Just as we have explored the dynamics of the larger city or regional church, it is equally important to provide insight into how smaller local churches make up the whole of the larger church. The individual local churches or villages of the city church consists of congregations or committees comprising about 100 to 400 people in each. All of these are within one city church. Each congregation is made-up of several home groups.
The church in the city meets regularly in three different ways. This gives all the people the opportunity to function in ministry and be enriched in their lives as they meet in each of these different formats.
1- home groups
Home groups meet regularly, usually on a weekly basis. Visitors and friends should always be welcome. These home groups concentrate on making new contacts in their immediate neighborhood and, as a priority, bringing new contacts to a saving knowledge of Jesus as Lord. These meetings also provide an opportunity to meet personal needs, heal the sick, and pray for one another as well as take up wider issues in prayer. This leads to deepening personal relationships and enables all individuals to be properly pastored to bring them to maturity. There’s also a place for individuals to learn how to move in all the gifts of the Spirit and for God to come and move uniquely in any way he desires.
Presenting a message or having a set teaching time could occur, if judged profitable or by the leader. The Home group provides a forum to study a teaching or a particular topic that the senior pastor might be emphasizing for the whole church. For these reasons it should have order and leadership. There should be freedom for the Holy Spirit to move as he chooses and for everybody to have the liberty to participate as the Spirit of God indicates.
It is clear from the first two chapters of the book of Acts that the early church in Jerusalem had all these different forms of meeting together.
Acts 2:41- Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about 3000 souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and dividing them among all, as anyone had need. So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God for having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
2- Local church congregational meetings
Weekly congregational meetings in the immediate locality should be held (usually on Sunday mornings) in a suitable building ideally capable of holding about twice the number of the committed membership of that congregation.
The meeting should begin with a great time of extravagant worship, prayer, and moving in the gifts of the Spirit. Unless God leads otherwise, there should normally be a definite time of teaching from the word of God. The members should also have an opportunity to bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord as part of their extravagant worship. This kind of meeting, as well as being the main means to edify the whole body, also provides an opportunity to develop the gifts within the body-worship leaders, prayer leaders, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers, as well as in musicians, healing gifts and miracle workers, children and youth workers, and so forth. Apart from the teaching time, the children and the young people should be fully involved and freely participate in the main meeting as the Spirit of God leads them.
A person with final leadership authority over the meeting should be open and sensitive to whatever the Holy Spirit is saying and be willing to let God move in any way he chooses. For that reason, meetings should not be too structured or overly organized. At the same time, everything should be done with a sense of Kingdom excellence and proper order. The leader should aim to complete the meeting punctually, within a reasonable time frame, without quenching the Holy Spirit. Proper leading of such a meeting requires great sensitivity and skill. As part of the life of the church, regular training to develop such leaders should be ongoing.
3- Celebration meetings
Every few months, the whole city church should come together in a large public auditorium. Such gatherings present an opportunity for times of extravagant worship where the best of the worship leaders, musicians, and singers from all the local churches could be utilized to form a special band to lead these meetings. Also, such a meeting provides a chance to hear the city church’s Apostolic leader or visiting speaker. Visitors should be publicly invited to commit their lives to Christ. A capable group of ministries should be at hand, ready to minister to all who come forward at close to the meeting for salvation, healing, and other needs. In addition, two major citywide conferences should be planned each year to encourage and “re-envision” the church.
Various specialty training and teaching programs should be in place. These should be available for everybody in the whole city church and aimed at developing all the gifts potential across the entire body. Every local church should commit itself as a whole congregation to be part of the city events and recognize that these events would always have the priority over their local programs.