The Body of Christ. Reflection on Church 2.0 

As we embark on the journey of Church 2.0, I reflect on our vision of being a growing network of small group churches [SGCs] united in mission to live the gospel, make disciples and multiply small group churches to reach the world for Christ.

The basic unit is the SGC. By design, SGCs are small faith families where we can do life deeply with one another. No one is anonymous. No one is a loner. No burden is hidden. No joy is withheld. No sin must fester. No one is a taker but not also a giver.

By design, we may “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:5) and “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).

YCKC is a particular network of SGCs. SGCs do not exist in isolation. Neither are SGCs merely one generic unit among millions of churches worldwide. Instead, we are united as a distinctive local church that is YCKC. With a distinctive history and story. A distinctive place in the world and in the plans of God. A distinctive liturgy that forms us in our spirit. A distinctive destiny.

As a network of SGCs, we gather as one to partake in fellowship – a fellowship of life stories about God’s grace that encourage us in faith; of God’s gifts that build up one another; of God-given resources that go towards pursuing God’s Kingdom purposes. A fellowship empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We are united in mission. By covenant, we are united in agreement to this mission given us by God through His word and through the discernment of our church’s leadership. We are united in living out this mission     in our respective spheres of life–in our schools and workplaces, our homes and neighbourhoods. We gather each week to be challenged afresh with this mission. We are scattered each week into the world to live out this mission.

We aim to be growing and multiplying. By intention, we disciple one another with truth in love to grow in every way into spiritual maturity in Christ (Eph 4:15-16). By intention, we seek to multiply ourselves by reaching out to, and discipling, those who need hope where there is despair, love where there is apathy, courage where there is fear. We seek to grow and multiply for the sake of the gospel.

No wonder that the Bible uses the imagery of the body for the church. In the human body, the cell is the basic functional unit. Cells form organs, which are placed in different parts of the body for different purposes. The different cells and organs are united in ensuring the functioning of the body. Yet, a physical body is meaningless if it is not growing each day in the mind, soul, and spirit. And when a person grows into maturity and gives birth to new life, there is great joy.

Likewise, as a local church, we are part of the body of Christ. We seek to do all this so that Christ may be glorified and the spiritually thirsty may be satisfied. And as we do, we will taste and see more and more that the Lord is good indeed (1 Pet 2:3).

 by brother Ronald Wong