Letters to the Church by Francis Chan
Week 3: Chapter 2 — "Family"
Read Chapter 2 of Letters to the Church. Primary passages: Romans 12:10; Galatians 6:10; 1 John 3:16–18; Acts 2:44–45.
Previewing Week 3 of Letters to the Church
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
Chan argues that the Church was designed to function as a true family — not a social club or a weekly event, but a community of people who genuinely bear one another's burdens and share one another's lives. These questions invite you to measure that vision against your own experience.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Chan draws a sharp contrast between the church as a "gathering of acquaintances" and the church as a true family. What are the practical differences between those two kinds of community? Which more accurately describes what you have experienced?
2.He points to the early church's radical sharing of possessions (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–35) as evidence that they experienced a family-level bond. Why do you think modern Western churches are so reluctant to go to that level of economic sharing? Is that reluctance a cultural problem, a theological misunderstanding, or something else?
3.Chan challenges the idea that Sunday morning attendance is sufficient for "doing church." What does he argue is missing when community is limited to a weekly gathering?
a.What does it actually take to know and be known at a family level?
b.What rhythms or habits would need to change in your own life to move toward that depth of community?