Community or Club?

This morning we talked about living in that sweet spot of life - where Loving God and loving people comes together

We looked at this as living in biblical community

Tonight, I want to look a little deeper into the concept of community and what that looks like in practice

The first question we can ask ourselves is - Are we building a club or a community?

A club may have rules and requirements to join but if met a club is easy - you pay your dues, show up when its convenient and surround yourself with people who look like you, think like you and vote like you.

Clubs exist for the comfort of its members.

Community is different - community costs you something

Community requires vulnerability, sacrifice, and a willingness to be known, really known, by other people

Acts 2 gives us a fantastic picture of what biblical community looks like - this was no club - it was a movement

Acts 2:42–47 CSB

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

The Greek word is koinonia - this is more than just “hanging out” - it means a deep, shared life, a partnership in the gospel where everything is connected.

Let’s look at some marks of biblical community

First Steps

A biblical community is devoted

Of course you can’t just be devoted to any old thing…

They are devoted to biblical teaching

They are devoted to the fellowship, the koinonia, this is the gathered church

They are devoted to the breaking of bread - this is both the Lord’s Supper or celebrating their faith but it is also sharing fellowship meals together

They are devoted to prayer

Finally, they are devoted to everyday life together

God is visible in biblical community

God reveals Himself through the body

When the people of God are gathered and living in community things happen that bring glory to God

People will notice when God is present

A biblical community takes care of one another

People were selling their worldly possessions to build an eternal kingdom

This mean meeting the needs of one another - how can you love someone and let them suffer if you can help

There is joy being a part of a biblical community

Life was not easy for the early church but because they were together, they found joy

Their joy was rooted in their shared life in Christ

The joy they had was contagious

A biblical community grows

Notice growth is not just because of their interaction with one another, though that was a huge part of it (enjoyed favor )

God grows the community because it is fulfilling the two most important commands in Scripture - love God and love one another.

While it is possible to develop community in the larger corporate gathering it is difficult

In Acts they met corporately but then transitioned to small groups and those groups multiplied as the congregation grew

But what are some roadblocks to developing community?

Superficiality

So many of our conversations at church can be surface level. “How are you?” “Fine and you?” “How was your week?” “Busy.” Then we move one

We have perfected the art of being around people without actually being known by them.

Keeping it superficial feels safe. It keeps everything pleasant but it is the enemy of real community. We cannot encourage one another if we don’t know each others struggles. We cannot be prayed for or pray for each other if we don’t share our needs

V46 says - “with joyful and sincere hearts” - sincere means without pretense, no masks, no performance. Just real people doing life together

So what holds us back?

The terrifying fear of vulnerability

Letting someone in, really letting them see who you are, is one of the scariest things a person can do

What if they judge me? What if they reject me? What if they use what I share against me?

Those are all legitimate fears - for some of us they are rooted in real experiences. You’ve been hurt by someone you trusted - they let you down (we’ll talk about “church hurt” in a minute)

We often keep people at arms length because we learned the hard way that vulnerability can be weaponized

I wish I could stand here and tell you that every person in church is safe but that is not reality - I will say this, the fear of being know will keep you from the very community God designed for you

Community cannot be experienced from a distance. We have to step in and yes, it might cost us - but what we get back is worth it

The modern temptation toward isolation or purely digital relationships

We live in the most connected age in human history but we are more isolated than ever.

You can have a 1000 friends on social media and not have a single person you could call at 2 AM when your world falls apart.

Digital relationship are not bad but they cannot replace human contact, they are not koinonia

Isolation is a spiritual attack - think about it, the most vulnerable animal in a pack is the one the enemy separates from the herd. A believer who is connected to the body finds safety, strength, they are dangerous to the enemy - the isolated believer is east prey

1 Peter 5:8 “8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”

Past church hurt and defensive walls

I saw a sign once that said, “If you have a problem with church hurt then you put your trust in people and not God.”

While this is technically true it misses the heart of what God intended for us - the church is the physical representation of God in this world and yes, we are fallible

I don’t want to minimize church hurt, it is a real thing

Maybe a pastor let you down. Maybe a small group turned into a gossip circle. Maybe you opened up and it got spread around. Maybe you gave and felt used. Maybe you served until you burned out and nobody even noticed.

So, you built walls. You come on Sunday, you sit in your seat, you sing the songs, you listen to the sermon, and you leave. You are here - but you are not in.

I get it. Still, I need you to hear this - the church may have hurt you, but the church is also the best place for healing to happen in community.

You can protect yourself and stay distance but you are separating yourself from the very thing God designed to help restore you.

If you’ve been hurt in that past I am not asking you to trust everyone immediately. I am asking you to trust God enough to take one step back in. Start small, start with one person… but start.

To everyone - remember God is asking us to steward the hearts of His people. If someone trusts in you, I beg you - do not break that, cherish it. And if there is an issue with someone… fix it.

