Experiencing Community

Everyone these days seems to have an idea on how to build community. While I certainly think there are ways to encourage and facilitate this, I am leaning more and more toward the view that community is not something you build so much as you experience.

We began to hold weekly services at Revolution Church in September of last year. At that time the several families that made up the core of the church were from all over the spectrum geographically speaking! Seriously, some of them had to stop for gas on the way in! My great fear was that this distance would hinder us from being able to build community among fellow believers.

What surprises me today is the community I felt so compelled to “build” is actually being “experienced” as a natural extension of the commonality we share as believers. Relationships are growing regardless of age, race, gender or socioeconomic factors.

One primary reason for this seems to be the ability to share the deeper and more private things that are going on in the course of life. Galatians 6:2 says we are to bear each others burdens. Today, we are able to do that as an entire church. As we grow, this function will necessarily become a function of smaller units (probably community groups) since it becomes impractical when the size of the church increases.

What we are experiencing at Revolution is a beautiful boiler plate for the future since we began as a small group.

Community has not been created. Community exists among believers. We just need to get out of the way and allow relationships room to grow.

I’d love to hear your thoughts…