- Common - it must meet frequently and consistently. We can't build community by only meeting once a month. There's no time to build any kind of meaningful relationship. Yes, there are occasions when we a stranger and feel unusually connected to them, but that is rarity. Meeting together must be a common occurrence (as opposed to uncommon).
- Caring - the people in the community must take a caring interest in those amongst them. There must be openness, vulnerabilty, the ability to share our hurts and the ability to help in the healing process. There is also laughter and celebration. It's a bummer when there's something to celebrate in our life and no one to celebrate with. It's even worse when there is a struggle and no one to share with. A healthy community is a place where people can release everything to the care of the community.
- Contributive - this is something that a friend of mine who is a pastor in California shared with me last month. When their church was trying to figure out what they were to be about, they prayed and determined their place was to be "in the community for the community." They are a church that recently purchased (actually in the process of purchasing) a building in the middle of town. Being that they were now located "in the community" they needed a way to minister to the community. Greg (my friend) believed strongly that a strong community was built on the principle that everyone had something to contribute, and that community would not be built on merely giving away. With everyone contributing (revealing the value of each person), community was a constant giving and receiving where people's needs were met and people gave as able. There's something to be said about a community that values one's presence and they feel needed in some respect. We laugh about food being a common theme that unites a community, but there's something very powerful about the picture of a potluck where everyone contributes to make for a good time.
- Christ-centered - a strong, biblical community has Christ at its center. He is what unites us. He is the reason for our community in the first place. He is the One who enables us to truly contribute and care. He is why we do what we do. Therefore, everything we do must have as its purpose to glorify Christ through the inner and outer workings of the community.
What does this look like in this group of young careers?
I think first it has to meet often enough to build community, and even beyond a formal meeting, it needs to expand to natural relationships throughout the week. I would meet weekly as a formal meeting (but with casual atmosphere).
I think it must be a place where people can talk about life and faith. There is a tag line I am considering for our church's new website (being developed) that says: "where real faith meets real life". That should be what this time is about. Create an atmosphere of fun, relaxation, friends getting together that will enable "faith talkers" to come out. I have a video that our Home Group went through that expresses this very thing except it was done on an outreach level. Very, very compelling. I must find a time to show it to you.
In terms of contributing, we need a way for people to give back what God has given them. A variety of service projects that suit the giftings of the community is needed. There is perhaps nothing more bonding to a community than serving something outside of themselves. Contributions by everyone at the gathering is even better (hence, the potluck :))
And lastly, as Christ as its center, we must see this gathering as one rung on the ladder of spiritual growth. That is why it is so important that small groups continue. It is the place where one learns the truth of Christ. People experience the love of Christ in the community , but there is so much more to know about Christ than just a gathering of believers. The early church was devoted to the apostles' teaching because it was there they truly understood who Christ was.
Gifford, you have asked some difficult questions regarding who should this group be for. I think you start with who we have and let the community attract who it will. You don't need to worry about a 50 year old entering the group, because he/she's simply not going to relate. For the sake of promotion, just say we're a bunch of young careerers on a journey to know and experience the love of Christ.
The primary goal of this particular meeting is to develop community. That's it. How you do that needs to be determined, but frankly, that's the easy part. The hard part is actually reaching across to make it happen. I have some ideas to jumpstart that idea...
8 comments:
This is mainly for those in FISH ... but a place to start is to ask ourselves to what degree do we have a Christ centered community in FISH?
I obviously don't attend the group (not a young adult anymore!), and please don't take this wrong, but what would that mean for a new group that desires to be a Christ-centered group? What's really underneath your question? Tell us what you're thinking... :)
Well the conflicting part that I have in FISH now is that I help with SYTE which is on Fridays. Also Nate seems to be exhausted on Fridays when I do attend. So unless meeting during the middle of the week or Saturday could change things as well. But otherwise the term FISH, Fellowship in Singing and Harmony, seems not what it is now. More or less its a bible study. FISH was a time of potlucks, sharing testimonies, and going out to event or making events. This isn't to say that what it is now is bad. But that is the changed that occurred in FISH.
Ah - the untold history of FISH - very cool.
Mike - was it a coincidence that every point came out with starting the letter 'c'? ;)
On the "c"ontribution note... Mike I was thinking that a great part of a "c"ommunity would be one that "c"elebrated people's spiritual gifts. I'm of the mind that ministry is less about hours spent than spiritual gifts exercised. So a "c"ommuniy that encouraged people to practice their gifts, whether formally or not, would be a blessing.
The c's were intentional... maybe just the teacher in me. But you're 100% correct on the giftedness thoughts. A community is like the body with every part doing it's thing (sounds familiar, huh?). There are many, many ways for each person to express their gifts in the community. I'm wondering what everyone's gifts are. What do you seem particularly gifted with? Better yet, what have you observed others' gifts to be. Sometimes we're blind to our own gifts.
Hmmm...I'm not disagreeing with anything. I just thought that maybe there are some things that can be carried over from FISH into the young-career adult ministry. I don't think how we interact with each other in FISH will be really that different than this. Granted the environments will be different, the concept of community as you described it will be the same. Having a Christ-centered group will be the same for both. So instead of necessarily starting from scratch, maybe it's worth taking a look at where we are with FISH as a starting point.
Just throwing this out there as someone who's just catching up on this conversation now..
So hypothetically, if we became more Christ-centered, outreach-orientated, faith-talkers in our current ministries (at church, at FISH, in our other groups, activities, relationships in general), then we may not need to start a special group just for this purpose. Our current venues for fellowshipping with people would be sufficient because we were "making the most of every opportunity". Maybe more opportunities won't cause change, but a change of heart will?
Or then again, maybe there is a need for a formal getting-together at first. I'm partially speaking as a person who feels like her plate is getting full and as a person who struggles severly with not making the most of fellowship opportunities AKA passive, in my comfortable shell. So, take this however you will. :) Thanks for reading.
Oh, and Nate, to what degree do YOU think we have a Christ-centered community in FISH?
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