Fellowship

The New Testament word for fellowship (koinonia) means a rich community life full of shared experiences and selfless concern. It is a common life, in which no-one is meant to be left alone, and where relationships are strong because of mutual empathy and  encouragement between people. The early Christians devoted themselves to this fellowship (Acts 2:42) and MOBC believes such devotion is an essential part of Christian discipleship; learning to treat one another as Christ has treated us.  

We expect this attitude to be evident in all our activities, but we do particular things to help create a greater sense of community in our church. Some of these things are listed below:

 

  • Newcomer’s morning teas. These are held every few months in order to make new people at church feel especially welcomed into our fellowship. They are a great way to meet new people.
  • Church Family Camps. These are held every 18 months over a weekend, and include lots of opportunities for people to spend more time together than they are often able to do week to week, as well as getting great teaching from the Bible.
  • Friendship Group. This is a monthly activity aimed mainly at retirees, and includes lots of great outings.
  • Family Fun Nights. These occur two or three times a year and have in the past included trivia nights, bushdances, and other family friendly activities.
  • Meal Help. A wonderful network of people provide the short term, but much valued, relief of meals for families with new babies, and those suffering from ill health.
  • Growth Groups. These small group Bible studies are their own ministry area at MOBC, but they are mentioned here because they are also a vital, perhaps the most vital, way we build fellowship at our church.
  • Pastoral home and hospital visitation. Caring for people in times of grief and ill health are a vital part of true fellowship, and for this reason the pastors regularly visit with people in their homes and in hospital.

 These are just some of the ways that MOBC builds true koinonia as a community of Christian disciples.