Monday, December 7



Acts 16:11-15
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.  From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia.  And we stayed there several days.  On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.  We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.  One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God.  The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.  When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home.  “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.”  And she persuaded us.


Reflection
Notice that when Paul and Silas arrive in Philippi they didn’t first go and rent a building for their church activities.  They didn’t hire a staff to do the administrative tasks of the church.  They didn’t spend hours sitting around developing mission and value statements.  They didn’t elect officials of the church.  No, they didn’t do any of those things.  They immediately went to where people were and they began to share the good news of Jesus with them.  Because of that Lydia and other people came to know Jesus and the church began in Philippi.  Paul and Silas connected in relationships with people and lived life on life with these individuals discipling them in the ways of Jesus.  They only had enough organization and structure to help them accomplish what they needed to get done which was to spread the good news of Jesus to as many people as possible.

How can the church be simple in its organization so that it remains focused on its primary mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ?