The Secretary Who Supports Fellowship
What thoughts come to mind when you hear the word "fellowship?" Parties, churchwide suppers, class get-togethers? Do you quickly make a mental check of the things you need to take care of for the next fellowship scheduled at your church? Or do you think of close friends with whom you have a special relationship?
Webster's dictionary defines fellowship as "companionship, company, community of interest, activity, feeling or experience, the state of being an associate, a company of equals or friends, partnership."
Gene Mims describes fellowship in Kingdom Principles for Church Growth as "a person-to-person relationship." He goes on to say, "Christian fellowship involves a relationship with God."
Fellowship with God
God created us to have fellowship with Him, and He always provides a way for that fellowship to exist.
In the Old Testament, after sin entered the world, God used the temple to represent His presence to the people of Israel. The people would go there to experience fellowship with God.
When Jesus entered the world, God was present in human form. He no longer needed to use the temple as His representative. When Jesus was sacrificed for our sins, God in the form of the Holy Spirit created a fellowship with Christians. Today, Christians have a personal relationship, a fellowship, with God through the Holy Spirit.
Fellowship with God begins with salvation. As a secretary, you have many opportunities to share God's plan for eternal life. Is your mail carrier a Christian? Does the copy machine technician have a personal relationship with Jesus? Do people see Christ in you? Are you sharing the joy of your salvation?
When we receive Christ, we become a member of a very distinguished family. We become "joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17), and we have many brothers and sisters. The fellowship among believers is unique. Paul wrote in Acts 2:41-42 about the fellowship in the early church:
"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (NIV)."
How does your church welcome new members? Are new Christians made to feel they are an important part of the body? Many new church members find that fitting in among established church members is hard to do. How do you personally treat new members?
"Koinonia" is the Greek word used to describe fellowship in the New Testament. It means "to share in," "to come into fellowship," "intimate fellowship." Paul used the word many times to describe the different relationships we share as Christians. In 1 Corinthians 1:9, he wrote about our relationship with the Son: "God, who has called you into fellowship [Koinonia] with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (NIV)."
Paul also wrote concerning our relationship with the Holy Spirit: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship [Koinonia-intimate fellowship] of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14, NIV)."
In Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Henry Blackaby writes, "Intimate fellowship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, produces fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters. Only God can produce this genuine Koinonia (fellowship)."
Jesus intended the Lord's Supper to be a fellowship experience. He wanted the supper to remind Christians of His sacrifice for us on the cross as well as to remind us of His presence. How do you promote the fellowship of the Lord's Supper? Do you remind the proper committee of the date of the next supper? Is ordering the Lord's Supper supplies your responsibility? Have the date and time of the supper been well publicized to the church body? The Lord's Supper is essential in the life of the church and is vital for church growth. The staff should make every effort to encourage participation in this fellowship.
Fellowship with One Another
Jesus encourages Christians to have the same type relationship, fellowship, with one another that He has with the Father: "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me (John 17:21)."
The church should be unified in love for the Father and for one another.
How often do you hear negative things said concerning staff members, church members or activities of the church? Do you take the opportunity to say something positive? Do you participate in the negative conversation? Do you share potential problems with the proper staff member or committee chairperson?
Paul gave this advice to the Ephesians:
"With complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3, AMP)."
This is good advice for every Christian today, especially those serving the church in ministry.
Fellowship in churches does not just happen. We must spend time working at it and building it, just as we do any relationship.
Gene Mims believes, "While evangelism, discipleship, ministry and worship are extremely important, they cannot be done effectively without a strong, loving Christian fellowship."
Jesus set the example for building fellowship. He spent three years with the disciples, demonstrating love. They shared many meals together; they spent time listening to Jesus talk about the Father. I can picture them spending time laughing and teasing one another as they walked from one place to another. If fellowship was important to Jesus, shouldn't it be important to us?
The Bond of Fellowship
Fellowship is much more than sharing meals, or listening to someone teach, or even good clean fun. Fellowship is genuine love for our heavenly Father and for one another. "Fellowship bonds the family of God together in love and unity."
The bond between Christians is unprecedented. Because of the love of Jesus Christ, when Christian meets Christian, anywhere in the world, something wonderful happens. There is a oneness, a unity that only can be explained through the love of Jesus.
In May, 1995, I had the privilege to go to Belize in Central America as part of a mission team. We worshiped in Kekchi and Mayan Indian churches. We did not understand the words of the songs they sang; neither did we understand the words they spoke as they read Scripture. They did not understand the words we spoke; neither did they understand when we read from Scripture. The one thing we all did understand was that we loved and worshiped the same living God. We were brothers and sisters in Christ because He died for all, not for just a selected few. The words did not matter. What really mattered was the immediate fellowship, a bonding between believers and a unity only Jesus could have created.
The Importance of Fellowship
Christian fellowship was so important to John, he devoted all of 1 John to the subject. He wrote, "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son (1 John 1:3, NIV)."
Churches cannot fulfill the command of the Great Commission without Christian fellowship. For there to be real fellowship in our churches, there must be genuine love for one another and a unity that can only be explained through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34, NIV)."
People are not going to be drawn to churches where there is conflict and strife. They are seeking churches that exhibit "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23, NIV)." As a Christian, are you promoting these fruits in your church? Is your church an example of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?
The Secretary Supporting Fellowship
A part of fellowship in the church is ministering to its own. As a secretary, you may be the person responsible for posting attendance records. You may be the first to know when members have been absent more than two Sundays. It is important to alert the proper people and let them know there could be a problem. Someone needs to check out the situation to see what type of ministry might be needed. Churches with a loving fellowship minister to members when they are in need. Be sensitive to the needs of church members; and, if at all possible, make sure those members receive the proper care.
Scripture reveals how important fellowship among believers has been down through the ages. Jesus talked about fellowship on many occasions. How important is fellowship in the life of your church? As a Christian and a staff member, I want to challenge you to make fellowship a matter of priority in your life.
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