Mother Teresa has said, “Loneliness is the leprosy of the modern world.” Loneliness and isolation are at epidemic levels today in our culture. Loneliness is like leprosy because it isolates and kills a person. They are different because leprosy is outwardly evident whereas loneliness is a silent undiagnosed killer.

Radical individualism has affected the way people view their commitment to the body of Christ resulting in isolation, superficial relationships and minimal spiritual growth. The three deadly “Is” of Independence, Individuality and Isolation are strongholds within our culture. Larry Crabb has stated:

“We were designed by our Trinitarian God (who is himself a group of three persons in profound relationship with each other) to live in relationship. Without it, we die. It’s that simple. Without a community where we know, explore, discover, and touch one another, we experience isolation and despair that drive us in wrong directions, that corrupt our efforts to live meaningfully and to love well. The future of the church depends on whether it develops true community. We can get by for a while on size, skilled communication, and programs to meet every need, but unless we sense that we belong to each other, with masks off, the vibrant church of today will become the powerless church of tomorrow.”

So, are we community deprived? Here is a simple test to help us diagnose our true condition and give us some helpful guidelines toward healing:

1) How aware are you of your need for community?

2) How do you define community?

3) Do you understand how important community is to God?

4) Do you host people regularly in your house?

5) Do you and your spouse regularly talk about who to host?

6) Who do you gather with regularly?

7) Who knows you deeply and who prays for you?

8) Who do you call when **** hits the fan?

9) Who do you enjoy doing life with?

10) Do you have a vision for building community?

11) How are you helping to build community at your church?

12) Have you built lifetime faith friendships?

Now, don’t get discouraged. Most people will struggle to answer these questions – and that is the point. It just reveals how big of a problem this is and how important it is for the church to respond.

On the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 the church was birthed with the Holy Spirit being poured into the hearts of believers. To be saved and follow Jesus is to be an intimate part of the fellowship of believers who gather together regularly to learn how to be the family of God. Historically, the Church’s most powerful impact came primarily from the commitment of believers to be in community together. This commitment to community desperately needs to be revived within the Church in America that often is more driven by building a crowd than nurturing intimate fellowship and spiritual growth. Just gathering together in Big Church (Sunday morning) is not sufficient enough to nurture community.

Acts 2:42-47 pictures one of the most beautiful pictures of Christian community. Commitment to A2community is our ultimate equipping plan for all believers who are part of Crossroads Church. It is our answer and vision for the development of faith friendships, intimate fellowship and a vibrant spiritual life. It is our vision that one day we will have more people weekly involved in A2community than even attending Sunday morning services. For the Church to be healthy it must have an integrated rhythm of Big Church and Small Church. Our 7 A2community values that we will foster as we pursue all the “one another” commands in the Bible are:

Biblical:an A2community is biblical because there is no true comm-unity without unity on what matters most. The Word of God led by the Spirit of God is our foundation for truth and developing a growing relationship with God and others. It is within biblical community that we encourage each other to encounter God as Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit and learn to walk in God’s will, ways and works.

Humble: an A2 community is humble because we can do nothing to earn God’s love and favor but He has loved us and saved us by sending Jesus to die for us. His gift of eternal life is freely received by confessing Jesus as our Savior and Lord. True humility expresses itself in how we see ourselves and each other and is the fiber of healthy community.

Vulnerable: an A2 community is vulnerable because sin, shame and guilt no longer define us or bind us and there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. We are to learn to be vulnerable because nothing hidden can be healed and being a poser is bondage to performance until Christ sets us free to become who we are truly meant to be. Spirit-led vulnerability opens hearts and takes friendships, families and fellowship to a deeper level of biblical community.

Teachable: an A2 community is teachable because we don’t know everything and we need to un-learn wrong thinking instilled in us as we learn what the truth of God’s Word says to us so it can by the Spirit be instilled in us. Healthy community requires a growing hunger for the truth of God’s Word and submission of one’s opinions, beliefs and convictions to the Word of God.

Accountable: an A2 community is accountable because spiritual growth was never intended to be an individual endeavor. God calls His people to submit to each other and to hold each other accountable to live the life we profess to believe. We are weak and we cheat, so we need biblical accountability to grow. Jesus has set up the authority structure of eldership within His church to oversee and hold the Church Body accountable to the Doctrine, Direction and Discipleship of the Church. Healthy biblical community is where there is honor and respect for each other and authority and willingness to be accountable.

Faithful: an A2 community is faithful because our heavenly Father sent his Son Jesus to save us and make us faith – Full rather than self – Full. Faithfulness is required for leadership within the Church. As we increase in faith we increase in the power of the Holy Spirit within our lives. When faith is present all things are possible. Being faith-Full is learning to live, love and lead like Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit with a kingdom perspective rather than an earthly perspective. Healthy biblical community should be supernatural with an ever-increasing experience of the “awe” of God in the pursuit and practice of the gifts of the Spirit.

Missional: an A2 community is missional because to follow Jesus we must learn to embrace His mission for the world. This means learning to be His eyes, ears, mouth and hands first to our local community and then to the global community. Healthy community cannot be sustained or multiplied without a vibrant discipleship and church planting vision and mission. The most powerful movement in the world is the church of Jesus Christ set on fire by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We were made for community because we are made in the image of God who lives in perfect community as Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. I hope that you will take time to pray and discuss the above community test and make some margin in your life to step into biblical community.