Week 4 – Acts 2:42-47 – The Fellowship of Believers
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
And so we have come to the end of my month writing the weekly prayer and as mentioned at the beginning I have been focussing on that passage from Acts that we used on our WOW service in Bolton at the beginning of September – the Fellowship of Believers. I hope my reflections have been a reminder that we are each part of a much larger group of those who teach, share, pray and live alongside each other. The photo included is the banner that we made a number of years ago and includes the elements of food, worship, music and fellowship that we all share together through this specific community, the coloured hands were each stencilled and cut out by our members – their own hand a symbol of them being part of our family of fellowship.
Our banner is very symbolic of the message from Acts 2 and the reminder of that devotion to teaching and fellowship and sharing of food; but in verse 45 we are also reminded that we are called to share with those in need – those less fortunate than ourselves, and how much that resonates with all our work through MWiB, as we continue to challenge, empower and hopefully inspire all those we meet in our daily lives. Our fellowship is not just on a Sunday, not just when we meet in our groups, not just when we attend Swanwick or other conferences and not just when our conscience is pricked as we watch the news. As I begin my 4 year appointment with MWiB I look at this passage and it reminds me of what our faith is really about, what we have been called to do as a Fellowship of Believers and I pray that you continue to be encouraged, inspired, challenged, called and responsive – the gifts from a loving God that has given us faith and called us all to do His work here on earth. May the same deep sense of awe that came upon those early believers rest in your heart today. Amen.
I have kindly been allowed to offer this prayer to you all, it was written by our pastor Sue, who leads WOW, based upon Acts 2:42-47, and a copy was given to every attendee at our first service together as one circuit in Bolton.
Gracious God, We thank You for the gift of our church family and the bonds we share in Christ. Thank You for calling us to work and learn side by side, as we work together to serve our community and build Your kingdom. When our tasks feel heavy or our days feel long, renew our strength and remind us of the joy found in serving one another. As we learn together opening Your Word, seeking wisdom, and discovering more of Your character, open our hearts and minds. Give us the spirit of curiosity, humility and patience. Help us to listen well, to share our insights with grace, and to support each other through every success and stumble. Bless the work of our hands and the growth of our minds. May everything we do and learn reflect Your great love, drawing us closer to You and to each other, AMEN (S. Snowden, 2026)
Philippa Hill Vice Chair MWiB
