I’ve been invited into a conversation with a couple of men considerably younger than I am, and from what has been shared with me (we haven’t met together yet), they’d like to talk about the “minimally viable church”. It seems this is an expression that describes the conversation we’ll have, about what is truly necessary to make church “work”, (and no more) or what are the bare minimum components that need to be present for us to consider a church not merely in existence, but faithfully and functionally fruitful.

(If I’m reading between the lines, perhaps there is a discontentment or even disillusionment on their part with what the modern Church is or how the Church operates at this time in history. If so, they have certainly found a sympathetic ear in me.)

I was instantly intrigued at this invitation. Unbeknownst to the inviter, I had already been allowing my mind to think thoughts right along these lines. Unless he reads this blog post, he still doesn’t know I’m well on my way to being locked and loaded for our conversation over dinner. So I thought it might be good for me to pound out my own thoughts as a primer to this conversation.

I think a fundamental question that must be addressed is the simple, “Why church at all?” Certainly many people who perhaps once held church participation/attendance/activity as important (or even central) in their lives have since moved away from such convictions; some for understandable reasons and maybe even logical reasons, but none for legitimate reasons. And I do mean none.

Here’s my answer to the “Why church?” question.

It starts with the very nature of God. God exists eternally in community with Himself. I’m not going to delve into the doctrine of the trinity here, but I am going to suffice it to say that I believe in the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the trinity is arguably the most perplexing doctrine in all of the Christian faith, but this doesn’t preclude me from embracing it. In fact, it is because of its perplexity that I am drawn to it, and thus drawn to God.

Because God exists in community, and because God in community created us in His image (Read Genesis 1-2), we are hardwired for community. Simply put, we are healthiest when we have connective, redemptive community engrained into our daily lives, regardless of the complexion that community takes. More on that in a bit.

Right in line with understanding the communal nature of God, we must also recognize the literal definition of the term “church”. Many think “church” is a building that is used once, maybe twice a week. We may equate it with a “service” we attend wherein we sit down, stand up, sit down, then stand up at specific times. But these are actually not the church at all.

The word used in scripture for “church” is the Greek word “ἐκκλησία” (ekklesia) and it literally means “gathering” or “assembly” It’s a two part Greek word made up of “out of” and “to call”, so it can be rightly translated as “the called out ones”. No matter which way you slice it, the truth is the church can never just be you or even the popular “I’ve got Jesus, so I don’t need the church.” The Church is literally defined as US; those who are “called out” and “assembled.”

Next, as we look all throughout scripture, we see that God deals both with humans on an individual level AND on a communal level. But notice that God dealing with an individual ALWAYS impacts the community. Look at nearly any example in either the old or new testaments and you’ll see that God speaks and deals with us as a people, even while extending His love and grace to each individual. Again, we see the emphasis placed on community, connectedness, fellowship, and all the other qualities that flow in and through the Church as God desires.

Next, look at the writings of the Apostle Paul all throughout his 13 letters to the churches in the first century. You’ll find a minimum of 18 different and distinct “one another” commands in his writings. I’ll include them below.

• Love one another (Rom 12:10; 13:8; Gal 5:13)
• Be devoted to one another (Rom 12:10)
• Honor one another above yourselves (Rom 12:10)
• Live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:16)
• Stop passing judgment on one another (Rom 14:13)
• Accept one another (Rom 15:7)
• Bear with one another (Eph 4:2; Col 3:13)
• Forgive one another (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13)
• Instruct/admonish one another (Rom 15:14; Col 3:16)
• Greet one another (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; etc.)
• Agree with one another (1 Cor 1:10)
• Serve one another (Gal 5:13)
• Carry one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2)
• Be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph 4:32)
• Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, songs (Eph 5:19)
• Submit to one another (Eph 5:21)
• Encourage one another (1 Thess 4:18; 5:11)
• Build up one another (1 Thess 5:11)

If we should not care for other believers, or gather to encourage them, or live in spiritual community with them, what would be the point of such an extensive list of instructions regarding how to live in community?

Let me bring it down to a more personal level. Let me tell you why I choose to be a part of a family of followers of Jesus. Quite simply, it’s because of the love I have for Jesus Himself that gives me a love for people, and a desire to connect with those who love and follow Jesus, for the purpose of mutual encouragement, edification, fellowship, accountability, and learning from others as I grow in my faith walk with Jesus. These are just a few of the reasons I choose to be a part of a family of followers of Jesus.

As John Ortberg wrote, “To follow Jesus IS to follow Him into community.” There can be no other way. Think of Jesus calling His disciples and the three years He taught them, prayed with them, ate with them, and lived with them. He created community among those men and women.

The Church has certainly evolved over the millennia. Yet there are just four parts in terms of components for “church” that I can see from a biblical standpoint. If you look at the birth of the Church in Acts chapter 2 at and following Pentecost, you’ll see that followers of Jesus devoted themselves to four things: teaching, fellowship, eating, and prayer. And they did this in just two ways: In the temple courts, and in their homes. The “home church” movement eschews the larger gathering (to its detriment), and those who do not gather in homes are also missing a critical aspect of what it means to live in community (to their detriment).

Could it be that what we see in Acts 2 is the recipe for the “minimal viable church”? I understand that culturally speaking, we are far from 1st century Jerusalem, and that life as we now live it seems such a far cry from the simplicity of those days of the early church. But this is why, I think, the question is being asked by these two young men inviting me into a conversation about what–at minimum–is needed to build and enjoy a thriving spiritual community to the glory of God and the building up of His bride, the Church.

As I often do, I’ll stop here, mid-stream and ask: What are your thoughts on this? What if you were being invited to dinner to discuss the “minimally viable church”? What would your input to the conversation look like? Share them in the comments. I’d love to hear them.