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Importance of Community/Small Groups

  • August 8, 2024
  • Written by ECC Writing Team
  • in Weekly Blog

When the biblical authors set out to describe the church, they frequently turned to metaphors to help define and explain what the church is. One of the Apostle Paul’s favorite metaphors for the church is the “body of Christ.” In 1 Corinthians 12:12–14, he says, “For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. Indeed, the body is not one part but many.”

“We should strive to build up and maintain community around us.”

Knowing this, what do you think that says about how important it is for us to be connected to one another in community? Our relationships must be one of the most fundamental parts of our lives, right? Think about your own body for a moment. You rely on everything working the way that it should and for all your parts to operate in conjunction with one another to do what you need. If you lost any part of your body, your life would drastically change! We should think of ourselves in the same way. When we live disconnected from community, it’s like we’re a hand trying to live on its own, in isolation from a greater body. One hand does not make a whole body, and if a body has every part except for one hand, it’s not a whole body either.

So, as people who bear the image of God, we should strive to build up and maintain community around us. This isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it to be whole. We need to share our lives with others, allowing them to support us. And when they share theirs with us, we need to support them. Being in community has both privileges and responsibilities, and we can share them both as long as we’re staying connected to one another.

If you are looking to build up your community, we encourage you to join a Life Group. You can find more information about Life Groups and an upcoming Intro to Life Groups meeting here: [insert link to website]