Release date: 08/09/22
Compelling Community chapters 1 and 2
Pg 25/26 – “Supernatural depth and breadth of community make the glory of an invisible God be visible. This is the ultimate purpose statement for community in the Ephesian church. This is the ultimate purpose statement for community in churches today. Is it the ultimate purpose for community in our church?”
- What are some other purposes that churches strive for with their community?
- How does these other purposes compete against or elevate the ultimate purpose of making God’s glory visible?
Pg 27 – Last paragraph on page — Is this where we are at Gateway?
Pg 29 -paragraph above new section — What are we currently doing well to foster church community and not gospel plus community? What are we not doing well?
- Gospel plus community are communities when “Christians unite around something other than the gospel, they greate community that would likely exist even if God didn’t.” – pg 23
- Gospel plus community may result in the inclusive relationships we’re looking for. But it says little about the truth and power of the gospel. – pg 24
P 47 – middle of the page – “You want a church community that is engaging for earnest Christians – and for earnest unbelievers investigating the faith. But avoid any kind of community that will encourage nominal Christians to maintain their blithe disinterest in life’s ultimate questions.”
- In what ways do you feel we have ascribed to this pattern at Gateway?
- Where have we seen undesired results of us having encouraged nominal Christians to halfheartedly participate in our church community?
One of the things this book is having us question is the assumption that if we get people connected to Gateway then they’ll be committed to Gateway. What the book argues is that commitment comes first; then connectedness. Otherwise the committed constantly have their connectedness disrupted by the uncommitted. Another book I’ve recently read states that a commitment to discipleship fosters a healthy church community. Not the other way around.
- What do you guys think of this?
- What part of the church community needs protecting?
- What kind of connecting opportunities should be offered to the uncommitted?
- Biblically, we’re called to make disciples and this is what we see throughout the NT. Have we been going about things backwards by focusing too much on fostering church community which — seems to be — a result of a congregation being committed to discipleship rather than something that can be created without a strong commitment to discipleship?