By: Rick Lowry
I believe that God created everyone one of us with something I like to call a “Community Gene.”
If you think about it, all of us are in community, in groups, every day: your staff team at work, the non-profit board you serve on, the Thursday night Bunko ladies, the guys you watch the Bengals with – all of those are small groups, satisfying, in some way, the need for community that God crafted within us.
But beyond the normal human need for community, the Bible emphasizes that Christian community is a special place to grow and thrive. A meaningful relationship with Christ does not happen by only attending worship on Sunday. For example, Acts 2:46 describes community among the first Christians. First, it says, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.” That is, they gathered in a big group, like we do on Sundays.
But notice what else they did: “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” The small group. The intimate setting. The small group is the place where deep, meaningful, caregiving relationships have always developed among Christians.
The group setting was utilized by Jesus Himself. His main emphasis was the community he built with twelve other guys. He invited them to join Him in a three-year, life-transforming, ministry-learning journey – a small group. And the result of that group was twelve men who changed the world forever. You and I are Christians today because of the work Jesus’ disciples went on to do after He left.
The Scriptures are clear that following Jesus means following Him into community. And so, taking Jesus’ example, we think of gathering in groups, with other Christians, as part of the normal Christian life.
Groups are the place where we answer the questions: “Who’s going to be there for me? Who’s going to be there for me when the phone call comes about the family tragedy? When the job layoff happens? When I’m dealing with a wayward teenager? When my health takes a serious turn?”
This is what the Body of Christ is all about. Not professionals being called during life’s tough moments, but being able to rely on the people who are close to me, who know and love me, and that I can count on to be there for me in a meaningful way.
A word of personal testimony about this Bible truth: I’ve had a rich, decades-long journey with community in groups. And it’s made all the difference in my personal life, in my relationship with other Christians, and in my relationship with Christ. I encourage you to think about your next steps in your journey with groups, and experiencing true Christian community!