There are some benefits of the corporate gathering -

Some Key Characteristics of Corporate Worship Gatherings

Larger assemblies

Structured format

Takes place in church facilities

Usually occurs on Sunday Mornings

More formal teaching environment

Open to all attendees

Benefits

Unified Worship Experience: collective praise and worship; shared spiritual experiences; sense of belonging to larger body

Family friendly structure: convenient for families with children; age-appropriate programs; structured learning environment

Bible Teaching: systematic theological instruction; professional teaching preparation; broader scriptural coverage

But, like I said, community is built easier in the context of the small group -

Some Key Characteristics of the Small Group

Intimate setting, typically 8-12 people

Often meets in homes of informal setting though can have the same feel if meeting at church facitilites

More interactive and discussion-based

Creates safe spaces for personal sharing

Better for newcomers with limited church background

Greater accountability

Benefits

Deep personal connection: fosters meaningful relationships; enables vulnerability and authenticity; provides stronger accountability

Interactive learning: more opportunity for questions and discussion; personalized application of scripture; active participation from all members

Pastoral Care: better environment for addressing personal concerns; mutual support during challenging times; more focused prayer for individual needs

A study of 1,000 Protestant churches found that 71% of growing churches have a strong small group ministry, compared to 43% of declining churches.

The same study found that churches with a high percentage of attendees involved in small groups (50% or more) are more likely to experience growth, with 64% of these churches reporting growth, compared to 36% of churches with lower small group participation.

Another study by Lifeway Research found that 56% of churches with ongoing adult Bible study groups report an increase in attendance over the past two years, compared to 36% of churches without such groups.

Church Giving and Attendance Trends: According to a 2024 study by Horizons, households committed to a small group, Sunday school, or a serving ministry give over 40% more than those that only attend worship regularly but do not participate in such groups. This involvement also correlates with higher overall church attendance and financial contributions, which can significantly impact the church's ability to reach its vision and mission.

Effective small group ministries contribute to:

Spiritual growth of individual members

Overall church vitality

Stronger discipleship outcomes

Enhanced kingdom advancement through local church engagement

Several Key Strategies to Strengthen the Small Group Ministry:

Intentional Development

Focus on building a groups-oriented church culture

Implement proactive measures to convert worship attendees into small group participants

2. Leadership Investment

Regular training for groups leaders

Emphasis on teaching and discipleship capabilities

3. Growth Focus

Prioritize starting new groups

Create systems for groups multiplication

Connect small group strategy to overall church growth

This covers the overall concept of growing or developing community through the small group but what are some practical, personal things we can do.

First is to commit to being a place, where people are free to share whatever

Approach people with love not judgment - I do not mean acceptance, it is loving to tell someone to knock it off if they are living in sin

Do life together - community is not just a Sunday morning thing (story of small group at soccer game that helped move furniture for a couples new flooring)

Move past surface interactions

Here are 3 good questions to help move us in that direction:

How can I really pray for you this week?

Not, “I’ll pray for you this week” and you walk away.

When you ask this you are telling them, your life matters to me. Your struggles matter to me. I want to carry something with you this week.

Of course, actually pray for them beginning right then and there and then continue for the week.

Follow up - ask how things went, if it was a specific event like a Dr’s appointment reach out that day to see

2. What is God teaching you right now?

This tells the person you care about their spiritual growth not just their football team or weekend plans

Second, it invites vulnerability. When someone shares what God is doing in their lives, convicting them, growing them, stretching them, it connects on a deeper level.

It also give you something to pray about, something to encourage them in and something to hold them accountable to (if needed)

3. What is one thing you are struggling with right now that you need support on?

This one is hard because it asks for honesty, it asks for vulnerability

This is where community becomes real.

When someone tells you they are struggling with sin, doubt, fear, with a relationship, or anything else and you don’t run, judge, or try to fix them but instead you sit with them and point them to Jesus

This is the body of Christ functioning the way it was designed to…

On a side note: this doesn’t just mean spiritual needs - the early church met physical needs as well and so should we.

FYI - a couple of variations on this question to keep for those who may not be ready to go too deep just yet

“What is one thing I can celebrate with you this week?”

“Is there anything weighing on you that you would like someone to walk through with you?

Here what we are going to do - find someone and pick one of the 3 questions and ask them.

When they answer, listen. Do not just wait for your turn to talk. Listen, and then pray for them right there if they let you.

This might be uncomfortable - good. Community is supposed to stretch us. If it is too comfortable we may still be swimming on the surface.

The early church in Acts 2 did not have a building. They did not have a worship team. They did not have programs or committees or social media pages. They had each other. And they had the Spirit of God moving through every relationship, every meal, every prayer.

Verse 47 says, "Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." You know what happened when the church got community right? People came to Jesus. Not because of a marketing plan. Not because of a slick service. Because they saw something real. They saw people who actually loved each other. And they wanted in.

That is the difference between a club and a community. A club attracts people who already fit in. Community attracts people who are looking for something they cannot find anywhere else.

Here is the question — what are we? If someone walked in here tonight, would they find a club where everybody already knows each other and the unspoken rule is don't rock the boat? Or would they find a community where people are known, loved, challenged, and pointed to Jesus?