community and therefore can be detrimental to the actual formation of it. We want to avoid this, for we must be about making disciples, period, and discipleship happens in relationship—not in a program.
This is also why our City Groups are not based on stage-of-life. We don’t have a City Group for young married couples and another for empty-nesters and another for singles. We are in community together and we need the variety of perspectives we get from those older than us and those younger than us. We need the perspectives of single folk and those married for decades. We need each other and in the diversity of God’s people we encounter God more fully. We believe our City Groups are so important that we require participation in one for membership.
If you really want to connect with the church and if you want to grow in Christ, this happens in community. If you’re not part of one, join a City Group. We have groups that meet on Sundays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Thursdays and Fridays. Pick a day that works for you and reach out to one of the elders.
The Christian life is not merely about acquiring knowledge or checking things off a list. It is not about conforming behavior to meet some external standard. It is about following the Lord Jesus. This happens as we worship him together and love one another in community. This is who New City is.