Tag: Community (Page 2 of 10)

Walking Together Toward Community: Challenge

March 6, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Challenge

Challenge One Another to Walk as Christ.

Gospel-Centered Community (GCC): a body of committed believers, connected by a shared purpose and vision to see Jesus glorified, and who challenge each other into deeper relationships with Jesus and one another.

Gospel-Centered Missional Community (GCMC): the practical outworking of GCC. Focuses on cultivating disciples who make connected disciples.

I have named the process for growing into community The Walk, and it looks like this:

The Walk

This second of three posts will discuss the committed actions, and their associated elements, for developing community. So what does challenge mean in this context? It is foremost, a committed action

The committed action of Challenge may be read as:

We challenge each other to seek God, unity, and good-will; and to submit to the Word, one another, and the body so that we may walk as Jesus walked.

Challenging Each Other to walk as Jesus Walked

People say they appreciate when someone challenges them, but if we are honest, we prefer for others not to challenge us. At our very core, we refuse challenge and view it as either rejection or a sign of contempt. In fact, if you read quotes about challenge, many of them speak to “overcoming challenge” and “victory in spite of challenge.” Challenge is often interpreted as a hurdle we need to overcome.

That is not the role of challenge within GCC. In fact, it is out of love for other members of our community that we challenge them. Challenge is practiced within the context of community, to “invite each other to take part in” growing more deeply into Jesus. Specifically, it is the call of Hebrews 10:24-25 to “stir up one another to love and good works” and “encourage one another” so that we may walk as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). By challenging each other through “teaching and admonishing in all wisdom” (Col 3:16) we spur one another on toward Christ. And what is it the practice we hope to inspire? The practice of seeking and submitting to our Savior.

It is out of love for other members of our community that we challenge them.
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To seek God, unity, and good-will

God

Finding God ought to be simple for most Christians to understand, even if they do not do it consistently. When we seek to know God, we are better able to see Christ clearly. When we see Christ clearly, we allow His light to shine on the areas of our life where we fall short of His glory. In knowing those areas, we can present them to God, in repentance, for righteousness sake. A community of people who love you, will challenge you to seek God, both individually and corporately continually. As a community, we must commit to challenging each other to seek God with our whole heart.

Unity

Unity is grander than agreement on all issues. Instead it leads to a community joined in heart and mind for the sake of Truth, Christ, and love for one another. Ultimately, unity manifests the agreement to participate as citizens of the same Kingdom, under the Lordship of Christ. As a community, we must commit to encouraging each other to seek unity among ourselves.

Unity manifests the agreement to participate as citizens of the same Kingdom.
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Good-will

Seeking good-will has to do with those outside of your Christian community. This includes not only your brothers and sisters in Christ but everyone you interact with on a daily basis. We are good stewards of the God-given grace we experience when we extend it to those outside our gathering. We must seek to build and maintain a reputation that causes others to “recognize that [we] have been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). As a community, we commit to challenging each other to seek the good-will of those around us.

We are good stewards of the God-given grace we experience when we extend it to those outside our gathering.
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Submit to the Word, One Another, and the Body

The Word

When we speak of submission in the biblical sense, we are not talking about forced subservience. Instead, biblical submission is the willingness to yield to another’s will or authority, especially Jesus’. In the opening sentences of his gospel account, The Apostle John identifies Jesus as The Word (John 1:1-5.) In this context, Christian community carries forward that revelation by submission to Jesus as the spoken Word of God. Therefore, a community seeking to walk like Christ challenges one another to submit to the entire counsel of God found in the Bible.

One Another

Christians commonly refer to this type of submission as “accountability.” Unfortunately, accountability is only as useful as you are honest with each other. Too often, shame, guilt, or pride, coupled with the lack of authentic Christian community, prevents real accountability. In GCC, members commit to challenging each other to be in individual submission to one another. This does not mean that you submit individually to all 30 members of the community. What it does mean is you commit yourself in mutual submission to a few chosen people. Once you intentionally invest in relationships with the purpose of all members giving and yielding to the wisdom of Christ, submission will mature.

The Body

Submission to the body is yielding to the movement of the Holy Spirit in the context of community. It centers on mutual trust that your fellow Saints are seeking God and His wisdom. It has to do with taking issues and concerns to God in a corporate and communal setting and then trusting the collective wisdom. And why do we practice submitting to one another? “Out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21).

How is this Biblical?

Acts 2:42-47 provides us with a clear picture of the early church challenging each other through seeking and submission. This passage tells us how the members “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship.” In this single verse, we see a community making a commitment to seek both God and unity among themselves. They did this by submission to teaching, attending temple together, and eating in each others’ homes (verse 46).

Verse 44 shows additional evidence of their commitment to unity and submission. It tells us the believers were together and had all things in common, indicating their willingness to maintain one heart and mind in one Spirit. Submission was a key ingredient in their community. But not necessarily submission to the apostle’s authority, but rather to the word of God spoken over them.

