Community

Why do we need community?

As we practice the way of Jesus, we need partners for the journey, a community to help us along the way. Jesus invites all who follow him to be a part of a new family. This family of God is not a social club or a group of friends who look, think, and talk similarly, but a community of apprentices following Jesus’ way of life. And despite the work it takes, the fights we will endure, and the learning we will do along the way, together we’re figuring out how to be with Jesus, become like him, and do what he did.

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Teachings

Before you begin the practices with your community, listen through these teachings to understand why this practice is important and discover what it can do in your life.

1

Jesus' Call to Community

Community will set us up to live in a rich web of relationships where we grow and mature into Christlikeness.

2

One of Jesus’ Most Radical Ideas: Family

It was radical in the first century, and it’s just as radical in the 21st century.

3

A Community of Honor in a Culture of Contempt

For most Westerners, honor is a foreign concept. Ours is a culture of contempt.

4

Trinity & Hospitality

As we look at how the trinity relate to one another we learn about true community.

5

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Emotionally healthy relationships require the need to stop mind reading and start clarifying expectations.

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Practice

Follow along with each part of this practice. We recommend you work through it with your community, a small group triad, a weekly meal with friends or neighbors, your roommates, whatever works. Get a group of people, set a time each week to share a meal, then talk and pray for about an hour. Transformation happens in community. 

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Finding your Community

Community doesn’t happen by accident; it takes time and effort over the long haul. But where do we start?

1

Emotional Health & Community Temperature Reading

Your internal emotional world is connected with our external relational world.

2

The Iceberg & Looking Beneath the Surface

For many of us, our tendency is to avoid or ignore our most difficult emotions

3

Mind Reading, Expectations, & Listening

We all make assumptions about the motivations behind people’s behavior.

4

Fighting with Integrity

Some of us are poor at resolving conflict because of wrong beliefs about peacemaking.

5

Seven Rhythms of Community

Throughout church history we see the family of Jesus adopting seven rhythms of Community.

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Recommended Reading

Follow along with the recommended reading. We want to continually expand our minds and understanding of the way of Jesus. God wants us to love him not only with our hearts, souls, and strength, but with our minds as well.