To move forward we need to take steps forward. The enemy of our soul tries to keep us living in the past. Jesus has come to free us to move forward into God’s glorious design and destiny. We were made to live in community. God lives in perfect community: Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. He has called us into that community as we grow in community as the body of Christ – the Church.

What steps are you taking toward being part of church community?

What steps are you taking toward being discipled and making disciples?

Two critical things to a healthy church community are discipleship and community. Sadly, the American church has been anemic in developing these two areas and we are seeing much of the fall out currently in our churches and nation.

The Church began by Jesus discipling a few followers to be the leaders of His Church. The Upper Room Gathering of 120 people, found in the beginning of Acts, represents the core community of Christ followers after Jesus’ ascension following His resurrection. It was this small community that the Holy Spirit empowered to become the Church, the Body of Christ, since Jesus was now in heaven at the right hand of the Father. The shift from the 120 to 1000s in a short period of time threatened the health and mission of the Church, which was to make disciples and build healthy community.

When people are added to the Church community through faith and baptism it is truly exciting. However, once a church grows larger the mission of discipleship and community are threatened. This is because it becomes more difficult to keep people feeling vitally connected and needed. They can easily start to feel neglected and feel they are not needed regardless of their attending.

We know life without community is dangerous. We all have bought into the false promises of worldly systems of community represented in things like superficial clubs, teams and social media. What steps can you take toward biblical community? Remember, isolation kills. Community builds. Ask your church’s leadership about the different community possibilities.

The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20 is a command of the Lord to the church. But how is it that the majority of people in church today have never been discipled? One reason for this is that we have so broadened the definition of discipleship that many think that if they go to church and bible studies that that is discipleship.

Discipleship is simply but profoundly doing what Jesus did with the 12 apostles.

Healthy community is not possible without discipleship at the core of the community.

Healthy discipleship will result in healthy community building.

What steps can you take to move toward discipleship? Some of us need to be discipled by a more mature believer. Some of us have plenty of discipleship experience and need to pray about who the Lord would have us disciple. Ask your church’s leadership about discipleship opportunities.

Community and discipleship are intimately connected and are at the core of what Church is. Every individual needs community and discipleship to grow in God’s design and destiny for them as children of God.