I recently read a blog today from a person I don’t know, but that I can tell is an earnest seeker of truth. 

His post was entitled “Restructuring the Church for Explosive Growth.”  In his post he poses the question “What if we were to build a system from scratch that was simply designed to make disciples, create community and fully release each other’s gifts? What would the church look like? The church would look strangely similar to the first church.”

In his blog, he also suggests that a true church of Christ needs three things to work, namely:

Structure One – Body Church. This is a group of people (15-25) who live life together (like a body), regular share meals (like a family) and consistently gather in homes to build each other up under the direct headship of Christ.

Structure Two – Discipleship Training Center (the city church) – This is the School of Tyrannus idea where the teachers and trainers of a cluster of body churches (3-5) hold constant trainings designed to “make disciples” “teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded” and would be overseen by a group of city-wide elders.

Structure Three – The Apostolic Team – This is a diverse team of people with apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching gifts that take responsibility for the health and well-being of many different city and body churches while using most of their resources to expand into new areas without ever neglecting the needs of existing works.

I agree with his analysis and suggestions of the three ways to have a church more closely aligned with Christ’s original church.  The good news is that this church already exists.  A short analysis of the three points and how they relate to this church are included below:

“Body Church”

 All members of this church are assigned other members to visit and care for in each others’ homes as well as instruct each other through the scriptures as led by the Holy Spirit.  In addition, every member is required to pay a tithe and fast offering which goes towards the needy in the congregation similar to the original Church of Christ.

“Discipleship Training Center”

He proposes that a group of Elders from various congregations within the same city come together to teach and train each other under the direction of Jesus Christ.  Again, this organization is found in a church in existance today.  The congregations are called “wards” and a group of wards within a city are called a Stake.  Elders from the stakes and wards meet regularly and train each other as directed by the Holy Ghost.  Weekly the elders in a ward meet as a quorum and quarterly they meet together as a stake to be instructed and led.

“Apostolic Team”

In this church there is a prophet and twelve apostles that lead and direct the church as a whole.  The whole church has over a thousand stakes and each stake has an evangelist, or patriarch that gives patriarchal blessings…prophetic blessings in a sense, to the members of the stake.  In addition, the apostles and the quorom of the seventy in this church share the message of Jesus Christ throughout the world. 

I appreciate the insights made on this blog as to what the true, original church of Jesus Christ should look like.  In addition to what has been stated, I will add a few more scriptures and insights from the Bible as to what the true Church of Jesus Christ should look like. 

According to the Bible, the original church was organized with Jesus Christ as the head, twelve apostles, and a quoroum of the seventy.  After Jesus died, Peter became the authorized leader of the church under the direction of Jesus.  The apostles ordained Elders, Pastors, Prophets, Teachers, and Evangelists (see Ephesians 4:11) in the original Church of Jesus Christ. 

In addition, the members of the church lived the law of consecration and had “all things in common,” and “sold their possesions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”(Acts 2:45) 

The original Church of Jesus Christ aslo had the following characteristics: the members were called saints (Ephesians 4:11-14); saints received church callings by the laying on of hands (Acts 13:1-3); people healed by the laying on of hands and anointing with oil (Mark 6:13) (James 5:14); temple worship (Acts 2:46); the saints saw visions of angels on numerous occasions (Acts 12:7-9; 27:23-24) and Stephen even saw a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ (Acts 7:55); baptism was essential for salvation and one was baptized before receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:37-39); the structure of the church had one chief apostle or prophet, which was Peter and then twelve apostles were essential (Acts 1: 15-26).  For more information on what was found in the original church, see “17 Points of the true Church.”

The good news is that the original Church of Jesus Christ has been restored again.  I invite this person to view the restored Church of Jesus Christ’s websites and to pray for guideance from the Holy Spirit as to whether this church is the true church.  I promise that if his approach is sincere with a desire to follow the Savior, he will know through the Holy Ghost that this church is indeed the restored Church of Jesus Christ.   

From personal experience as a member of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, I can testify to my fellow friend of another faith that this is indeed the restored original church of Jesus Christ.  I’ve seen many miracles and felt overwhelming feelings of joy and love while serving others in this church.  This church is what he is looking for if he’s seeking an organization that is the same that existed in the original church.  If he approaches the investigation with faith and nothing wavering he will receive a confirmation that this is the true church.