"It moves me to see so many believers travel from so many different places in Italy to gather together like this. Why do they come?"

That question came last week from a new Christian who was talking about dozens of brothers and sisters in Christ who traveled to Florence to participate in the conference we hosted. Neither the speakers nor the topics drew them, but people traveled for hours in cars and trains to get here. Why?

"They come for fellowship," I said. We are all from small, struggling churches, and we treasure the chance to be with other believers. Conferences like this give us a chance to connect with each other once again - affirmed by each other's faith and warmed by each other's love.

But the question lingered in my mind all week as I watched people during the conference. It prompts me to give voice here to something I think about often. Why do we assemble? What do we need from each other each time we come together?

The answers are simple and basic. But as Vince Lombardi knew when he said, "Gentlemen, this is a football," to take his seasoned players back once again to the basics of their game, what we sometimes need most is a return to basics. We cannot succeed unless we understand them.

Here they are. Each time we gather we need to: (1) celebrate and worship the God we love; (2) hear from him; and (3) connect with others who share our faith and care about us. Each of these needs is vital. They are basic spiritual longings. Unfortunately, not every church understands how to meet them, and sometimes we neglect one in our effort to address another, but we need them all. We must constantly evaluate our assemblies, classes and small groups according to these needs.

1. When God said, "Praise me," he meant, "Enjoy me." We gather because our shared faith draws us together. We come longing to connect with the God we love - to acknowledge who he is and what he has done for us.

2. To connect with God, we need to hear from him. Nothing is sadder than assemblies which fit John Milton's description: "The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed." When people gather, desperate to hear God, someone should speak his word.

3. Inspiring assemblies and God-centered preaching is not enough. We also each need a family where we love and are loved. We need intimacy. Belonging. Accountability.

It comes down to these basics. We hunger to connect with God and with other believers, and we cannot have a strong connection to either unless we have both. People will flock to a church which helps them accomplish that.

The attached photograph is my favorite of those I have take at our meetings in Italy. One night I walked into a room and saw two older men - Antonio, from a small city in southern Italy, and Giancarlo from Rome - carefully explaining the words of a song, "Jesus, I adore you" to some small girls from different communities. The girls were too young to read.

 
Nuncio teaching

The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love, Paul said. As long as believers gather together to share their faith and love one another like this, there is hope for the church.

The kingdom lives in such hearts.

Gary Williams
Florence Bible School
Italy