Signing On: Why Finding and Committing to a Community Is an Important Spiritual Step

John Stott tells of a Scottish minister who visited a church member who had drifted away from the community of the church. Upon entering the home, the minister sat down with the man in his den before the fireplace. Neither said a word.

Finally, the minister leaned forward, picked up the fireplace tongs, and took a burning coal from the fire. He laid the coal off to the side and, in just a few moments, what was once a bright, burning coal turned to cold, gray ash and eventually went out altogether.

Then the minister picked it back up and put it with the other coals. Within a few seconds, it was on fire again. Then the minister got up and left the man. Neither said a word through the entire visit, but the point was made.

The next weekend, the man returned to his family of faith.

So how do you experience the rewards of the new community?

By joining one!

You cannot develop yourself spiritually to the degree God intends apart from others. This is why finding a community – and committing to it – is one of the most important spiritual steps you can take. Apart from life in community with other believers, you can’t practice the “one anothers” that lie at the heart of not only community, but spiritual growth.

Here’s a sampling of those directives:

Be devoted to one another. (Romans 12:10)

Live in harmony with one another. (Romans 12:16)

Be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)

Spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)

Accept one another. (Romans 15:7)

Stop passing judgment on one another. (Romans 14:13)

Be kind and compassionate to one another. (Ephesians 4:32)

Therefore encourage one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. (Colossians 3:13)

Offer hospitality to one another. (1 Peter 4:9)

And then, over and over again in Scripture you find this phrase, first uttered by Jesus himself:

Love one another. (John 13:34)

Which of these can be experienced, much less pursued, outside of community?

Not a single one.

This is why joining a church – yes, becoming a member – is an important step to take. The Bible teaches that “we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). Even further, the Bible says that, as a Christian, “you are members of God’s very own family… and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (Ephesians 2:19).

That last verse holds three key truths: first, that the church is a family; second, that God expects Christians to be members of a church family; and third, that a Christian without a church family is a contradiction.

Not only does becoming a member of a local church community express obedience to the Bible, but it also moves us into a position of committed participation. It presents an opportunity to “step out of the stands” and publicly assert our commitment to Christ and to a specific local faith community. In this sense, membership can be one of the most significant and defining moments in your spiritual life. Yet while membership in a church brings you into the new community, it is only the entrance. The power of relational life must still be seized.

Think about your answer to this question: If two horses can pull 9,000 pounds, how many pounds can four horses pull? If you thought 9,000 pounds, you were wrong. If you thought 18,000 pounds, you were wrong. The answer is that while two horses can pull 9,000 pounds, four horses can pull more than 30,000 pounds. Now if that doesn’t make sense, it’s because you haven’t been introduced to the concept of synergy.

Synergy is the energy or force that is generated through the working together of various parts or processes. In his classic economics text, The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith wrote that 10 people working individually can produce 20 pins a day, but 10 people working together can produce 48,000 pins a day.

Synergy is bigger than just tasks, production, or the weight you can pull. It has to do with every aspect of life.

Married couples talk about the benefits of counselors. Athletes talk about the importance of trainers or coaches. Businesspeople talk about the power of a team.

This concept is true for your spiritual life as well. When you start developing strategic, spiritual relationships in your life, the impact is phenomenal, beginning with the challenge these relationships bring to your life.

So if you aren’t already a member of your church, what are you waiting for?

James Emery White

Sources

Adapted from James Emery White, After “I Believe”: Everyday Practices for a Vibrant Faith, order from Amazon.

John R. W. Stott, Christian Basics.

About the Author

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Christian Headlines.

Photo courtesy: ©GettyImages/Harbucks 

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.