The Urban Shepherd, a “Church Without Walls”

Written By Brett Dawson

NOTES… ROUGH DRAFT…

While the specific phrase "Church Without Walls" does not appear verbatim in the Bible, the concept is central to New Testament teaching.

Scripture consistently emphasizes that the "Church" is a living community of people—the Body of Christ—rather than a physical structure or a set of architectural boundaries.

  • Acts 17:24: Paul echoes this in Athens: "The God who made the world and everything in it... does not live in temples built by human hands."

  • Acts 7:48-49: "However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands..."

  • 1 Corinthians 3:16: "Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" Here, Paul defines the "temple" as the collection of believers.

  • Ephesians 2:14: "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility." * Galatians 3:28: This "wall-less" reality means there is no longer a spiritual hierarchy based on background: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

  • Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Jesus defines the minimum "church" as a gathering of people, not a location.


1. The Church as People, Not Buildings

The most direct scriptures supporting a "church without walls" clarify that God does not live in man-made structures.

2. Breaking Down "Walls" of Division

The Bible also uses the imagery of "walls" to describe social and ethnic barriers that Jesus destroyed to create a unified church.

3. The Church in Motion

The New Testament "Church" (the Greek word ekklesia, meaning "called-out assembly") was highly mobile and met in various locations, showing that walls were secondary to the mission.

  • The House Church: In the early church, believers met in homes (Romans 16:5, Philemon 1:2) or public spaces like the Temple courts and marketplaces (Acts 2:46).

Insight: When people today use the term "Church Without Walls," they usually mean a church that focuses on outreach (going outside the building to help the community) or inclusivity (removing barriers that keep people out).

Title: The Ekklesia Unbound: Being a Church Without Walls

1. The Core Scripture: Acts 17:24

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands."

The Discussion Point: If God doesn't live in a building, where does He live? (Answer: In us, the people). How does our behavior change if we view ourselves as the sanctuary instead of the church building?

2. The "Acts" Model: Three Places the Church Meets

In the early church, "church" happened in three distinct areas. You can use this to challenge your group to think about where they "do" church:

  • The Temple Courts (The Public Square): Engaging with the community, the marketplace, and public discourse.

  • The Home (The Private Circle): Deep, honest relationships and "breaking bread" together.

  • The Road (The Mission): Sharing the gospel while on the move, in the middle of daily life.

3. Strategic Application: "Walls" We Need to Tear Down

To be a church without walls, we have to identify the invisible barriers we've built. Use these discussion questions:

  • The Wall of Comfort: Do we only hang out with people who look and act like us? (Reference Galatians 3:28)

  • The Wall of the "Sacred/Secular" Divide: Do we think God is only present during worship songs, or is He at your office/school too?

  • The Wall of Inaccessibility: Is it easy for a "broken" person to feel at home in our circle?

4. Practical Action: The "Go" Challenge

Instead of saying "Come to our church," the New Testament model says "Go into the world."

Group Activity Ideas:

  1. Prayer Walk: Walk through a local neighborhood or park and pray for the families and businesses there.

  2. Service Project: Identify a "wall" in your community (poverty, loneliness, hunger) and decide on one practical way to address it this week.

  3. The "Third Space" Gathering: Meet for your next Bible study in a coffee shop or park instead of a home or church building.

5. Closing Prayer/Reflection

“Lord, help us to remember that the church has no roof but the sky and no walls but the reach of Your arms. Send us out to be Your hands and feet where people are hurting.”

Brett Dawson
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Judgment and Justice