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And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more… – Acts 20:36-37a

In Acts 20 Paul gives a lengthy farewell to the Elders of the church at Ephesus. Here in the end of the chapter he is leaving. The Elders are grieved over their spiritual father leaving. You can sense their agony with his departure. This small insight to the depth of relationship between the church Elders and Apostles leaves me wondering, are we missing something?

While our churches are becoming increasingly practical we must take note of the breakdown in real relationships. Have we institutionalized the church to the point it’s a series of transactions where we stock up bible knowledge, prefer not to be known, and jump from fellowship to fellowship as the wind changes? The scriptures portray a group of men and women committed to one another passionately pursuing the spreading of the gospel to the world. Their lives are intertwined so much they are willing to give up their own comforts for the needs of others in the fellowship.

Are we just too big?

I heard it coming so why not throw it out there. Mega church critics will turn their nose up @ the big church on the corner insisting there is no way to be known, no way to have real Christian fellowship. That may sound logical but it is not biblical… “so then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls.(Acts 2:41)” Acts 2, one sermon, the first mega-church. The church has been big since it’s inception. There’s something else going on.

Are we just too busy?

This sounds good up front. We work 60 hours a week and try to squeeze in a little recreation along the way. Who has time to know anyone besides their families, there are enough challenges just in those relationships. Big problem here is we make time for what’s really important.

Somewhere along the way we have devalued true Christian friendships and decided our lives are better off just breezing into church and not really knowing anyone. This system has resulted in a lack of spiritual maturity and God inspired leadership in the body of Christ. We need to learn from the men who were co-laborers in Christ and built the church. We need to learn to give ourselves to one another beyond surface friendships and live life together. The connection of the Apostles, Early Church Leaders, and Deacons should serve as a model to us as we lead the church into the future.

This is where the church stops being a business
We make a ton of comparisons between the church and business these days. Most of these comparisons are very helpful. We can learn a good deal from business leadership models, marketing, and customer service. However, where we should be pulling away is in our leadership teams commitment to one another. The very core of the church should be led by people who are deeply connected to one another. The bond of the Apostles needs to be echoed in our Elders and leadership teams. Outside of true Christian fellowship we will miss the leading of God’s spirit and the transparency needed in those who lead the body of Christ.