God Has Created the Church to Be a Family of Faith
God has created the Church to be a family of faith. God’s people need fellowship and community to pursue evangelism and discipleship, care for each other, and equip believers for ministry.
Scripture presents the Church as rooted in the promises to Israel and inaugurated by the Holy Spirit, where Christ-followers use their spiritual gifts to serve one another for His glory.
Worship
When someone is a part of a family they spend time together, worshipping and fellowshipping. We know from scripture that the early church acted very much like a family. The apostle Paul frequently used family language when he wrote to churches and individuals about being the body of Christ. The Bible teaches us that we are adopted into God’s family through our faith in Jesus. And that we are part of the household of God, a place where His glory is displayed (cf. Ephesians 2:19).
One of the most important aspects of being a family of faith is spending time in corporate worship. This might be on Sunday morning or during the week in small groups. Worship includes praising God in song, reading and singing scripture, teaching, prayer and the administration of the Lord’s Supper. It also might include personal worship, such as spending time with the Lord in a private place and glorifying Him.
The church family can help us keep our priorities in order and encourage us in our daily lives. They can help us to grow in our love of the Lord and in our faith. They can also help to spur us toward Christlike love and good deeds that are a reflection of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
A healthy church family is one that takes care of its members, both individually and as a whole group. This might include encouraging them, building them up and not tearing them down, and being there for them when they need it. It might also include caring for them by visiting and supporting those in need, providing food and other necessities, offering opportunities to serve, and preaching the gospel of salvation and sanctification.
Christians are encouraged to speak the truth in love, seek reconciliation when conflict arises and forgive as God has forgiven them. In addition, they are called to care for the needs of others in the church by praying for them, encouraging them, and helping them find a place to serve. As they do this, the Church will feel more like a family of faith.
Discipleship
The family has a special responsibility and vocation to disciple one another. They teach each other the gospel, and they model it in their lives. They encourage each other to grow in faith and witness, and they challenge one another to overcome sinful habits and patterns of behavior. They provide a safe place for believers to ask questions and receive godly answers. They help one another in times of trouble or depression and rejoice together when things go well. They also provide opportunities to serve the community, and they share their material blessings with those in need.
A Christian family demonstrates Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Discipleship is a major responsibility and privilege of every believer. Jesus had disciples whom He called to leave their homes and follow Him, often at great cost to themselves. His followers spent much of their time together, devoted to His teaching, and they boldly shared the gospel message with others.
During the first century, families were central to life in the church. It was not uncommon for entire households to be saved at the same time. Cornelius and his household believed in the Lord through Peter's ministry (Acts 10:1-18). A Thyatiran businesswoman named Lydia was baptized in the name of the Lord along with her whole family (Acts 16:15). In addition to sharing the gospel, family members taught one another biblical truths, practiced godly lifestyles, and provided care for the sick and elderly.
This is why the apostle Paul used family language when describing the church to the Ephesians. He referred to them as brothers and sisters in Christ, joint heirs of his kingdom, and part of the household of God (1 Timothy 3:15). In this way, the Church is more than a building on Sunday morning. It is a covenant community in which believers live in close relation with one another as fellow citizens of heaven and as members of the same eternal family of God.
Fellowship
As the Church gathers people together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, they become a family in His Spirit. The Church teaches, fellowships, breaks bread, and prays together, all of which are essential to a disciple’s spiritual formation.
Fellowship is a fundamental aspect of the La Familia De Dios mission to bring the gospel message to all the world. The biblical concept of fellowship is more than just friendship with believers; it is a profound relationship in which Christians are united in faith and in love for the Lord, and in service to one another and to those in need.
The Bible is filled with “one another” verses that command Christians to bear one another’s burdens, build one another up, confess sins to one another, and to love one another as God loves us. The only way to live out these commands is to spend time together, face to face and heart to heart. This is why a local parish must provide opportunities for its members to spend time together in order to strengthen the family of God in prayer and in study of the Word of God.
Moreover, the church must teach its members to love and respect each other regardless of differences in background, culture, or age. For example, the Christian family should be unified against racism, prejudice, and discrimination against women and homosexuals, as well as in support of the poor and vulnerable, the elderly, sick, and handicapped.
In addition, a true Christian community is based on a common belief in the fundamentals of the Christian faith, such as the Holy Trinity (John 3:16 ), the virginal conception and birth of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14) and his death and resurrection (Acts 24:15 ). Beliefs that fall outside these biblical teachings are heresy.
When the church keeps the Five Purposes at the center of their ministry, they can feel closer to each other as a church family on mission for Christ. Then they can make sure to include the important components of worship, discipleship, fellowship, and service in their church schedule. To find out more about a Church that values these essential elements, contact your local Catholic parish.
Service
A family of faith serves God and others with a joyful, loving heart. It’s a way of life rooted in our biblical understanding of God’s plan for sharing his divine life through the Church, which he created as his family (Eph. 5:32). In the Old Testament, God’s pattern of forming his people into a community of faith demonstrated this dynamic in many ways, from his covenant with Abraham to bring a great nation through him, his liberation of ancient Israel from slavery and their settlement in the Promised Land, and the establishment of an independent kingship under David.
In the New Testament, Jesus and his followers valued natural families, too, as they modeled faithful marriages and nurtured children in their care. The Apostle Paul, for example, often used “family” language when writing to his churches and individuals, calling them adelphoi (brothers and sisters) and encouraging them to live in healthy relationships with one another (Eph. 4:11-16).
Today, the Church continues to show this dynamic as her members serve with a spirit of joy and gladness (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Historically, most congregations met in homes, and families were mission bases for their communities. We can see this same dynamic in the modern Church, which reaches out to those in need by caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, and assisting the poor.
It’s important for local churches to teach and encourage their families to practice family worship by praying and reading Scripture together at home. In addition, they should encourage families to participate in local service and mission opportunities, so that the whole family can be involved in fulfilling Christ’s commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Churches can also equip their families for spiritual health and success by promoting the practice of family prayer and devotion to Scripture, as well as encouraging families to use their homes as evangelistic hospitality centers in their neighborhoods. By fostering these spiritual habits, the local church can help its members be “sent out” to spread the gospel with the love and wisdom that Jesus himself has shown us.
God has created the Church to be a family of faith. God’s people need fellowship and community to pursue evangelism and discipleship, care for each other, and equip believers for ministry. Scripture presents the Church as rooted in the promises to Israel and inaugurated by the Holy Spirit, where Christ-followers use their spiritual gifts to…