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Biblical Community. CS 654 Spiritual Formation in Congregations Weekend #2. Community – What is it?. Being together in Christ Sharing a common life in Jesus
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Biblical Community CS 654 Spiritual Formation in Congregations Weekend #2
Community – What is it? • Being together in Christ • Sharing a common life in Jesus • Having a mutual interest in each other’s maturity, i.e., the ministry of reciprocity (as the community contributes to my growth, I contribute to its growth corporately and to the growth of individual members of the community) • Journeying together toward Christ • Reaching a sacred place of vulnerability and authenticity
Biblical Community • Christian community is the body of Christ expressing the life and message of Christ to build up one another and redeem the world for God’s glory. • Read from Donahue. • What is your definition? • It is important to know your definition of biblical community in order to develop a training program for small group leaders.
Small Group Firestarter #1 • Divide into 2 groups of 3. • Consider the following questions together: • Where did you live between ages 7 and 12? • How was your home heated then? • Who was the center of human warmth in your family? • When, if ever, did God become more than a mere word to you?
Small Group Firestarter #2 • Each individual should select one of the “one anothers” from Gorman 40-41 • Go to the library and do some research on the accompanying reference, noting insights (15 minutes) • Meet with assigned small group and share insights discovered (10 minutes) • Draw conclusions together regarding how the “one anothers” reveal biblical community that could be practiced in our culture today (10 minutes)
Small Group Firestarter #3 • Taking into account all we’ve discussed tonight, how could the intentional development of biblical community be counter-cultural? • Brainstorm the potential impact of counter-cultural community within the context of your church, your family, and perhaps beyond. • Prepare to report your findings to the class.
Community in the Congregation • How do people commonly view the church? • Centered in a building • Represented by a pastor, priest, or minister • Made up of people who share a common faith • The role of leadership: • Look carefully at the patterns and practices of church life • Unexamined presuppositions or assumptions can hide the roots of conflict and confusion even as the church experiences renewal and growth – Roberta Hestenes
Two perspectives for church life • Institutional • Looks at the formal power and organizational structure of the church • Issues of power and authority emerge • Considers the governing board, the pastor and staff, the committee structure, and the people who are active in the programs • Key questions are: • Can we get them involved in helping the program? • Are enough people coming to the program?
Two perspectives for church life • Relational • Looks at the relationships and interpersonal connections in the church • Considers the networks within the congregation • Issues concern regarding whether a sense of belonging exists • Focuses on the groups of people in the congregation—those who meet within the church building and those who meet elsewhere • Committees become one form of congregational relational groups
The major difficulty • The major difficulty occurs when a new leader with relational, community-building eyes unwisely develops relational programs and emphases to the neglect of people who are more programmatically or institutionally oriented • Doing this risks ending up with two congregations with contradictory goals • The challenge is to work with both types—to draw relational people into mission and institutional people into situations where they are cared for—to work toward community • --Roberta Hestenes
Transformed committees • Can be a meeting place for both relationally and programmatically oriented church people when committees know how to function as communities • Even committees can be structured and operated in a way that remembers one of the central commands of Jesus—to love one another
Things to consider • Discerning spirituality • Spiritually gifted for the task • Clear job descriptions • Sense of calling • Description of available training • Annual retreats • Sharing reflection questions and stories
Talk community • Avoid giving singular meanings to plural passages in the Scriptures • Include sermon illustrations that reflect the communal life of the church • Consider letting people in to the deeper parts of our lives because community demands it • Understand the church as a system • Encourage spiritual formation through Bible study
Firestarter #4 • Sketch your “Journey of Transformation” on a sheet of paper. • Where did a person or persons play a major part in your formation? • How did this occur? • Why are people today so lonely? • Do you think people really want community? Do you?
The answer is not pseudocommunity! • Story-rap (198) • What are the characteristics of pseudocommunity? • Have you experienced any aspects of pseudocommunity? • How does true community compare? • How do you see true community among the 12 disciples? • What would God have you do to develop “realness” in your community experience?
