Growth in Self and Church Experiences
Visitors and members visit our churches weekly. Many of them look for activities that will happen in the church, whether the activities occur daily, weekly or monthly. Sometimes our visitors and members forget some of the most common activities help with spiritual formation. Sunday School is one of the largest and most commonly forgotten activities that occur in churches. A weekly gathering that may last an hour, Sunday School is a time to gather amongst those that are close in age and closer in spiritual and worldly lives. More often than not, members of a Sunday School class go through the same experiences that others will face yearly, whether loss of job, loved one, birth of child, or purchasing a new home. Members can relate to one another and share in their experiences. Church members forget that in these small experiences, we grow closer to one another through the sharing of a similar experience. Sunday School is just one of the ways churches get individuals involved in individual and corporate experiences.
Churches today have more opportunities for members to do that will help in spiritual growth. Sunday School, life groups, small groups, choirs, trips, volunteer programs and class meetings outside of normal church time are just some ways members can experience spiritual growth. Members go through individual experience in these activities because they learn from one another. Members can identify with someone else because they share a similar experience and moment of life. Members also can help one another in growth of class and outreach. When it comes to corporate experiences, members and visitors can become a part of a class or group. Members and visitors can help a class with a project, help lead children in Vacation Bible School or plan activities that grow and change a class for the better.
Individual experience is when someone feels the power or God work through one individual. An example of this is someone sharing their faith with a lost stranger. At the end of the talk, the lost stranger comes to accept Christ. This Christian individual now has a new and exciting individual experience to remember and share with others. A corporate experience is when a group of Christian individual feel the power of God through a gathering of a group. An example of this would be a revival or listening to a testimony in church. The group may discuss what was said and heard after the revival or testimony. Not everyone will remember all that was said, but all will remember a powerful and moving point that will touch everyone’s hearts in the group. There can be an individual experience in a corporate experience, but not the other way around. In the first example, when the Christian shared their faith and lead someone to Christ, that was one individual’s memory. In the revival or testimony service, the entire group witnessed the moment and heard what was said. More were touched in the moment of the corporate experience than the individual experience. However, when the Christian who lead someone to Christ shares what happened, others will hear about it, but will not experience that moment in real life.
The gathering of Christians in a corporate experience is essential to spiritual growth. Matthew 18:20 says “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.” Jesus can be felt by an individuals, but Jesus wants us to experience and feel His presence with others. It is vital for our individual and church growth to be a part of a church. We must be strong members that continuously attend church to learn more about Him.
