beauty of community

This coming weekend begins a fresh, new season for The Community Fellowship as we work through what we are going to call “I LOVE COMMUNITY”.  Let me spend the next few days unpacking for us what I believe are some of the most important aspects of being a church.

Wait a minute.  I didn’t say the importance of OUR CHURCH.  Further, I didn’t say anything about a specific church.  This is about THE CHURCH.  I am talking about the people that Jesus died for.  That’s you and me who are part of the big “C” church.  The big “C” church is made up of everyone who is saved, whose sin is forgiven, a follower of Jesus and seeking Him.  Whether you have been a Christian a short time or a long time, go to church once a month or three times a week, you are part of the body of Christ and His church.

1 Peter 3:18  NLT

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time.  He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.  He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

The way you worship or the kind of church you attend is not what I am talking about.  Maybe you are used to much formality, responsive readings and order, or maybe you like less formality and lots of creativity.  As long as it is all about Jesus, the methods or the order are not the main thing.

Being community is important.  I sat around the table early this week with people from several different denominations with all different kinds of practices in their worship settings, yet we all agreed on a few important facts.  First we agreed that we believe that Jesus loves people and wants to bring people to Himself.  Second and last we agreed that we want to help hurting people, and there are many hurting people around us.

Literally the beauty of community is seen when we join together, push aside the things that often divide us and seek to make a difference right here.  Stop making excuses, and start doing what God has called you and His church to do.  It really is simple.  It really is about the fact that God loves people.

Proverbs 31:8  NLT

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.

Colossians 1:6  NLT

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world.  It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

I love community.  It is when Christians in our communities come together that God is honored and lives are changed.

One of our core values at The Community Fellowship is community.  It is not about building a church that is in the community.  It is about building the community around the church and asking God to open the lives of those who need Him as we serve and share His love with others.

The beauty of community is seen when we lose ourselves in the way we live out loud the love of God.  May our lives show the world and our communities that the church, the big “C” church, can work together and make a huge impact when we work together!