Sociologists tell us that human beings connect in four different sizes of gatherings: a) public space, b) social space, c) personal space and d) intimate space. The New Testament church, it seems, also gathered according to these social dynamics.
In this podcast, Alex Absalom argues that the Western church is struggling to function as a healthy community, in part, because of the way in which we meet. He argues that public space (i.e. congregational gatherings) function differently than social space (i.e. extended family on a mission), from personal space (discipleship groups), from intimate space (married couples)… and we would do well to pay attention to all four!
