Christian Community

Christian, have you given much thought about what it means to be a part of a
community? It is quite clear in the New Testament that the all believers are connected through
Christ and considered one church. We often refer to this as the one body Christ (Romans 12:5, 1
Corinthians 10:17, Hebrews 13:3). But what are our roles in this body and why should we be
sure not to separate ourselves from it?
As church members, we are called to gather regularly, whether this be a Sunday service
or a weekly Bible study with friends. Hebrews 10:24-25 explains this importance of this to us.
We must meet not only to encourage one another, but to preserve our faith and the Gospel. I am
guilty here, as I am sure many of us are, of not wanting to go on a Sunday morning when I am
not in a great mood or have a list of schoolwork left to accomplish, but I also recognize the
distinct lack of encouragement that I miss when I do not worship with my church or with my
friends. It is so much easier to resist temptation when we’re surrounded by our brothers and
sisters in Christ. It is not just enough to be around our brothers and sister either. We need deep,
meaningful, and vulnerable relationships within the church. How can we hope to fight the sin
that lies crouching at our door (Genesis 4:7) if we cannot share what sins we are vulnerable to?
We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), so there should be no shame
amongst believers. We need as much help in our fight against sin, and our brothers and sisters
can hold us accountable and pray for us (James 5:13-16).
Discipleship is another responsibility that the community of Christ’s church holds.
Ephesians 4:15-16 describe to us how the church is built up by each believer. Unless we meet
and communicate regularly we cannot build each other up. Jesus spent day in and day out with
His disciples. We can manage a few hours each week. Discipleship is not just for current
believers either. We are called by the Great Commission Matthew 28:19-20. This calls us to go
out to various peoples and form new communities, new relationships by sharing the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, building up the church in His name by building up new believers. We are meant to
love one another unconditionally, never stop preaching the Gospel and teaching the words of
Jesus Christ no matter how hard or difficult that may be at times. Christianity is not mean to be
done alone.
If you are a Christian and looking to get plugged into a community on campus or into a
church, but don’t know where to start, I would love to help you with that. If you’re a new
believer and don’t know what steps to take next, I would be more than happy to help point you in
the right direction. God bless.

-C. Kyle Douglas