Embracing Natural Community
by John Kimball, CCCC Director of Church Development
Recently, my family has been reviewing old photos and slides. Most of these are of our old farm, where we raised hay, corn, asparagus and horses. One of the earliest lessons I remember on the farm was learning that horses are social animals. They naturally seek to live in herds, and unless there is a disease issue that requires isolation, are happier and healthier when out to pasture in groups. We had another barn and corral on the farm to use when a horse had to be separated, and that singular horse was never happy.
Community is such an incredible thing. In so many areas of His creation, God has designed into its fabric the need and desire for community. Horses and bison need the herd. People need family. Flowering plants tend to grow in clusters unless separated. Most fruit trees need the orchard or grove for cross-pollination or there is no fruit. There is something beautiful and fruit-bearing about natural community.
When it comes to God’s people in the church, we often talk about community. We pursue fellowship (sometimes above everything else). We know the value of studying God’s word, praying, doing ministry and worshipping in groups. Seminaries teach pastors about group dynamics. Small groups are known to be a necessity for growth and health in a congregation. But even when these things become priorities, too many churches still seem to have limited fruit. Why are there so few conversions? Why so little authentic discipling being done by members?
There are likely multiple answers to these questions, but there is one primary problem that may be in the driver’s seat: when drawing people into community within the church, we are also usually creating isolation from their natural social circles at the same time. Many times I have heard comments from pastors and parishioners that clearly show we think this is redemptive, but it’s not. Too often, when we make someone (especially a new believer) a part of the Family of God, we cut them off from their former spheres of influence — their natural community — and in doing so we also often cut them off from their single most-effective witness and ministry opportunities. We teach them to focus on the church community rather than the lost community — those pre-Christian family members, friends and acquaintances they would be most likely to influence with the love and gospel of Christ. We emphasize the “holy huddle” and then wonder why kingdom fruit and expansion diminishes.
What if we changed our paradigm slightly and made the church community the place for discipleship, mentoring and equipping believers to go back into their natural communities to spread the rule and reign of King Jesus? What if the church is not the “destination” for the believer, but the kingdom of God is as it spreads out from the church? It would appear that this is much more in line with the Great Commission Jesus gives, instructing us to make disciples of all people groups as we go out in life.
While there are cases where separating new believers from their former circle of friends may be necessary, this is an exception — not the rule. When we fear the potential influence of non-Christians in the life of a new believer, we are also unwittingly admitting that we believe the power of the world trumps the power and plan of our God! My Jesus tells me to rejoice because he has overcome the world (John 16:33)!
When a church isolates people from their God-given spheres of influence, it ultimately reduces or even eliminates their fruit. Instead, we should be preparing people to interact with their pre-Christian family, friends, neighbors and coworkers, putting their Jesus-transformation on display for all to see. We should equip them to demonstrate the authentic love of Christ. We should empower them to start prayer gatherings and simple Bible studies in their homes — yes, even as brand new believers! At the very least, they can host a gathering and a more mature believer can lead. But we dare not isolate them and cut off their influence.
Friends, local churches only grow from the outside. Jesus designed it that way. Reconnecting people (or not disconnecting them in the first place) to their natural communities is essential in our quest to spread the rule and reign of Jesus throughout our cities and our world.
