Note: This is an archived version of the page from apexcommunity.org related to Refuge Hill Church Ohio.

Source Details

Entity: Refuge Hill Church Ohio

Source: apexcommunity.org

Source URL: http://apexcommunity.org/are-you-new/about-apex

Archive URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20100130195414/http://apexcommunity.org:80/are-you-new/about-apex

Archive Datetime: 2010-01-30T19:54:14

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About Apex

“Church”

Many of us grew up identifying church as a building where comfortable people came together on Sunday to sing, sit, listen, and possibly have coffee and polite conversation. We might even have gone to a classroom in that building where we continued our polite conversation around a table of individuals that looked just like us.

For that matter, many of us grew up identifying church as a building where hypocritical people came together to complain, gossip, and serve themselves. We may have seen a self-absorbed group of individuals so critical toward themselves and one another that we had no desire to ever join them. It would have been torture.

Regardless of your background, how do those traditional church scenarios always end? After the prayer, after the polite conversation, after the possible complaining, it ends with going home. Basically, those scenarios always seem to have an ending.

To begin to get to know Apex, you will need to wipe that mental image completely clean. Ignore the building for now. Forget the set schedule. Look beyond the familiar table of peers.

You can keep your coffee though. We still like coffee.

A Network of Disciples

Apex is actually a network of dozens of small community churches, organized into geographic regions, which meet in our members’ homes throughout the Miami Valley area. We call these small community churches, house churches.

Church never ends when it is a body of believers living near one another, meeting one another throughout the week, sharing with one another, and leaning on one another.

Church never ends if it is in your home, or your neighbor’s home, or in the neighborhood in which you live.

Sure, we do have regular weekend gatherings which include corporate worship, celebration, and biblical preaching. As a network, we also partner with missional organizations to serve those in need and proclaim the gospel. We even have a select handful of special programs, such as those for kids and high school students. However, please, please, PLEASE don’t overlook the unique and powerful ways that house churches shape us as a local church body; they truly are the core of how we live out our faith in Christ together.

In reality, Jesus didn’t command us to even make “churches.” And He certainly did not call us to prioritize steepled buildings. We are called to be and make disciples of Christ (Matthew 28). And disciples of Christ make up the church. Therefore church can be anytime and anywhere. We’ve seen it, and we are crazy excited about it.

Jesus is our lifeblood. Becoming his disciples is our heartbeat. And making more disciples is our privilege and calling. Whatever we do as a local church, we pray it will always reflect this.

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If you aren’t sure what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, learn more about Him.

Next: introducing Jesus!