Importance of Christian Community
Let me first start off by apologizing to each of you for completely neglecting this blog for the past several months. Some of that came from the craziness of beginning my semester of student teaching, but I’ll be honest, the majority came from a season of being spiritually tired. Going into January, I was exhausted. Exhausted with COVID. Exhausted with all the rules and regulations associated with COVID. Exhausted by my lack of physical community. Exhausted with online church. Exhausted with politics. Exhausted with feeling alone. So, I took a little break. Well, a two-month break. And it has been one of the most rejuvenating, life-giving seasons of my life.
The Lord has been answering a whole lot of prayers I’ve been praying for over a year now. In January I got to start meeting with a woman who has started discipling me. Let me tell y’all, I’ve never had the opportunity to be on the receiving/younger end of discipleship, and it has been one of the most growing experiences. It makes me excited to start meeting and pouring into young women again now knowing the impact it's had on me personally. Additionally, at the advice of a dear Christian friend, I took some time away from the news. For those of you who know me, that is probably a little bit of a shock. It’s incredibly important to me to know what is happening in our country and the world. As someone who kept up with news sources pretty closely, seeing the impact of new policies and events got overwhelming. It got to the point where I was spending far more time in the news than in the Word (red flag!!!). Taking time away was hard for a couple of weeks, but I almost don’t want to go back to hearing what all is happening. Finally, I have started going to an in-person church and bible study. Y’all. God is meant to be experienced in community. I have felt the Lord’s presence in my life more these past two months than ever before in my life and I am FIRED UP about it! Yes, we should absolutely spend time alone in the Word and in prayer communing with God. BUT WE MUST also spend time fellowshipping, learning, and praying with a Christian community. I know many people must consider COVID at this time, but as you are able- get back into community. That brings me to what I wanted to actually write about today- the importance of Christian community.
I’ve always lived in some sort of Christian community. As someone who was very fortunate to be born into a Christian household, I’ve been going to church and involved in church activities and groups since before I can remember. I grew up going to family life groups, youth groups, children’s ministry events, vacation bible schools, and many more church and Christian life activities. When I left home for college, the very first thing I did was find a student ministry and a church so I wouldn’t be without that Christian community. I had never been without the physical presence of that fellowship until about a year ago. Thankfully, we were able to meet with people virtually and I did get to be home with my God-fearing family, but I know many people had it tougher than I did. Starting in June was when that lack of Christian fellowship really started to hit me hard.
It became really hard to feel His presence when I wasn’t in the presence of His people.
I felt more alone than I ever had before in my life. There were certainly times when God spoke in the stillness and solitude, but I lacked and craved Christian fellowship. I could not be more thankful that I live with strong Christian women who walked with me and encouraged me this summer, and I did get to participate in a small house church through most of this past year. However, nothing- and I mean nothing- can replace being in consistent, free, loving Christian fellowship.
The Lord designed us to walk in community and fellowship with each other. It’s in our telos (inherent purpose) to participate with each other in the Gospel and life. Because the Lord put fellowship in our telos, we must carry that command out. We see this in the Bible with Paul telling the early church that despite the persecution and worldly troubles they were facing they must continue meeting together.
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:25
Paul wrote this to early Christians in Jerusalem who were being persecuted for their faith. It would have been far safer for them to meet only with the people of their household to avoid punishment or even death, but Paul realized the value of meeting together and encouraged them to keep meeting in spite of all that was going on. Let us not forget this command in these modern times. I’m not saying you have to go out and ignore the tone of our current situation if that makes you uncomfortable. I will say that you must find some way to engage in Christian community however you are able.
So why would this Christian community be so important that Paul would urge the early church to keep meeting despite possible death? While I’m no Paul, I can think of quite a few reasons from both reading of scripture and personal experience.
Spiritual growth
In Christian fellowship, we get the unique opportunity to see how people who are further along in their walk with Christ live and interact with the word and the world. There is no better learning experience than seeing firsthand what it looks like to look more and more like Christ. Even if these people do not formally disciple you, you can glean so much from how they live their lives. I have seen the effects of this first hand in my own life in different church groups and even roommates. There is so much to learn from people who love the Lord. Likewise, there are opportunities in Christian fellowship to minister to those younger in the faith or with different life and faith experiences. As someone who has formally and informally discipled women younger than I in the faith, it is one of the most enriching and rewarding experiences to pass on what you’ve learned about Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to “encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” How do we do that? By being in community with each other.
Accountability
Whether it be accountability to stay consistent in your personal spiritual life, accountability to watch for habitual sins, an outside perspective to watch for new sins, or even someone to encourage you in your times of growth, having those people in your life who know you and can encourage you through good and bad times in your faith.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
When we gather in His name, He is there
This one doesn’t need a whole lot of explaining in my opinion. If you are truly desiring to know Christ deeper, then why would you skip out on Christian community?
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Bringing people to Christ
This is something that I’ve learned a lot about in my college student ministry. When you open up a physical space for people to come to gather, God will work in incredible ways. We have to meet people where they are at with the gospel, and how do we do that? We MEET with them! This is something the early church did SO well. I could (and at some point probably will) go on a whole other tangent with this point, but for now I’ll leave it with this passage from Acts.
Acts 2:44-47 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Brings us closer to Christ
Doing life with people after God’s heart will always bring you closer to Him. Without a doubt, it is necessary to spend time in fellowship with believers to grow closer to Him. It will fill your cup like nothing else. I’ve experienced that first hand the past month or so, and I can never go back to how I was living before. The difference I’ve seen in my personal walk with Christ has been astronomical just from spending intentional time in the presence of other believers. Satan came with COVID to kill and destroy all he could through disease and isolating us, but I will never go back to living in isolation from Christian fellowship.
Here at Koinonia, we value Christian fellowship- it’s in our name. There is so much more we have to say about community, and I can assure you that we’ll talk about it more in the future. In the meantime, I recommend that you go back to see some of our first posts about the meaning behind our name and why we decided to name ourselves as such. It should put some things into more perspective. We’re looking forward to getting back into posting more regularly, so keep your eyes peeled for more articles coming your way soon.