Here’s the fourth in our series of meeting templates that seek to tease what a Christian gathering might look like if it was based on the Bible’s theology of Christian assembly. (See part 1 for a summary.)

Today’s pattern of meeting (which I very unimaginatively call ‘The two-parter’) is especially suitable when the passage/sermon raises a ‘big issue’, either doctrinally (e.g. predestination) or ethically (e.g. euthanasia, work, raising children). Or it could be just a tough passage that requires a bit of extra background and thinking to wrap our minds around. The basic idea is to divide the sermon or teaching content in half to allow extra time either for sketching in background or for teasing out implications. Perhaps Part 1 might cover some essential Old Testament background, while Part 2 focuses on the passage itself. Or Part 1 might involve the exposition of the passage or topic, and Part 2, a more extensive discussion of its practical implications.

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Parts 1 and 2 of this little series contained some basic templates for a 75-minute Christian gathering. This third variation is especially good for those occasions where the content of the Bible passage or sermon is relatively simple and straightforward, but contains a powerful challenge with numerous implications for our lives. It has the sermon quite early in the meeting, followed by a more extended time for prayer, reflection, discussion and other things (such as celebrating the Lord’s Supper together).

This can also be a useful pattern to follow where the sermon is longer and more demanding, but is not amenable to the ‘two-parter’ template (which is part 4, to follow).

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We’re looking at some templates for running Christian assemblies. Here’s the second—a slight variation on the standard meeting that’s very suitable when the sermon naturally leads to confession, or when you have a wildcard or 14:26 item that you want to introduce closer to the start of the gathering. (‘14:26’ items are opportunities for congregation members to bring exhortation and encouragement to the whole gathering—as in 1 Corinthians 14:26.)

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In a recent post on ‘Why we gather’, I suggested that there were three basic purposes for the Christian assembly: as testimony to Christ, for fellowship in Christ, and to build towards maturity in Christ. Or if you wanted a more catchy one-sentence summary, you could say that in our gatherings, we meet with Christ in each other’s presence as a testimony to the world and as a spur to godly living.

Now before you even think of quibbling with this definition, or asking how the ‘W’ word relates to it, that’s not the purpose of this post! Instead, I’d like to share a few examples of how a Sunday gathering might be structured if these were its theologically driven purposes. In this post (and over the next several), I’ll be sharing five ‘standard meeting templates’ that I’ve been working on and trialling over the past few years. Each one has a theological movement or trajectory to it, and they also strive to connect the various elements in a way that flows and makes sense.

I’m interested in your comments and feedback—especially if you are bold enough to give some of them a fly and see how they go!

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Following Gordon’s excellent little post on the place of confession in our gatherings, Michael Johnson asked an equally excellent question in the comments: “I realize it’s not directly related to this post’s topic, but might you briefly elaborate on how you would describe why you gather with God’s people on Sunday mornings (or whatever time you meet)?”

The only thing wrong with this question, Michael, is your opening disclaimer. It’s a very related question, so thanks for asking it!

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