TEC is, in fact, a spiritual family. Maybe it needs no explanation, or maybe that language is annoying even if it has a good explanation. But a church is more than a team and Christians are more than co-workers. God is our Father, we are His sons and daughters by faith, making us brothers and sisters.
That said, there’s no non-biological use of the word “family” in any New Testament verse to describe the church. It’s an implication of the relationships described above, but again, not explicitly named as such. Maybe the closest is “brotherhood” in 1 Peter 5:9, referring to a group of fellow-believers (and in that verse the brotherhood throughout the world), a Christian community. There’s also a couple references to “the household of God,” a designation of shared believing not bloodlines.
All that to say, we schedule two all-church “family meetings” a year. More than anything, we started calling them that because it’s more fun than “business meeting.”
One of our elders reminds us that our budget is one expression of our loves. So our family meetings include talk about budget business, income and expenses, past and anticipated. There are a variety of needs in our family, and usually one of the deacons gives a report on how the deacons have been able to serve the body. ECS is a big part of our mission in Marysville, and we often include a report of what’s happening on the generational education front. There’s always opportunity to ask questions, to give suggestions, and especially to give thanks to God for the great blessings we keep counting.
It’s not a “closed” meeting for official members only. If you care about this local gathering of brothers then you are invited.