“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up. But pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up!” — Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (BSB)
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.” — Ephesians 4:15–16 (BSB)
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.” — Romans 12:4–5 (BSB)
Without Christian fellowship, we grow spiritually vulnerable. Community provides accountability in times of temptation, encouragement in seasons of doubt, and strength when we are weak. It is the setting in which the sacraments are received, spiritual gifts are exercised, and the truth is spoken in love. It forms and sustains us for the long journey of sanctification.
Canon Dr. Joel Scandrett (Trinity School for Ministry) writes, “We need the Church not only to be fed but to be formed. Community is where the Word is lived, grace is shared, and Christ is made visible.”
Bishop Julian Dobbs (Diocese of the Living Word, ACNA) explains, “Christian community is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline. A believer without the Church is like a coal pulled from the fire: it quickly grows cold. But in fellowship, we are kept burning.”
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer demonstrates the value of community through its communal liturgies and shared prayers. From Morning and Evening Prayer to the Holy Eucharist, the Church prays, listens, confesses, and worships together as one Body. The baptismal rite calls the whole congregation to support the newly baptized in their life in Christ.
J.C. Ryle wrote, “There are no lone Christians in the Bible. The New Testament speaks constantly of the Church—the flock, the body, the household. Isolation is dangerous. Communion is the means of grace.” (Practical Religion, 1878)
Archbishop Foley Beach (ACNA) has said, “We grow in community. That’s how God designed it. He gives gifts to the Body, not just to individuals, because no one walks the way of Jesus alone.”
Christian community glorifies Christ because it reveals the unity of His Body, strengthens His people in truth and love, and shines as a light in a divided and lonely world.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD): “God has made us for Himself and for one another. In the Church, we learn not only to believe, but to love.” — Sermon 96
St. Basil the Great (c. 330–379 AD): “Let no one be deceived: as the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ so no Christian can live without the Body of Christ.” — Long Rules, 7
St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 AD): “You cannot be a Christian alone. To be a Christian is to belong—to Christ, to His Word, and to His people.” — Homily on Hebrews, 30
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
PO Box 873
Abbotsford, BC,
V2T 7A2, Canada
If you are interested in starting a St. Thomas Church in your area and or ordination path fill the contact card form.
St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
