The Open Doors Project

Community is Encouraging

God didn’t intend for us to live in isolation. He specifically designed us to crave—and thrive in—relationship with others. We’re our best selves when we’re experiencing life’s highs and lows with others. That means everyone,whether you’re single or married, needs community

SERVING GOD AND THE COMMUNITY

The Bible has a lot to say about this topic! Here are four reasons the Bible tells us community is so important.

Being in the community gives you the chance to be around people at different stages of their faith journey—and to bear their burdensalongside them (Galatians 6:2).

Community is fun. Community should never feel boring or forced. In fact, it should be the exact opposite. Psalm 133:1 (NIV) tells us, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Our culture can sometimes portray Christians as a pretty boring bunch. But that couldn’t (or shouldn’t) be further from the truth! Believers can be goofy, witty and just really fun to be around. Yes, community has ahigher purpose. But it should also be enjoyable!

Community attracts the Holy Spirit. The Bible says the Holy Spirit is present whenever believers gather together (Matthew 18:20). A great example of this was the early church of Acts, which made a habit of meeting together, eating together, and worshiping together. As a result, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46–47 NIV).

Being in church on Sundays is definitely important. But if you want tobe a Christ follower, be one every day in the context of all your communities. That’s where you’ll see ministry happen. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24–25 NIV).

Because everyone has something to teach and to learn. In fact, it creates the ideal environment to be a Barnabas (friend), pursues a Paul (teacher), or train a Timothy (student). What it comes down to is lifting each other, learning from one another, and being the friend each of us needs. That’s how Hebrews described community:
Community fosters love.

We’ve probably all been to a wedding where the officiant recited the familiar words of 1 Corinthians 13, which ends with, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Paul held love above all else in his letter to the Corinthians. And he did the same with his letter to the Colossians: “Bear with each other and forgive one another’ if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:13–14 NIV).

Bonus reason: Community is life-giving—and essential to following Christ. Scripture says that’s because we’re better together than we are alone (Romans 12:4–5).

It can be hard for some of us to commit to community, especially if we’reguarded or prefer solitude. But community is God’s desire for us—and a sign of a mature faith. Because at the end of the day, when we grow in our relationships with others, we’re growing in relationship with Him!

Sunday: Kids Club

10.00 am 

Zoom settings

Meeting ID: 828 9226 1723

Passcode: 728841

Tuesday: Sisterhood Bible Study

10.00 am

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Meeting ID: 899 5568 0429

Passcode: 002217

Thursday: Heart of Giving

5.00 pm

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Meeting ID: 881 5699 2868

Passcode: 496216

Saturday: Yoga Class

10.00 am

Zoom settings

Meeting ID: 876 8939 4419

Passcode: 994177