Communities

At Coram Deo, we believe that the most foundational dimension of the church involves real relationships and forming loving attachments. Everything we do is structured to nudge us towards forming “church” in smaller intimate expressions. Our Gatherings and Training have the single purpose of connecting and supporting these smaller expressions, we call them Communities. These Communities may take on various forms. Some will exist for a short season and others may last for years and years. They could look like a Discipleship Group of 3-6 people or a larger group of 12-25 who meet in a home.

Kerygma & Didache

There is something beautiful and fresh about hearing a new teaching, new content, and a fresh perspective. However, when we look at the New Testament we also see the Apostle Paul often talking about “laying foundations” as he helps establish new communities. There are dozens of key theological concepts that Paul addresses repeatedly in his writings, but we can simplify them all down into two ideas:

Kerygma - This refers to the essential proclamation of the gospel message—the announcement of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Paul and the apostles proclaimed. This message focused on the transformative, saving power of Jesus for humanity and invited hearers to respond in faith (e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 & Romans 10:9-10)

Didache - This refers to the teaching and instruction provided to believers on how to live a Christian life. This teaching was focused on guiding the conduct, ethics, and practices of Christians, helping them grow in holiness, love, and alignment with the teachings of Jesus as they learn to live Spirit-empowered lives (e.g. Galatians 5:16-17, 22-23, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7).

In church history, this idea of “foundations” was picked up in the concept of “catechism.” In different times and places, to varying degrees of success, the church has tried to articulate these foundations of what a Christian ought to know and practice. We find it helpful to guide communities to prayerfully discern how the Lord is leading them in each season. Simultaneously we recommend a few proven resources as helpful guides in “laying foundations” for a strong Christian faith. Here are some of our tried and true “Kerygma and Didache” resources:

More resources coming!