The Foundation for Community

Fellowship is the foundation for Community. In fact, Fellowship is the foundation on which the church was built. Fellowship is why we walk thru the doors of a church every week and a lack of fellowship is the reason that the world is filled with people who have never considered the church as a place to find the missing ingredient in their life.

Fellowship is more than friendship, it is the sharing of life.

No other example of fellowship has been greater than Jesus. He was able to take 12 men from extraordinary backgrounds and unite them together underneath a common bond. This was nothing short of spectacular!

The disciples were given every reason not to connect with one another. Their backgrounds could not have been more different, yet these 12 men united together under this common bond. They came together under a mutual respect and admiration for Jesus. This uniting force was the reason they were able to experience fellowship and ultimately community. The disciples became the original model for a community of life. Even though they were tax collectors, fisherman, zealots, liars, and cheaters...still, uniting under the leadership of Christ, they became a community that shared every moment of life and love for well over three years.

The disciples became a community because they were initially forced to have fellowship with one another.

The case could be made that community could exist without a common bond, but community cannot exist without fellowship.

A collection of individuals that exist without fellowship are nothing more than a group. I have no desire to be the member of a group.

Communities accept -- groups avoid.
Communities love -- groups loathe.
Communities are deep -- groups are surface.
Communities are united -- groups are easily divided.

I long to be the member of a like minded, loving, united, accepting, community of people who are deeply in love with Jesus.

Communities and their members are so committed to one another that they have learned to share life.

Acts 2:42 says "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, at to sharing meals, and to prayer."

Great communities meet together, eat together, and pray together.

If the leaders of the church will find a body of believers that care and share, it will exist because of genuine fellowship. If you, as the leader, have examined your organization and found a hole where relationships should be being formed, look at the opportunities for fellowship.

                                      Where fellowship is encouraged community will  follow.