Building True Community

Requires Hard Word. To fulfill my required PE credit in college I searched for the easiest course that was offered. Nothing before 10AM or during meal times would be acceptable. One class seemed to fit that bill - canoeing. I thought, how difficult can it be; get in a boat and ride down the river? I quickly learned how ignorant I was. In fact, that canoeing class turned out to be one of the toughest courses in my college career. Not only did I have to study for two major exams but had to learn how to maneuver through some of the toughest rapids in central Texas. Every week I was paired with a new partner, so I had to quickly learn how to build trust with the other person in the canoe. The communication between us was important to us effectively navigating the dangers we would encounter as we drifted down the river. Both of us had the same goal, get through the rapids without turning over, getting hurt or losing our equipment.

Defining Fellowship. One Biblical word that is used frequently in the New Testament is Koinonia, which is usually interpreted fellowship. In Baptist churches we tend to define fellowship as a group of people eating fried chicken together. Breaking bread certainly is a part of fellowship, but that is a very small part of the original meaning of the word. The Greek word can mean fellowship, a communion, society, partner, companion. In Acts 2:42, we learn that the early church fellowshipped together. This passage gives us the idea that this group did much more than eat together. These people shared real life concerns with each other. They became family to one another. The apostle Paul tells us of three very important people that reached out and gave him the "right hand of fellowship". Paul is saying these men shared their hearts with him when they could have easily turned their back on him. They ministered to him, mentored him, and shared their ministry and life with him. He was forever grateful. (Galatians 2:9)

Fleshing Fellowship Out. Is making fellowship happen easy or hard? Perhaps it's a bit of both. It is hard in the church today because true Biblical fellowship requires people to spend time with each other. We have become a culture of busyness. We have to consciously make time to spend together in smaller groups. Small groups in church life help people connect on a level they are not able to connect in a larger environment. For true koinonia to take place, people must see the importance of making the time to attend small groups and get-togethers outside of the church environment. The early church invested in each other. Rick Howerton wrote a book entitled, "Destination: Community". He points out that to share a meal together or do life together we need to slow down to experience life with intimate friends and family. In Biblical times, meals could last a couple of hours. This is the hard part of fleshing fellowship out today in the modern church. Eating together should be tied to relational intimacy. The short of it is we need to make life in community a daily priority in the church of today.

Fellowship is the same as my canoeing class in college. It is often times misunderstood and there is a great deal more to it than at first glance. Commit today to be an active part of a small group in your church and work hard at building meaningful relationships within your group!