Community

community is not about us; it is about God. Community is an instrument of worship, a weapon against sin, and a tool for evangelism—all for the exaltation of Jesus.

One of the keys to developing opportunity-based community is shepherding your group to be self-organizing. One mistake that leaders often make is that they feel obligated to attend or plan every event. Not only will this fry a leader, but it also makes it difficult for members of the group to develop any sense of ownership. A leader may have to get

“The world will not recover from the community of God’s people living lives to glorify Jesus.”

With that said, when we only exist in the fellowship space, we have a problem. When we do this we form what Driscoll calls “holy ghettos.” No one but the most religious would dare to venture into such spaces. People will take the long way to avoid that block.

Lifeless community begins when we don’t have a clear understanding of why we are in community in the first place. Yet, when we try to rejuvenate small groups, we generally ask how we can get more people in them, rather than addressing the question of why they exist. It is no surprise that we have a hard time attracting people to such a ministry.

A common mistake in the church today, as we put more emphasis on contextualization and mission, is to neglect the fellowship aspects of community.

As Baxter points out, there are some common sins that keep us from living missional lives. As a pastor over community groups, the three I see that cripple the mission the most are apathy, indifference, and fear of man.

In the end we may be able to sustain a pulse, but it is hard to call it life. It is artificial and plastic. People gather in small groups for discussions, but lives are not transformed by the gospel. Real life begets more life. It changes lives and transforms cities. I want us to have that kind of life. That is the life that is promised through Chr

To be a missiologist is to be observant, having your eyes open to the values of people in your city and particularly in your neighborhood. It is about discovering where people find their identity, what wakes them up in the morning, where they spend their time, and where they hope to experience community.