Together

 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  (Acts 2: 42 ESV)

This scripture in Acts is referring to early believers.  The early believers were devoted to each other and to fellowship.  The new believers weren’t devoted to an anonymous one-hour service each Sunday in which they slipped in the back of the church after handshake time was over, and quickly slipped out unnoticed before the last song ended, but they were devoted to fellowship with one another.

The question is how were they devoted to one another?  The early believers spent time in fellowship with one another through studying the apostles teachings TOGETHER, through eating TOGETHER, and through praying TOGETHER.  The verse then goes on to say that awe came upon every soul, and the Lord added to their number daily.  There is power in the fellowship of believers, not only to reach new believers, but to strengthen existing believers.

Community is one of the strongest desires of my heart.  In community I have found friendship, I have found encouragement, and, most importantly, I have strengthened my relationship with Christ.  Authentic community today should not look any different than it did in the early church.  Refuge Church is committed to nurturing authentic relationships with one another through study, meals, and praying together for one another.  There is no substitute for a relationship with another believer in which bonds are strengthened through the common goal of spreading the good news!