What is Christian Community? _____________________________
Letter from the Pastor 5/22/2025
INTRODUCTION
Community in the church is unique. There’s nothing else like it. Outside of the church people find community through nationality, shared political ideas, shared stage of life, work, or common interests and hobbies. But the unity and community of the church transcends all these categories.
Every Sunday morning we confess our belief in the “communion of the saints,” form the Apostles’ Creed. That phrase first began appearing in the Apostles’ Creed around the fifth century and refers to the union of all believers, in all times (past, present, and future), and in all places (on earth and in heaven). Just before his crucifixion, our Lord Jesus prayed, asking the Father to unite all believers: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:11b)
In other words, the community of the church is not found in our specific political affiliations, ethnic cultures, or our common interests. Jesus Christ is the center of Christian unity, and therefore he must be the center of community within the church.
COMMUNITY MISUNDERSTOOD AND MISAPPLIED
Many times, when churches sense a greater need for community in their membership, rather than thinking carefully about what unifies Christians, they simply try to mimic the way community is formed outside the church. Let’s use Spring Valley Church as a fictional example. Pastor Larry and the church staff realize that their members don’t have close connections to one another. The church sees one another on the Lord’s Day, but rarely during the week. They need to work on building relationships. How are they going to do it? At a creative meeting, the church staff begins making suggestions. “We could divide the church up according to stage of life. Let’s create a small group for young marrieds, another for those who are single again, and a parenting class for all the new parents.” Another staff member chimes in, “What if we started some affinity groups? We could have a group for those who like riding motorcycles, one for those who craft, and another for disc golf.” Lastly, someone suggests we group church members around specific causes. There could be ministry teams for feeding the hungry or helping an elementary school.
Now, is there anything necessarily wrong with the way Spring Valley plans to address the need of community? Not necessarily. There’s nothing wrong with offering the occasional class for new parents. There’s nothing wrong with several church members getting together for a regular round of golf or a motorcycle ride. So, I don’t want to sound as if I’m saying any of those are wrong. At the same time, building community in this manner does not require the church. The danger is that building community like this tends to place something other than Christ (such as stage of life or hobbies) as the true center of community, when in reality, it is Christ who unites us. If a church is not extremely careful, trying to build unity through shared hobbies or stages of life can quickly turn a pursuit of community into a cliquish mess. It can turn servants into consumers. In the coming months and years as we seek to develop greater community at our church, we must be on guard concerning the foundation of that community. What we win people with, is what we win them to.
COMMUNITY UNDERSTOOD
Consider this: in our church there are many relationships that simply would not exist if the gospel was not true. I have intimate friendships with people decades older than I am. Our stage of life has little in common, yet we are close to one another because of our common bond in Christ. Several of my friends at Lake Wylie Baptist do not share my hobbies, nor I theirs; nonetheless, we enjoy being with one another because of our unity in Christ and his church.
In The Compelling Community, Jamie Dunlop describes Christian community in two dimensions: breadth and depth. Breadth means that Christian community stretches across many lines and barriers that often separate people. The gospel unites Jews and Gentiles, male and female, slave and free, old and young. We see the breadth of Christian community every single Lord’s Day in the makeup of our congregation. Christ has brought together a diverse assortment of people into our church. Interestingly enough, while the surrounding culture yammers incessantly about diversity (yet never accomplishes it) our church is wildly diverse though we never make diversity a point. That’s because diversity isn’t the point: Christ is, and when you focus on the true gospel of Christ, natural diversity happens.
Dunlop says that the depth of Christian community reminds us that God does not bring us all together to merely tolerate one another. In Christ, God is forming a new humanity (Ephesians 2:15) whose unity will last into eternity. Consider the intense commitment required to live out various commands given to the church:
The church is to:
- Love one another in the same manner that Christ has loved us as individuals (John 13:34)
- Forgive one another without hesitation (Ephesians 4:32)
- Outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10)
- Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
- Teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)
- Confess sins to one another and pray for one another’s healing (James 5:16)
This supernatural depth of community makes the glory of the gospel visible to the world in our gatherings.
COMMUNITY APPLIED
How can we develop community breadth? First, we must preach the gospel, calling all to respond in faith. Jesus Christ is able and willing to save all who call upon his name, therefore no one is beyond the reach of the power of the gospel. Second, our church must never cater to the needs of specific groups. Years ago I heard someone (a Christian no less) say that there are churches for the down and out and other churches for the up and in. Nothing could be further from the truth, because there aren’t different kingdoms of Christ for the rich and the poor.
If our church will grow in healthy breadth, it’s because we call all to come to Christ in faith, and because our members actively engage all who attend. There are two great opportunities for growing in community breadth at our church. First, stick around after Lord’s Day worship for the Cookie Cart. Immediately following the service, we wheel in coffee and cookies so that members and guests are encouraged to stay and have conversations. If you are member, I expect you to grab a cookie! It’s ok if you have plans and need to leave early on occasion, but our routine at church should be to sacrifice a few minutes of our time to greet and get to know others. Second, this Summer we are organizing 2×4 groups (groups of 4 families who agree to meet two times this Summer for the purpose of getting to know one another). You can sign up for those groups this coming Sunday in the lobby at church!
How can we develop community depth? First, we all need simple and informal relationships. Depth need not begin with intimidating accountability groups. Get to know a few church members or attenders and schedule a lunch or coffee. Invite one another over to a neighborhood pool or to visit another church member who is homebound. Grab a book from the book stall and read it along with another church member, meeting at a coffee shop. Second, pray. You may not realize it, but our church is full of various needs both spiritual and material. One of the greatest ministries you could have is regularly praying through the membership list of our church. Use that list as a way to get to know others in the church, learn more about them, and encourage them spiritually through prayer. Third, commit to spiritual intentionality. Ask others how you can pray for them. When a church member shares a struggle, encourage them, not simply with your own words, but by sharing an encouragement from the Word of God. This will require boldness you may not believe you possess. Ask the Lord to help you. The church cannot be built by one or a few pastors. Pastors are given to equip the saints for the work of ministry. (Eph. 4:12)
So many of you have commented on my recent sermon on community as well as last week’s letter from the pastor. We all sense this need in our church, as well as the difficulties of developing community in our area. I’m thankful the Lord is growing and maturing our church and that these conversations are happening. May he continue to give us grace to grow broad and deep in community.