Bob's Blog

Everyone wants community but it's not easy to obtain. Why is "community" such a hard thing to develop? I've worked in a few places over my life and there have been jobs that I enjoyed tremendously because there was a sense of connection. We had a working environment that oozed community. Then there have been jobs that just didn't meet my expectation of a healthy working environment. Needless to say, community was lacking at these places.

We all would say that community is essential to a church. We know when we have it but it's hard to define. Ed Stetzer in his recent book, Lost And Found, shares a few insights in how a younger generation defines community and what churches are doing to develop this in their gatherings. According to Stetzer, community is the love of God manifesting itself in and through the people of God. So, what are some characteristics that young people are looking for in a community? Here's a short list from Lost And Found.

• Community should encourage honesty, authenticity, and freedom to ask questions.
• Community should endorse a connection between one's actions and their personal conviction.
• Community should minimize church jargon.
• Community should provide an atmosphere where it's OK to not know all the answers.
• Community should be full of personal illustrations and life applications.

Ask your young people in your church and see what they think defines community. I guarantee that they not only are looking for a place to connect but have ideas of what that connection looks like in developing a community of believers.