MOVING ON (Last Part)

Achieving community is a far harder topic than I expected. I can’t even begin to understand or resolve the many issues that have come to mind. For example, two weeks ago in the small bible study I attend, the leader asked how the church can achieve the unity that is spoken of in Jn. 17. He and I argued that the only way to achieve it was to extend grace even when it was undeserved. We were not to judge but to love. This did not sit well with the traditionalist. He was mad. He felt that sinful behavior could not be ignored and must always be addressed (and honestly there is a lot of biblical support for his position). However, if he is right, then we must continue to denounce homosexuality, adultery, abortion and so many other behaviors (while selectively ignoring sin such as divorce). Can we have unity if our message is continually, “Thou shalt not…” Does this not perpetuate the problem of excluding and stigmatizing those with certain behavior, while encouraging those with hidden sin issues to continue to pretend they are fine. So how do you achieve unity and deal with sin? Or are unity and community separate issues. And is friendship a part of either?

As well, while I speak about the problems of BIG CHURCH, I know that big church is able to do things that small churches or house churches can’t. Is it possible to have both big and small church at once? Can big church change so as to meet the needs I have set out in my posts, and be there in a different form to provide those things that bigger institutions do well?

I have no quick answer to these questions, but I offer these suggestions generally on the issue of building community.

1. The church must not be afraid. As I indicated previously, fear leads to control. Control, then demands conformity. This leads to dishonesty. We pretend to be people we’re not, and we hide our sin, pain, doubt, etc. If people are to become close to one another our church gatherings must be an environment where people are encouraged to leave their false selves at home, let down their guards and let others see them with all their flaws. Attending church pretending to be that which we are not kills honesty, which leads to real relationships. Control has also led to a laity/clergy distinction, which has excluded real involvement of the congregation. Let’s take some risks and think about some new models and forms to provide for participation and honesty. *


2. If honest and frank discussion, which help to build relationships doesn’t take place in larger groups, or in church gatherings in a big church, then church, if it is to build community must think out of the box, to create opportunities for people to communicate with one another. The early church had all things in common. Churches shared with one another to achieve a sort of financial equality. I think that if big church must exist, at least it should consider creative ways to give people the chance to find as much common ground between them in both the secular and spiritual areas of their lives. This may result in closer relationships.

As an example, Judy and I have frequently attended a medium sized church in Johannesburg (say 300 people). They are very integrated and there is no sense of racial division. They meet in a modest church hall (formerly a barn) located on a large piece of land now surrounded by the city. Their people attend care groups through the week. They run a modest sized orphanage on the property, and have a child care worker and volunteers who go into the community providing family care, and offering training and oversight to smaller community childcare services. To promote fellowship they located a “piazza” in the centre of their assorted buildings, where they serve coffee, sweets, etc. on Sundays and at times during the week. They also have a small restaurant at the piazza, which provides both for the needs of the orphanage and sells inexpensive meals on at least Sundays after church and Wednesday evenings. There is a danger here. Church should not be an exclusive club, but although I have concerns about the traditional church form, at least they have tried something different, and they happen to be one of the friendliest churches we have ever attended.

3. Lengthy doctrinal requirements set out in Statements of Faith stifle community. They are exclusionary. They inhibit honesty. Real community demands space for questions, doubt and differences of opinion. Discussion promotes understanding, and ultimately growth. I think there must be agreement on essentials. This should, I think, lead to Statements of Faith of a few short paragraphs. Let’s get rid of barriers to community. I have belonged to a Baptist church for many years, which obviously believes in immersion. Good believing people are excluded from membership because they weren’t immersed. Now I am certain that the first believers were probably immersed. But you know what? I could care less about this as a requirement for membership. I may be wrong, but I doubt very much that Calvin, Augustine and C.S. Lewis (to guess at only a few) were immersed, yet my church would exclude them from membership.

4. Most importantly, I say it again: the church must be missional in nature, and not an organization that simply supports missionary work or has a missions program and supports some mission activity by some individuals. Every member and group, and the larger church as a whole is to be engaged in and supporting mission work. (see Friend of Missional, What is a Missional Community by Jason Zahariadies). I believe this is the joint work that will allow community to emerge as discussed by Rogier Bos. It is joint involvement in a work you care about, not a common belief that produces community.

This following quote about mission is so beautiful I just had to put it here. It was posted as a comment on Today at the Mission**.

Some want to live within the sound of church and chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within the yards of hell.

CT Studd

As you read it, think of the community which would be built in your group if you pursued a specific work together with a desire such as this; working with a common passion, giving your time and resources, encouraging and exhorting one another in the work, praying for its outcome, desiring, hurting, struggling, caring, and loving each other and your field of work. The world would notice community that did this. We would love our lives and our fellow workers.

Help us Jesus. We really want to live like this. We just can’t seem to do it.


* see an interesting post on church as potluck supper @ http://assembling.blogspot.com/2007/03/potluck-community.html
** This is a moving blog by a Vancouver Christian found at http://mission.squarespace.com/ Read it. His mission needs help at this time, and maybe you or your church could provide that help.