Lastly, in verse 47, we see their willingness to seek the good-will of those around them. Many biblical commenters agree that “having favor with all the people” means the believers garnered the respect of all individuals, even the unbeliever. This respect was gained through their piety as followers of Christ and their unrestrained generosity and charity. In fact, charity was not confined solely to their community; but was all-embracing and extensive. Verse 45 says, “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” We understand this generosity not being restricted to only believers, as the verse indicated “as any had need.”

Challenging each other, as a community, to seek and submit will always result in walking as Jesus walked. The Word of God has provided us with a clear understanding and attitude on how to engage, love, and submit to our brothers and sisters. Day by day, what may first feel like an exercise, will grow into a habit, and ultimately reward us with a practice of embracing challenge for the sake of the Kingdom and relationship with our Savior.

Challenging each other, as a community, to seek and submit will always result in walking as Jesus walked.
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Walking Together Toward Community: Connection

February 27, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Connection

Connection to other believers.

Gospel-Centered Community (GCC): a body of committed believers, connected by a shared purpose and vision to see Jesus glorified, and who challenge each other into deeper relationship with Jesus and one another.

Gospel-Centered Missional Community (GCMC): the practical outworking of GCC, focused on cultivating disciples who make connected disciples.

I call the process for growing into community The Walk and it looks like this:

The Walk

This is the first of three posts to discuss committed actions, and their associated elements, for developing community.

In this post we will flesh out the action of Connection. The committed action of Connection can be read as:

We will connect ourselves to each other by gathering around a shared heart, purpose, and vision.

Connecting Ourselves to Each Other…

At its most basic “to connect” simply means to join or unite. In this context it does mean that, but it also carries a much deeper opportunity. Christians who intentionally commit to being connected to one another bind themselves together as one body under the headship of Jesus. They are communicating to each other, and others, their desire for unity with that group of people. This is less about a signed “covenant” or membership application and more about allowing the Holy Spirit to draw and bind their hearts to one another. In the drawing and binding of connection the practice of loving each other (John 13:34) is learned and applied. And, in obeying Jesus’ new command, a community is bound more tightly together.

In the drawing and binding of connection the practice of loving each other is learned and applied.
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Gathered before Scattered

Connection in the context of GCC is grander than simple association. We have connections to others in many aspects of our lives. We connect with people at work, other parents in our children’s class, and the barista at our favorite coffee joint. While these are important relational connections, and a topic for the post on Cultivation, they do not provide the same intimacy or authenticity as Christian community. For it to be authentic Christian community, our connection to other believers must be focused on unity in Christ. And because it is Christ who gathers us, it is important to know what we value as a community. Those things that we chose to gather around, are the elements that uphold our commitment to intentionally connect with a specific body.

For it to be authentic Christian community, our connection to other believers must be focused on unity in Christ.
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We commit to gathering around:

A Shared Heart

This is the core of what draws you together as a community. Identifying the nature of your community, and why you gather, will help anchor you to Christ and each other.

A Shared Purpose

This is about your mission. Why do you exist as a community? Of course the foundation for your existence as a community is Jesus, but why else? It is important to define how Jesus’ mission translates, in a practical sense, to your community.

A Shared Vision

This is about where you are going as a community. When developing vision ask questions like: What does growth look like? How will you multiply? What would a corporate gathering be like?

These elements will not only help a community uphold their commitment to each other, but will also move them forward into the commitment of challenging each other.

How is this Biblical

As mentioned in the last post, the primary passage of scripture for this process is Acts 2:42-47. This entire passage is replete with the followers of Jesus committing to remain connected to each other. The passage begins with verse 42 declaring, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship” (emphasis added). This passage reveals their commitment to continual communion with one another. Their communion was grander than what is common to our current culture. For them, communion was deeply intimate and reveals their affection, need for and enjoyment of each other.

But verse 42 is not the only indication of this. Verse 44 says, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common” (emphasis mine). This is an important verse and is how God lead me to these elements a community can gather around. The saints chose to gather and maintain a collective heart and mind. This is the unity that multiple New Testament verses mention (1 Cor 1:10, Eph 4:13, John 17:23). They gathered around a shared heart for Jesus and each other. They had a shared purpose for building the body up and equipping each other to do the work of the ministry. And, they shared a vision to see Jesus glorified and others brought into the Kingdom.

Verse 46 tells us, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts” (emphasis added). The Saints gathered to worship and eat together daily. It was not a Sunday and Wednesday type of gathering. Their gathering was not from a sense of duty. Instead, it was out of their affection for one another that they would gather.

Much Together

When a group of believers commit to each other, they are much together.
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Three out of those five verses repeat the point that the saints were together, constantly, day by day, eating and worshiping together. They made a commitment to remain connected and gathered in complete unity. And, their focus was not simply to be around like-minded people. Their connection was more than mere proximity. Their connection was about communal transformation in Christ. This connection also drove them toward challenging each other. In his commentary, Matthew describes the importance and benefit of their unity by saying, “they were much together.”

When a group of believers commit to each other, they are much together. And there is much for Jesus to manifest Himself.

photo: Elly van Laar

Gospel Centered Missional Community: The Walk

February 20, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Walk

Last week I wrote a post defining Gospel-Centered Missional Community (GCMC). If you have not read it, do that now. Understanding how we define GCMC, and its intent, is crucial to understanding this and the next three posts.

