Communal: The NT church model

As the transition continues from the traditional to the emerging church there is much debate about what is a Biblical church model. Historically there have been 3 models of the "church" over the years- Instutional, Missional, and Communal. Institutional refers to the "build it and they will come" church. They believed they existed to make the world better and could offer a "safe" place for the weary. Missional refers to those who believe in stretching out and becoming submersed in the culture they live among. They fundamentally believe in being "sent" to the culture they live in and work diligently to be "light". Communal refers to the "together we accomplish more for the kingdom" way of thinking. At the heart of their way of thinking is the desire to expand the kingdom. While the greatest amount of time is spend debating institutional -vs- missional I would like to suggest the communal church model is most similar to the NT church.

If you take deeper look at the NT church you'll see aspects of institutional and missional but they are that- aspects. Neither can successfully exist without the other otherwise you would have church model that was incomplete and would fail to fulfill the Master's purpose. However if you examine NT church from a communal (or Kingdom first) perspective you see there is a greater emphasis that defines the proper church model. Let's examine the primary characteristics of the NT church-

1) The NT believers lived lives that held the "common good" as the most important need among believers. They lived in community meeting each other's needs.
2) The NT beleivers believed that following Jesus was a very risky proposition. One that could require a willingness to give their lives and the lives of the family for the cause.
3) The NT believers believed they were joining God's work in progress. They held dearly the notion of being a believer as their HIGHEST calling in life.
4) All were "called" to "go out in the world"- therefore NT believers held the belief they were "sent" to be a light to the world.
5) The NT believers followed a simple process- Connect-Transform-Fellowship-Multiply! It was the responsibility of each believer to have been part of this process as both disciplee and discipler. They were exempt from neither!

In these five NT church characteristics we see the best of institutional and missional as part of the communal model- not separate. Clearly God desired a community that held His values, shared His vision, and fulfilled His mission. All of these things are evident in the communal church model. Without community there is a key missing ingredient that causes the church to morph into something different that God's intended model! It's not about home, buildings, programs, etc. it's about God! He desires us to live, exist, and work in community- His community! But then again that's why He calls it His Kingdom!