The Whole Body Fit Together
As the bus rolled out of the church parking lot on a crisp January morning in 1998, quiet conversations mingled with the hum of the engine. Thirty-one pastors from twenty churches across ten denominations had stepped onto that bus, unsure of what to expect. Some carried the weight of ministry challenges, while others were skeptical that this gathering would be meaningful. Among them was Ray Williams, wondering what the next four days would hold.
Ray’s journey to this moment began two years earlier. His church’s ministry was fruitful, but he longed for something greater—a citywide movement of churches working together. The fragmented efforts of churches to bring about real change weighed on him. At the same time, a close family member’s health struggles brought him to his knees in prayer. Seeking God’s intervention, Ray committed to forty days of prayer and fasting. On April 2, 1996, while reading the book of Nehemiah, the Spirit gave Ray a clear call: to unite Arkansas pastors in prayer. From there, Ray started meeting pastors, culminating in the first Arkansas Prayer Summit.
The four days exceeded all expectations. Worship and prayer broke down barriers, and God’s presence became tangible. His holiness brought some to tears and others to their knees. Pastors confessed sins, shared struggles, and formed bonds that turned strangers into brothers. By the end, they were no longer the same men who had boarded the bus. Brokenness and humility in prayer united them, planting the seeds for what would grow into CityChurch Network of Arkansas, a relational network of churches working together for the good of our cities.
God Dwells Among Us
Advent is a season for remembering Jesus Christ’s first coming. The Son of God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He was and is Immanuel (“God with us”). Today, the Spirit of God dwells in His people, the Church. Just as Jesus came into a world marked by violence, injustice, suffering, and death, the Church is called out into a world longing for redemption, healing, hope, and the transformative power of God’s love.
How does God change the world? Through His Church. And a united and thriving Church is the greatest hope for the world and our cities.
The Body of Christ: A Foundation for Unity
If you’ve read one of our church profiles, you know we end every profile with Ephesians 4:15-16.
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
In this passage, Paul expands on the body metaphor he used earlier to illustrate the Church’s maturity, emphasizing that every member has a crucial role in its growth. Love is central to this maturity and to true Christian ministry.
Several key principles emerge from Ephesians 4:15-16:
- Speaking the Truth in Love: The Church matures when truth is shared with love, strengthening faith and building relationships that reflect Christ’s character.
- Growth Toward Christ: Christ, as the head, provides direction and unity, calling His Church to grow together into His likeness.
- Unique Contributions in Unity: Each believer brings unique gifts to the Church, working together like parts of a body to strengthen and sustain the whole.
- The Centrality of Love: Love is the heartbeat of true unity and ministry, uniting believers in a shared mission to reflect God’s grace to the world.
- Equipped Leaders: Faithful leaders equip believers to grow in Christlikeness, stand firm against false teachings, and nurture unity and spiritual stability within the Church.
When each part of the body works properly, the Church thrives in unity and purpose, as seen in Ephesians 4:25–32 and echoed in Christ’s teachings in Matthew 25:31–43 and 26:6–13. Paul’s metaphor works well for one church, but what about the—capital C—Church? If we look at the Church from this perspective, we see that every church in a city is called to contribute to their gifts to build up the Body of Christ.
The issues that plague our communities—high divorce rates, children falling behind in school, fatherless homes, generational poverty, rates of depression and loneliness at epidemic levels—are too big for any one church to overcome. But they aren’t too big for all of us. Together, we are better.
How God Changes the World
God’s transforms the world through His Body, the Church. When all the parts work together properly, our churches become Christ’s presence in our communities. When God’s people unite in prayer, equip believers in the essentials of the faith, and build flourishing families, God’s kingdom advances in tangible and lasting ways.
CityChurch Network unites churches around three transformational initiatives:
- Extraordinary Prayer
- Equipped Leaders
- Flourishing Families
Let’s look at these initiatives and how churches in our communities are helping the whole Church grow.
Extraordinary Prayer
Prayer has always been central to Little Rock Church. Elder Gerald Driskill explains, “It’s core to our house churches, main assemblies, and CityChurch Network’s citywide prayer initiative.” Reflecting on his first prayer summit, he shares, “I realized if I can’t escape to pray with others for a few days, then I am busier than Jesus.” That experience transformed his view of prayer, renewing his hope for unity, the Good News to impact the city, and leaders to collaborate. Today, the church uses a “team-of-teams” model, including a prayer team that, as Gerald notes, “covers our church and beyond in daily prayer” as part of Arkansas Prays.
Read more: Little Rock Church: A Heart for the City
Equipped Leaders
Lauren Linz, who leads the Equipped Leaders initiative for CityChurch Network, recalled the impact of the Kingdom Cooperation commissioning event in February. “These churches saw the need to train their people in the essentials of the faith and offer something more than just another class. They wanted their training to equip them to live on mission as disciple-makers in everyday life,” Lauren wrote. Adam Miller of Geyer Springs First Baptist had this to say about the cooperation: “In a culture where divisiveness is rampant, it was incredibly awe-inspiring to witness churches who don’t look anything alike join together in discipling, equipping, and commissioning together. This is so rare, but I pray we see more of it.”
Read more: Cooperating for God’s Kingdom
Flourishing Families
Second Baptist Church in Little Rock has been a pillar in the John Barrow neighborhood since 1957. With the motto “Let’s do this together,” the church supports its community through a food pantry, substance abuse recovery, and impactful church/school partnerships. Through these partnerships, Second Baptist doesn’t just meet needs—they change lives. Volunteers mentor students and support teachers and school staff. Recently, they collected 1,200 pairs of shoes for students through a shoe drive. Pastor Ricky Calhoun captures the heart of their mission: “We’re here for you, and we’re going to walk through this together. At the end of the day, our goal is to connect you to Christ.”
Read more: Second Baptist Church: Let’s Do This Together
The Transformative Power of God’s Presence
The unity and transformation that began at the first Prayer Summit in 1998 continue to bear fruit today. What happened during those four days wasn’t just for the pastors on that bus—it was the beginning of something greater, a movement of churches working together to embody God’s love in our cities. The brokenness and humility that united those pastors reflect the heart of the Church, a relational network called to bring God’s presence into a broken world.
As we celebrate Advent, we are reminded of Immanuel—“God with us.” Just as Christ entered a world of suffering and need, the Church is called to be His hands and feet, carrying His presence into communities longing for redemption and healing. Through prayer, leadership, and service, the Church makes Christ’s love visible, showing the world what it means to be “God with us.”
This is how God changes the world: through a united and thriving Church. The challenges our cities face—division, loneliness, and generational poverty—are too big for one church to overcome, but they aren’t too big for all of us. When we come together as the Body of Christ, we reflect His love, bringing hope and transformation to every corner of society. Let’s recommit to working together for the good of our cities and the glory of His name. Together, we are better.
