How can you find purpose in engaging in community and sharing your faith with others? See how God is moving in people’s lives around you, uniquely and intentionally.
Getting involved and getting to know those in your community can strengthen your faith. God moves so intentionally and uniquely in each of our lives. Some of us hear God differently. Some of us connect with him through different spiritual pathways. Each of us has our own story as to how God wrote our testimonies and encountered us uniquely.
Hearing people’s stories of God’s healing, miraculous provision, and radical encounters allows us to continue believing and praying for those things in our own lives and for the lives of people around us.
Why is Community so Important?
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
Community allows you to grow in faith together with other believers. We were never meant to live this life alone. God will never leave us, He is always with us, however, we are also meant to do this life with others. Community allows you to;
- Grow in your faith: You can grow deeper in your relationship with God as you grow deeper in fellowship with other believers. Learning about other people’s experiences and walk with God can help you know God in a new way.
- Dependence: We are not designed to do this life alone. Community rallies together to work together. A church can’t run on its own or only rely on the staff but is built upon all members of the church serving with their time and gifts.
- Support: This life was promised to be joyful with God but was also promised that it wouldn’t be easy. There is a time to celebrate, there is a time to mourn and there is a time to build up. Your community can be right beside you supporting you like a crutch in all those seasons. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor 12:26).
Here are 4 ways to get involved and foster a Christian community of faith in your own life.
1. Don’t Make Church Optional
This one may seem simple and obvious but don’t make church an option but an uncomprised habit. Go to church every week (preferably in person). Going to church allows you to celebrate big with the church congregation, meet others, and connect weekly. There is so much value in committing to a church and making it your home.
2. Serve with Your Gifts
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
1 Corinthians 12:18-20
There is so much value in serving your church and the members in it. Once you get involved in the operations of your church, you will start to feel a part of it, and meet members of the church while you work together. Meeting with the same individuals to serve alongside one another allows you to connect frequently, build friendships and pray for one another as you go through life. We are each a needed member of the body and must function with that in mind.
3. Connect Small
This is one of the pillars of my local church. Join a small group where you connect with members of the church on a weekly basis. This creates space for consistent and committed time to grow in faith with others.
4. Attend Church and Community Hosted Events
Take some time to search local Christian gatherings near you, starting with events hosted by your own church (if you’re not currently committed to a church, that’s your first step). From worship gatherings to young adult nights, and women’s ministry events to conferences, there are countless options near and around you to attend. This allows you the opportunity to meet like-minded Christians to build and foster Christ-centered friendships.
Community is not just a nice-to have but God calls us to live life in community. God designed us in a way where we operate fully when relying on others in faith. God will bring you into the right communities in due time, but partner with Him in attending and becoming an engaged member of your church and Christian gatherings.
