meetings Meetings - Gatherings

• The Small Group: Based on what is already understood about the success and benefits of small groups this cell or house group idea is taken as the basic unit.  However, unlike current practices, keeping the same members in the group fro its life enables deeper sharing, understanding of and commitment to each other.  Lifestyles that need to be accommodated for the timing of groups will more likely be at similar stages.  The aim is for in depth fellowship and sharing.  It is the essential unit of this structure.
• Education Groups: Designed to focus on specific areas, these can be at various sizes and locations.  The new believer would usually go through and initial recognised course or few modules to establish him/her in a good practice and understanding.  From there it should be possible for people to elect to do courses that interest and extend them.  the aim would be for all people over years to achieve a high theological and practical understanding.  Timing, pacing and attendance at these courses would be at the individual's discretion.  That is although they are important, they are not absolutely essential from the point of view of attendance etc.
• The Large Gathering: To maintain an understanding of the breadth of the body within an area (large suburb - to city-wide) and to benefit from the power of a large grouping, these are designed as times of corporate worship.  They would be infrequent and held in some facility already available in the locality.  Freedom to participate would be expected.
• An Evaluation: This considers the benefits to people in time and money involvement as well as the costs involved in running this pattern.  How it would be coordinated and the benefits in work in other countries is also considered.
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Money - Giving

• In The Old Testament: To understand from a Biblical standpoint what our attitudes should be to money and giving, a reasonably careful scrutiny of the Old Testament is undertaken.  In general wealth and prosperity are seen as rewards fro righteous living.  There is a whole system of sacrifices and offerings establish from the time of the Exodus.  And tithing appears.  The understanding of how this was to be employed is different from current general understanding of the subject.  Several passages in Deuteronomy and confirmed elsewhere indicate that two thirds of the tithe was actually to be used fro celebration by the people giving it.
• In The New Testament: There is a perceived shift in understanding what the Christian's attitude to wealth should be.  many are strongly impressed with the idea that wealth and riches are regarded as unlawful. While Jesus had to highlight the problem of greed, especially amongst the Pharisees, this was not his whole message on the subject.  Wealth and prosperity ware not sinful in themselves, and are actually useful in the enlargement of the Kingdom.  In spite of current teaching, giving appears not to have been based on tithing, but on responding to perceived needs.
• A Look At History: Attitudes to wealth and giving have varied over time with changes in the status of the Church in relation to the State and with varying theological influences.  As the institutional church has flourished, it has required larger contributions to maintain itself.  This has resulted in resentment and revolution at times.  People seem to progress from poorer to middle class as church movements progress.  The expectation on giving varies with the type of church.
• Why This Is Needed: Core and unconscious beliefs are sought to be exposed where they have an impact on our attitudes to money and giving.  The new structure should result in a much less expensive administration, allowing people more money for themselves.  This should enable them to be more securely established and free up money for other developing fields and activities.
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Missions - Going

• The Church's Basic Call: The biblical narrative is perused to highlight the constant thread of mission to all people in God's purpose from the beginning of the Old and throughout the New Testament.  That this is God's purpose through all history and his main purpose for his earthly body, the Church, is understood.
• An Historical Perspective: From New Testament times to the the present day a summary of mission activity is given.  considering the phases of this, with particular emphases on methods and support structures, and idea of what is possible and expected is sought.
• Where To Now: As globalisation and freer movements of peoples occurs, both the opportunities for local outreach as well as foreign based mission is changing.  In the proposed structure, people should be more self sufficient to go to new situations.  Also being located in a country as a worker in some secular field that will allow the generation of support for the transferred family unit, results in more credibility and ready acceptance of a foreigner.  His family will be more secure and education needs more likely met throughout the age of the children.  The worker will understand more precisely the pressures on new believers and these believers themselves will have a valid model of the day to day life for a believer.  With self support, more people can be available to go to fields.  The altered educational model for the Church allows for greater security and less pressure on a few to provide all the teaching requirement of new believers.  with believers more free in time and money in this structure, the Church should act more as salt and light by being influential through its members in all facets of society, instead of assuming a ghetto mentality insularity.
• Overview: With all these elements having been examined the way this new structure should appear is explained.  Also the benefits of it to all areas of the Church and to the world is summaraised.
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