"That's just what Valdosta
needs -- another church."
This was the response I received from a pastor when he asked
me what I was currently doing in ministry and I told him about the planting of Koinonia Church.
And, so you know, it was not spoken in encouragement, but with tones of
sarcasm and derision, as if the planting of a new church in a city such as Valdosta was a waste of
time and resources.
So why another church?
As I have matured in my understanding of ministry and the practical
implementation of Christ-following, I have started to question the traditional
understanding of the western church. Our
practice of large gatherings one day a week in church-owned buildings is an
anomaly in biblical terms and is still a rarity in the entire world-wide body
of Christ today.
A friend of mine once pointedly asked the pastor of a large
church how many members of his congregation he even knew by name, much less
relationally. He was unable to answer the question. I have come to believe
Jesus' intent was never for us to gather in the hundreds or thousands in
impersonal gatherings, but to gather in small, family-sized groups where true
relationships in Christ could be expressed and realized. This is difficult in most of our larger
churches today.
So why another church?
To better follow Jesus' model of relationships lived out in small
groups.
As Koinonia was being formed, we made the decision to try to
break the mold of the traditional and to intentionally try to stay small and do
life together by following the models given to us in the New Testament. By any church-planting or denominational standards,
Koinonia is a failure. Our church has
never had over 20 attendees since its formation. We don't own a building. We don't even have our own dedicated space to
meet in.
But we know each other.
We have been in each other's homes.
we have eaten meals together and shared in the triumphs and tragedies of
life. We have ministered to those in
need. We have gathered to worship
God. We have seen lives changed through
the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We
have done life together in Christ. And I
think this is a good thing.
"That's just what Valdosta
needs -- another church." Yes, yes
it is.
