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Community Vs. Fellowship Or The Same?


nucreature

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Can someone please explain to me this fairly new (less than 20 years) church term "having community" or "finding community"? I always thought there was the fellowship of the brethren, but I am hearing this coming from the more modern-leaning church members. Not trying to cause offense here, just trying to figure out what the terms mean.

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Seems to me a community (back in olden times when I was young) use to be a small town. 

Obama was a community organizer.  That alone is enough to turn me off to the use of the term community as used in modern parlance.

 

God bless,

Larry

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I am part of a Yahoo group called the Acts2 group. They concentrate on trying to form Christian "communities", self-sufficiency, such like that. Many of them truly believe that the ony real churches are those that are of the Acts 2-type community-they want to buy a piece of land somewhere away, and invite other believers to come and homestead on the property, where they will live sort-of communally, everyone sharing the work, as well as the bounty.

 

I am part of the group, because I am a bit of a self-sustainment type, but I am not in favor of the 'community' thing. I have explained to them that what was occurring in Acts 2 was something new and unique, and that it was the Lord who sent them out and into the world to be witnesses. I am generally ignored.

 

A major problem I see with some of their plans, however, is that many seem pretty indiscriminating about who is a Christian-they would let anyone claiming to be saved come and join. I have explained the importance of, at least, ensurein that only those who are like-minded doctrinally be allowed, otherwise you'll have people of differring doctrines joining and bickering and end up with multiple churches and groups, the very things they are trying to avoid. The head of the group agrees with me here, but many ignore it.

 

Anyways, this may be something of what they are talking about-comunities instead of traditional churches.

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Anyways, this may be something of what they are talking about-comunities instead of traditional churches.

 

 At our church we have "community groups" which are groups that are lead by one of our elders or a deacon. Each group meets at different times during the week at different locations. My community group meets Sunday after church. We usually have lunch together, pray together, Have a lesson on what we have been reading. Mostly Scripture, sometimes we go through the book Valley of Vision which is one of our elders favorite. its more like a Sunday School type setting rather than worship service.

"Doing Community" is just slang for living life in Christ by loving our neighbors as ourselves. We do that through witnessing and just trying to be a blessing to our neighbors.We do this by helping my neighbor Joe who is 84 and alone by mowing his lawn, shoveling his walkway and inviting him/bringing him dinner. We have given him the Gospel and just try to be a blessing to him. That is just one example. Am I always the best neighbor?, No. i have a neighbor who is very rude because I don't fuss over my lawn and landscaping like he does. He complains to my other neighbors about us and the challenge is to still love him like I love myself. Thats when I think of Christ and think how great is His mercy is towards a sinful people who He died for.

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 At our church we have "community groups" which are groups that are lead by one of our elders or a deacon. Each group meets at different times during the week at different locations. 

 

Sounds like "small groups".  Dangerous ground there.

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I think one of the big issues here is that, more and more, churches are trying to do things in a less traditional manner. If we study the bible, we see that the meeting of the local church was very much as we do it today-they came together, sometimes observed the Lord's supper, and people preached the word of God, either reading the writings of the apostles or expounding upon the old testament, seeing where Christ was written of. some spoke, others 'judged', or, I believe, discussed what was spoken of, maybe even to the point of actually judging as to the accuracy, biblicaly, of what they said. It was a meeting-some listened, some spoke, but the point was to rebuke, reprove, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. It was a preaching service!

 

Somehow, today, people have been taught that its just not enough, that somehow it needs to be more, more exciting, more entertaining, new and improved church! Bible studies are good-brethren should always be speaking on the things of God when they are together. If this is an organized Bible study, I don't see a big issue with it-it is being done under the umbrella of the local church, under the authority of the pastor and leadership, and as long as the teachings are being reviewed to ensure that it remains within the doctrines held by the church, then extra time in teaching and edification of the brethren is good. But if its new for the sake of new, it may be on the wrong path.

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