Living in Community

Just as God has designed a system for the development, protection, support and nourishment of a child, so God has also designed a system for the development of a follower of Jesus. That system is called a church family. The Christian life is designed by God to be done in community, therefore the many "one anothers" in the Bible. The term for "fellowship" (koinonia) also points to the importance of community life. We note that the early church spent much time in community (Acts 2:42 - "continually devoting themselves....). They also took care of each other as seen in Acts 2:44-46.

In order for us to continue to grow to be a church that impacts our community, we need to develop three areas of life together:

First, there is Congregation. This is the larger group and it is where we worship together and challenge each other to live out God's Word. We participate in this in the worship experience of the church - predominately on a Sunday morning. Yet, there are many opportunities to interact with people on a more personal basis by coming early or even staying a bit later. It is always great to see people hanging around and talking together - even if this means closing up the building a bit later.

Secondly, there is the Class. This is a group that gathers for the purpose of interactive Bible study together. This is experienced through the Sunday School classes or Adult Bible Fellowships, on Sunday morning.

Thirdly, there is the Cell. This is a small group of 10-18 people who gather for the purpose to bond to each other as deeper friendships are developed. These small groups can be ministry teams or other small gatherings for prayer, accountability, encouragement, etc. It is through these groups that often the "velcro" is provided within a church to help people "stick."

At Valley Grace, we are working toward providing more intentional small group opportunities this fall. Our target is to have these small groups ready to launch in September. More information will be coming on this.

Conclusion: In order for real community to take place, it is important that we show up so that we can have community. There are many things that call for our attention, especially during the summer months. Yet, for real, consistent community, we must commit to regular participation in the church family. This will mean saying "no" to many nice things because of the higher priority of "meeting with the family." Thanks to all of you who so faithfully work toward living the Christian life in community.