I love homemade food. Anytime I get invited to someone’s house for dinner or a church event, I get so excited. It is a chance to be a part of a group but it’s also homemade food.
Maybe they’ll share a family recipe, tell us a special story, or maybe it’s just an opportunity to experience a different family culture. But it’s a chance to connect with other human beings.
We are talking about community today. Why do we need to be a part of a community?
Hebrews 10:25 says “…not neglecting to meet together. As the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
The Bible tells us that people can get into the bad habit of not meeting together. God is telling us that we need to meet together so that we can encourage each other because life is getting tougher and tougher. In a post COVID world, being a part of a community has changed a lot. So many things are available online: work, shopping, social platforms, communication tools and more. It’s easy just to stay at home and live your life. But the research tells us it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. There are impacts to our mental health when we isolate. Don’t get me wrong. I will be the first in line to work remotely at home and I love doing all my shopping online, but… the online world is not a substitution for real connection.
Going to church on Sunday is just the tip of the iceberg. Developing deeper relationships with people that are like-minded and having a common purpose of loving well, can be one of the most powerful human experiences there is.
People can come and go in a work situation and we are only at school for a short period of time in our life. The church can produce lifelong friendships. I see these people every week and it creates a network of people that we know that they all love. Jesus.
How do you go about building a Christian community? The first thing is to go to church. This means physically going to a church building full of people and not online and not just on the holidays but on a very frequent basis. Go weekly or a few times a month or whatever it takes and whatever you can do. By going to church you are not only learning and God but you’re connecting with people that share the same values as you. It’s incredibly powerful.
You can join a small group. I mentioned that a lot but it’s so true. Small groups create a safe place for you to have discussions and ask questions. They facilitate growing as a human and they create a life support system. These are a group of people that you’ve gotten to know over a period of time, and they’ve gotten to know you. So when life happens, and maybe not in a good way, this is a group of people that you can go to for support. Maybe great things are happening… these are the people that can cheer you on, pray for you and encourage you. Small groups are great and I encourage everyone to be a part of one.
You can also serve Sunday morning, Saturday night or with a specific ministry and enjoy chances to meet people while serving others. Serving allows you to meet people that you share common goals with and spend time working together. This type of collaboration helps build relationships over time.
You can attend church events in your area. Not only does it support the event itself, but it gives you the chance to see people that you might not see at church. You can also invite people at church to participate and they can bring friends or family members and you can share event moments with them.
Look for all kinds of events that happen at churches all over the city. What a great time to go and enjoy the message of Jesus in a different way. Maybe you can learn something or see something that you would not see on a typical Sunday. These are places you can go to meet other Christians and support entertainment, shows, concerts or learning sessions that edify Jesus and encourage connection.
Another thing you can do is to go to lunch after church on Sunday. Take time to meet people and get to know them or invite people over to your house. You get to prepare your favorite meal, share your culture and share your special recipes with them which can build connections. Hosting a small gathering at your home can be a quieter setting where people can have real conversations and really get to know each other and build genuine relationships.
Don’t exclude people that are not believers from being a part of your community. Don’t prevent yourself from being a part of their community either. Your coworkers, neighbors and even some of your family members need you. God put you in their life. so you can show them His love. They may never step foot in a church, but they know you. They may not understand why you’re so kind or generous but they may see that you’re different. And over time you may have an opportunity as you build a relationship to tell them why you’re different. To tell them about Jesus.
Being in community is such an important step in your Christian journey. It will be such a strong and an encouraging step to help you grow in ways that only God can grow you. What do you need to do to connect with others in your church?
