The Key to Strong Community
Fostering a Culture of Discipling
The topic of how to build a strong Christian community seems to come up frequently these days. Many of us feel disconnected and isolated. Our culture and technology certainly contribute to this. From fast food to self-checkouts, our world is designed to minimize the amount of interaction we have with others, and in our digital age, that interaction increasingly happens online. Most of us have probably observed the regrettably common sight of a group of people standing right next to each other absorbed in their phone screens engaging with others who are not present. We seem to crave independence, and our world enables us in this. As a result, the communities we build and join tend to be transient. This is often true of our local Christian communities. We see the local church being treated essentially as a business offering services rather than a group of people committed to serving each other, and loyalty only lasts as long as needs are being met.
The Bible paints a different picture for Christian community. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the analogy of a body to describe those united to Christ. Just as the human body is made up of members such as eyes, ears, and feet, so too the church consists of many individual members with different skills and personalities. Yet the body is also one whole and doesn’t function well if its members are not working together in harmony. For the church, unifying purpose is found in following Jesus. The redeeming work of Christ binds forgiven sinners together in love for God and a desire to express that love through obedience. This is the core of Christian community. Together we are followers of Christ.
Building Strong Community Through Discipling
During his ministry, Jesus had disciples, and before he ascended into heaven after his resurrection, he gave them a commission:
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
Jesus told his disciples to go out and make more disciples, bringing them into the church through the ordinance of baptism and teaching them how to love him by obeying his commands. Jesus wanted a community of followers, and he tasked his disciples with building it. Naturally, then, the key to forging a strong and unified Christian community is helping one another follow Jesus, and that’s exactly what discipling is.
All Christians are disciples, and all Christians are called to disciple. At Grace Bible Church, we believe so much in the importance of discipling, that we’ve built it into our mission statement:
We gather, grow, and send disciples who delight in Jesus.
This may seem intimidating, as we often feel like we are the ones in need of discipling. How can we help others follow Jesus when we need help ourselves? In Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus, pastor Mark Dever offers another helpful definition. He says “discipling is deliberately doing spiritual good to someone so that he or she will be more like Christ.” All of us who have entered into a personal, saving relationship with Christ are capable of doing spiritual good to another. We may be frail jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), but God shows his surpassing, perfect power through our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Much of the work of discipling involves living out the entirety of our lives in front of others and calling them to imitate us as we imitate Christ (1 Peter 2:21, 1 Corinthians 11:1), and this includes modeling repentance and reconciliation when we sin.
The Fertile Soil of the Church
Building community through discipling should most naturally happen in the context of the local church. The Bible-centered teaching and leadership of a church’s elders combined with the commitment of members to one another in Christ should be fertile soil for discipling relationships. This sort of relationship building is tough work, and it requires all of us, not just the pastor or elders, to roll up our sleeves and start doing it. As we undertake this calling, our mindsets will shift from viewing our church as a service provider to viewing it as a body of fellow believers to which we are united, a spiritual family.
Regarding this culture shift, Dever has said “Churches don’t need programs so much as they need cultures of discipling, cultures where each member prioritizes the spiritual health of others” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). This isn’t to say that programs are bad. At Grace Bible Church we have numerous programs which are intended to help provide structure in areas where we naturally struggle to minister and serve. However, we are intentional about keeping things simple to leave space for the organic relationships which are vital for building a discipling culture.
Where to Start
How do we actually start discipling others? We’ve already seen that discipling is really just walking through life together with others and pointing them in a Christward direction. God has given each of us unique gifts and resources, and he wants us to use them for the benefit of others. This includes our time, study, prayer, and love. Start with a single relationship and build from there. Find someone who’s willing, and help him or her follow Jesus. Spend time together, asking lots of questions to get to know each other. Invite this brother or sister into your home and be transparent with your life. Study the Bible together (Phil 2:16). Pray for this person regularly. Encourage him or her to disciple others in turn.
If these steps still seem intimidating, remember, we’re part of a community, one body. Find another member to help. At the time of publishing this article, we’re kicking off our fall ministries. This is a great opportunity to join a Bible study or a Community Group. These ministries exist to help us both in being discipled and discipling. Let’s work together in lovingly and obediently fulfilling the Great Commission for the glory, majesty, power, and authority of our God and Savior (Jude 1:25).
Going Further
In addition to the Bible, the following are helpful resources for getting started with discipling:
Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever
What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
Habits of Grace by David Mathis
The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man by Ed Welch