within

So, I've been thinking a lot about the concept of a church within a church. A smaller body of believers who function somewhat independently but are a part of a larger body.



First, every church building in America hosts a church within the Church.



Second, when a biblical community is functioning well, it is going to become a church within a church. It is going to meet the needs of community members--caring for those connected to it. I see this in my Sunday School class. We are bound together by common beliefs, we meet together, we meet each other's needs, and we have leadership to guide us. We are still a part of a larger body...Grace Chapel. So, what binds us to GC? Our common beliefs, our dedication to the same mission, the resources GC provides for us. Many of us attend the larger church service--so we get the same messages and can theoretically talk through those messages.



So, is there a problem with this concept? Is it wrong to have a church within a church?

Or more importantly--How can any such entity with its own identity stay connected to the whole? By submitting to the elders of the larger body and connecting through the vision and mission of the larger body, it is both possible and exciting to see smaller bodies unite to be one larger body.