“And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have, but let us encourage one another…” – Hebrews 10:24–25 (BSB)
“…so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:25–27 (BSB)
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another… Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:10, 13 (BSB)
“Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2 (BSB)
At the center of Christian community is worship—the gathering of God’s people around Word and Sacrament. Fr. Isaac Rehberg (ACNA, All Saints San Antonio, TX) explains, “You engage in community when you kneel beside others in prayer, share in the Eucharist, hear the Word together, and sing as one voice. The liturgy forms not just individuals but a people.” (Worshiping Together in Spirit and Truth, 2021)
We also engage by practicing love in action—bearing burdens, forgiving offenses, serving in ministries, visiting the sick, and supporting the weak. Fr. Caleb Evans (Anglican Orthodox Church, St. Stephen’s Mission, GA) teaches, “Real community costs something. It involves vulnerability, patience, and sacrifice—but in that, we learn the love of Christ.” (The Cost and Joy of Fellowship, 2020)
Engaging in community includes using our spiritual gifts for the building up of the body. Each Christian has a role to play. Fr. Thomas Buchan (Anglican Union, St. Mark’s Anglican Church, VA) writes, “The Spirit doesn’t gift us for personal enrichment but for the strengthening of the Church. To withhold our gifts is to rob the body of what Christ has supplied.” (The Gifts of Belonging, 2021)
Canon George Grant (ACNA, Parish Presbyterian Church, TN) adds, “Community is the place of growth, correction, and grace. It is not always easy—but it is always necessary. If you want to grow in Christ, you must grow with His people.” (Recovering Anglican Piety, 2019)
“Give yourself to the Church—not only to receive, but to serve. For each is needed, and each is nourished by the other.” – Basil the Great, Homily on the Church, c. 370 AD
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Bear with one another in mercy, and let your life be knit together with the lives of the saints.” – John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 12, c. 390 AD
“The Christian must be found among his brethren, for in their love is Christ revealed.” – Cyprian of Carthage, On the Unity of the Church, c. 250 AD
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.