In a nutshell, GCC (Gospel-Centered Community) is a body of committed believers, connected by a shared purpose and vision, to see Jesus glorified. They challenge each other into deeper relationships with Jesus and one another. GCMC is the functional output of GCC and focused on cultivating relationships with others, to make disciples who make disciples.

Preparing to Go

It is one thing to define Christian community and its purpose on paper. It is an entirely different experience to work toward living in that community. This is a good moment to clarify a few things. First, the entire process centers around Jesus. Living in community with other Christians is about pursuing, praising, and making much of Jesus. If there is any underlying motive, the gathering becomes about you and is not authentic Gospel-Centered Community.

Second, this type of community is hard. Really hard. It requires your whole life, rather than the ease of attending a 90 minute Sunday worship service. Real community is messy and forces you to abandon your plans. You have no choice, but to go to Christ every day, for the sake of the community. It requires that you study the word of God and flesh it out as a body. And because it is hard, it takes time. Lots of time. Authentic community is nothing less than a lifetime pursuit. It will likely be the most amazing experience you will ever encounter. Once I encountered this way of community, it ruined me in the most wonderful way. The Bible clearly shows how GCC is the best way to pursue Jesus and live the abundant life He promised.

The Path I Took

So, how did God bring me to this point? From 2009 to 2011 I was able to experience authentic Christian community lived out on a small scale. During this time, God continuously brought me back to Acts 2:42-47. This passage of scripture provides the clearest picture of community focused on the person of Jesus. From that experience, God ignited a passion in me to live my life, toward Christ, with other committed Christians. And not just on Sunday, but every day. After a significant amount of thought, conversation, prayer, and study; I designed a visual for this journey, and I have titled it The Walk.The Walk

The Walk is a set of practices, for the purpose of guiding the formation of community. The intent of the process is that it is flexible enough to be implemented under numerous strategies. The process begins with three fundamental principles which guide the entire process. Those principles are Connection, Challenge, and Cultivation.

Committed Actions in Community

Within community there are committed actions that hold up each guiding principle and continually move the group toward GCMC. These committed actions are exactly what they sound like: actions that each member of the community commits to in order to see Christ exalted and the gathering flourish under His headship. There are four committed actions: Gather, Seek, Submit and Sacrifice. Each of these actions are defined by specific elements. For example, in order to fulfill connection within the community, we gathering around a shared heart for following Jesus; a shared purpose of loving each other, God and neighbors; and a shared vision to see God’s kingdom come to earth. These three elements define what it means to gather as a means of connection, and advance the community toward challenge. The committed actions and their associated elements are:

  • We will connect ourselves to other believers by gathering around a shared heart, purpose, and vision.
  • We challenge each other to seek God; to practice unity and good-will; and to submit to the Word, one another and the body so that we may walk as Jesus walked.
  • We will cultivate disciples who make connected disciples by sacrificing our time, resources, and self.

Moving the Process Along

The remainder of the process, specifically the arrows, are present as reminders. The green arrows remind us to keep moving toward a missional mindset. The dashed, blue arrows remind us to never leave the previous action behind. Specifically, while we seek together, the arrows prompt us to still focus on intentionally gathering; or as we submit to one another, to still seek together, and so on. The red arrow is likely the most important; it is our mission arrow. It testifies to our purpose, that is, as we follow Jesus we are to be His witness to the world and make disciples. Cultivation always promotes connection; between the body and between others and Jesus.

Why this Process?

Because every community is different, the flexibility of this process allows communities to define each element in their context and develop their own strategies. However, there is one aspect that needs to remain predefined. The yellow arrow, labeled “Gospel-Centered Community,” illustrates the possibility of a community culminating the building process with the principle of Challenge. If that occurs, the community may grow together, but never realize the fullness of community Jesus desires for them. We often see this inside of institutional church settings when they promote a “small group” ministry to encourage community. In doing so their members gather weekly, outside of Sunday, and are able to connect with other believers. Often these groups are able to mature toward  challenging each other to seek God, unity, and goodwill. Some groups may progress to practice the act of submission. All of this is good and constitutes a form of community that focuses on the saving and sanctifying message of the Gospel.

However, that is not the entire Gospel. For us to experience the fullness of Christ, we must acknowledge the missional aspect of His Gospel. Sadly, many small groups only ever achieve the “self-focused” version of community. But, a community which allows the Holy Spirit to move them into a place of sacrificial giving, for the purpose of growing disciple-makers, will move from understanding into living out the mission of the community.

The Commitment

In the simplest terms, the process of walking in community is a commitment to three things:

  1. Connecting to other believers
  2. Challenging one another to walk as Christ
  3. Cultivating disciples who make disciples

As we commit ourselves to Jesus’ command to love one another, we will grow to understand what it means to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. As we grow, He will equip us to love our neighbor and carry out His commission to make disciples of all nations.

The next three posts will address each of the guiding principles and their associated committed actions.

photo: Windsor Go
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