Community isn’t the Goal
Why seeking community can unintentionally kill it.
I love war movies — Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, Blackhawk Down, Lone Survivor, American Sniper, and hopefully 1917 soon…I’m all in! When someone asks me what my favorite movie is, I cheat and answer “Band of Brothers” because it’s actually a 10-part TV mini-series.
Whenever I watch movies or documentaries about the Armed Forces, I’m always struck by the brotherhood. Hearing brave men and women talk about sacrificing their very lives for the soldiers next to them staggers me. How is it that people from different backgrounds, different experiences, and different ethnicities, can form such a tight bond?
I believe there are two primary reasons. I also believe the lack of these two things are why we don’t experience the impact and brotherhood God intends for us in the church.
A common mission and common suffering.
When you’re at war, the goal isn’t to build strong relationships. The goal is to destroy the enemy and win the battle. It’s in the pursuit of that mission that a special bonds are formed. Community flows from mission.
Too often, the church in the West makes community the goal and unintentionally kills the very thing it’s seeking.
I know this sounds crazy from a guy with the title of “Community Groups Pastor” writing about “community” but it’s true. Hear me out…
If you’re part of a church with small groups, what reason do you give for people to join a group?
To make a large church feel small.
To “do life together”.
To be known.
To support one another.
I’ve said all these things and more. But I think we’re missing the point. I Peter 2 is one of the finest passages on Biblical community in the New Testament. Listen to what Peter, a member of Jesus’ inner community, says…
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light…
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (I Peter 2:9, 12)
Notice in this passage that the community isn’t the goal. For those of us who come to Jesus (vs. 4), we already are, and are being built into, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people…”. But there is a bigger purpose to this community — “that you may proclaim.” Vs. 12 echoes a similar idea, “that…they may see your good deeds and glorify God…”.
The purpose of Biblical community always lies in a mission outside of itself: To glorify God by making disciples among a particular pocket of people.
The same concept bears itself out sociologically. In the journal Society, Le Penne writes that,
Community is not the end, but a means to achieve other ends, to move one level up the hierarchy: when we contribute to our community assuming that we would be gratified by it, one gives only to receive.
In other words, when people enter a community with the purpose of being supported by the community, it betrays community. We’re fulfilled only when everyone’s focus is on achieving something outside of the group itself. The corporate pursuit is what creates the sense of belonging.
Matt Carter at The Austin Stone says it this this way,
If you aim from community, sometimes you get it but most of the time you don’t. If you aim for mission, you get both mission and community.
Here are a few ways to aim for mission:
1. SEND: Help your group members identify people groups they feel called to reach or areas of brokenness they’d like to address in the city. If you see someone with a clear sense of calling in an area, send them out of your group along with a few others to reach those people or meet that need.
2. RELAUNCH: After a season of prayer with core group members, determine a local mission field that you feel called to reach. The mission should be specific enough that you could write a mission statement for your group. Set a new start date and begin afresh with every aspect of the group geared toward reaching that mission field or meeting that need. Keep in mind, some members of your group may leave if they are not interested in pursuing this mission. This is OK. Encourage them to start a group with a new mission or join a group with a mission they’re more passionate about.
3. START: Do you want to see a specific neighborhood, people group, location, or cause changed by the Gospel? Grab a few friends and begin taking the Gospel to them. Instead of starting a group and finding a mission. Start with a mission and recruit people to join you on it. If you have questions about how to get started, just ask. I can’t promise to have all the answers, but I’d love to journey with you!
Recently, a couple young women approached me about starting a new community group for other young women. They knew of several other ladies at church who were feeling disconnected and wanted to help them build community. These gals had a great heart to see these women connect and grow in their faith together. However, in the midst of our conversation it became apparent that they also felt called to reach college girls who are international students. I encouraged them not to start a “Young Adult Women’s Group” and instead recruit other women to mentor and disciple international students. It seems like subtle change in approach, but it makes a world of difference.
This group now has mission AND community. They were able to connect young women in the church, but they’re connected around a greater cause. The LORD has even opened a door for two of these ladies to move into a house on the college campus. The group is now planning to use that house as a discipleship and mission hub to reach international students.
Shared mission breeds community. What mission are you aiming for?
