The Church is fractal in nature - much of what is true of the individual is also true of the various sized groups we belong to. My aim is to glorify Jesus and see the Kingdom o fGod advancedd - and that is also the aim of my housegroup, congregation and church. The five ministries in Ephesians four tell me what our church ought to be doing, and also what our housegroup should be doing, and what I should be doing.
Over the centuries, people have struggled with the problem of Church structure - how are we supposed to organise this group of people?
The usual answer has been to borrow the organisational structure that dominates the secular world the Church exists in, so in the days of a single absolute ruler called 'Cesar', you have a Church with a single absolute ruler called the 'Pope'. Later, in the days of parliamentary rule, you get the Church dominated by Synods, and more recently the characteristics of big business shape the organisational structure of the large churches, especially in America, with the Pastor being recognised as the 'Chief Executive Officer'.
I have nothing against any of these models of church structure, and in various circumstances they can all be useful and effective. But none of these structures can claim to be the Biblical pattern. Each can be justified from some passsages - as can the democratic approach adopted by other groups - but this fact proves that no one system is 'right' in any absolute sense.
The real question is this. How do we determine when each type of structure is appropriate? How do we decide which is the right way to organise this group at this time? Can we go anywhere beyond personal preference?
I believe it is possible to go a lot further, but only if we get the basics right. And one of the basics is now a good deal easier to describe, because in the last generation we have invented a word for it: 'fractal'.
In essence, a fractal is a shape that is similar to itself at different scales. The classic example is the coastline of England: look at any map of England, and you will see the coastline going in and out, with bays and headlands. Look at a map of a stretch of coast, and it will be very similar - you can see less area, but you can see smaller features: it still goes in and out.
When we look at the Bible's teaching, we see that the Church is fractal in nature: an individual is like a housegroup, is like a congregation, is like a city church, is like the universal Church. Clearly, there are differences - but if we can understand where the similarities are, and where the differences are, we will at least have a solid starting point for looking at how the church ought to be organised.
All the different levels are similar to the other in some significant ways - in origin, in purpose, in role and in destiny.
I am here, I am the person I am, because of what God has done for me - both generally in creation, and specifically in Jesus.
My purpose is to express Jesus in a unique way.
My role is to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and/or teacher, as the situation requires and the Lord leads.
My destiny is to be with Jesus, united with all those who belong to Him.
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