Introduction
Community is a manual for developing small groups. It is based on the fact that the church embodies the Imago Dei (i.e. the image of God). But this poses a question; namely, why are so many community groups or life groups so lifeless? Brad House lays scriptural foundations underneath community, cites popular models and historical trends throughout Christendom, and concludes his the book with immediate practical application.
Author Information
Brad House pastored at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA under Mark Driscoll from 2005 to 2012 and currently serves as executive pastor of ministry at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY. According to his LinkedIn profile, House developed the vision, structure, strategy, and oversight of 14 Mars Hill churches. The groups grew from approximately 35 to over 600 groups and 70% participation. All that to say, he has some clout in regards to community groups in the local church. I also point out his background not only to reiterative that Community is Biblically based/Gospel-centered/transformational/missional-incarnational/etc, but that it really “works.” Sometimes the proof is in the pudding.
Overview of Content
Community challenges the ecclesiological status quo. Lifeless communities are the byproduct of groups simply not knowing why they exist. And the days of equating community group to “bible study” are, in my assessment, over - at least they should be. Community should be life transforming and gospel centric. The goal this book is to, “…reestablish the basis for community and why it is, and always has been essential to the Christian life” (p. 31).
Bascially, sin broke community and broke up the community of the Trinity (i.e. when the Father forsook/abandoned the Son), but the cross restored (and continues to restore) the community of God. “We are saved to be a community, not a church of individuals” (p. 33). To put it succinctly, “the purpose of such community is to display the love of God for the world!” (p. 34, exclamation mine). I love it whenever someone says, “it’s not about me!” I am in full agreement that “Community groups are a living illustration of the gospel and its power to save” (ibid.).
The book is broken down into three parts with an appendix loaded with practical application. Part one is labeled The Foundation: Building Blocks For Life. Part two is the Health Plan: Redefining Community Groups. Part three is Treatment: Effecting Change in Your Groups. I will highlight the foundational aspects of the book since I believe the practical application will flow out of the freedom that comes from a refreshed/fresh perspective on community.
Scriptural Foundation for Community
House cites Ephesians 2:15b-22 to point out the intentionality behind the cross in building (or rebuilding) the community of God (see p. 33). Colossians 3:12-17 paints “… a picture of a community reflecting the attributes of God because of what Jesus has done” (p. 36). It is the community that allows the believers to reflect the relational nature of God, which is marked by grace and mercy. Last, but certainly not least, 1 Peter 2:9-12 is one of Brad’s “favorite pictures of who we are to be as a community” (pg. 39). This passage describes a community of people transformed by the gospel.
And with these foundational scriptures in mind, “Our primary purpose in community is not that our needs are being met, but that Jesus would be lifted up…we experience our greatest joy hone Jesus is most glorified” (p. 41). And the best part about the neighbors witnessing a gospel-centered community is that they see good works and praise their Father in heaven!
Missional-Incarnational Focused Community
Two prominent missiologists that House references are Ed Stetzer and Alan Hirsch, both of which have conveyed that the church does NOT have a mission, but rather the mission has a church. I want to emphasize this part of the book because I believe the mission and the missional church answers the “why” that keeps the “lifeless communities” lifeless. At the risk of sounding simplistic, the mission to which the church is called is to display the love of God for the world (cf. p. 34).
I think it is also important to stress the missional aspect of community because it frees up the community to be on mission with God and not the other way around. It sets the group free from thinking that the gathering is about focusing on people, but rather focusing on the gospel and the implications that flesh out in community groups.
With that in mind, House defines missional as, “…[participation] in the mission of God as a response to the gospel through proclamation and practice” (p. 67). Since creation and restoration are the bookends in God’s story of redemption of fallen creation, community participation in the mission of God has everything to do with participating in God’s restoration of people in group settings.
House quotes Hirsch’s observation that “every revival in history has been a recovery of the ‘people of God being the people of God’” (p. 81). This just means that a bunch of people realized the truth of their identity in Christ and went nuts with it! And why wouldn’t they!? It is an amazing day when one realizes his or her identity is not just strong, but Jesus-strong!
After the portion on mission, House moves into part II and III, which deals with historical/currents and application. For that reason, I’ll shift to my critique of the book.
Critique
The section on identity (chapter 4) is too short. I can’t get enough of hearing who I am in Christ. Identity is the foundation for everything we do. We are not our own. We have been crucified with Christ and no longer consider our ways/rights/attitudes something to highlight, but rather who Christ is in me. Far too often believers identify what they do/have done rather than who Christ is in them.
I said something bold last week to a few pastors: “I died to myself and therefore I don’t get a vote anymore. Christ is my new life and the old me has died.” One pastor replied, “yeah but you still get to be human.” What does that mean? I have no idea because I was crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Last time I checked, dead people don’t get a say in anything. How many rights does a slave have? Not many. We are slaves of Christ and bound to righteousness. I would like to heart this language in more books like Community.
I think the community group would do well to think in terms of literal community. If sin is to be put to death, let’s do it as a community. A manual on the community should include the children in the rhythms of the community. Let the little children draw near. Let the children see just how much mommy and daddy and uncle and aunty need the Savior. And when they see just how much we are a community in need of a Savior, we let them know the gospel; that is, WE DON’T NEED JESUS, WE HAVE JESUS. I know this sounds different, but let’s change the way we talk.
As straightforward as the book is, the church/community groups could use more encouragement in reiterating the freedom of no condemnation in Christ. If that is true, we need to hear more and more about confession and renouncing the language of “be careful,” “be cautious” and be bold and courageous. God has not given us a spirit of “be-careful-what-you-share-in-community-group-because-people-might-take-it-the-wrong-way.” It’s time to let God be our fortress and defense and reject any temptation to be our own defense.
Conclusion
I love this book. It offers a robust look at the biblical/gospel-centered community. It offers a balanced and straightforward assessment of small groups. It should convict small groups who only swim in the deep and it should encourage others to move from the kiddie pool to deeper parts of the pool. All in all, I think this book encourages people to dive into community. There is much to do and none of us have any time to waste.
Favorite Quotes
- “…community is not about us; it is about God” (p. 19).
- “Community is an instrument of worship, a weapon against sin, and a tool for evangelism - all for the exaltation of Jesus” (p. 19).
- “Jesus gives us the ability to experience life as God intended, in real community with him and another” (p. 33).
- “Community is for us a declaration of the overwhelming love of God, the tangible proclamation of the reconciling work of the cross” (p. 34).
- “Because Jesus has redeemed us, we can reset our identity to reside in the place God intended” (p. 35).
- “Our primary purpose in community is not that our needs are being met, but that Jesus would be lifted up. It is not that we aren't blessed by the love we share for one another, but that we experience our greatest joy when Jesus is most glorified” (p. 41).
- “… what is the ultimate goal of our neighbors seeing how we live? It is so they will worship God!” (p. 41).
- “Isolation is a response to sin. Community is a response to reconciliation” (p. 42).
- “Our communities should be the most powerful expression of the gospel within the church” (p. 45).
- “There is no biblical support for personal, autonomous Christianity” (p. 47).
- “Don’t just tell your church what to do; her Mind them of who they are and what Christ has done” (p. 72).
- “Ownership looks like people participating in the messiness of community and being inconvenienced for the sake of another's sanctification” (p. 73).
- “Because Jesus has redeemed us and reconciled us to the Father, we get to live in such a way that shows his great mercy and grace” (p. 75).
- “Man has always had a bent toward worshiping created things rather than the creator. This is the definition of idolatry” (p. 90).
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