WEEK #7

Authentic Biblical Community

Are you experiencing “B”? - Part 2

It doesn’t matter whether you are in an adult Bible fellowship, a small group, or on a ministry team. The question is – Are you experiencing Authentic Biblical Community? The forms may vary but the function is non-negotiable for a Christian who wants to obey the New Testament and experience life as God intended it. The Bible requires every believer in the church to experience on-going authentic relationships with a community of believers who practice the “one another” commands. The purpose of this series of articles is to biblically define ABC, to help the readers accurately assess whether they are experiencing ABC to the fullest and to determine what needs to be improved and strengthened in their present community experience.

The biblical functions found in the “one another” commands require a group that is small enough that these commands can actually occur. Small in size doesn’t mean that the “one another” commands will automatically occur but that the group dynamics will lend themselves to facilitate such mutual activity. This is why it’s so valuable for larger groups to break-out around tables. This enables them to move from the superficial conversation to more intimate discussions. Not everyone is ready to know & be known. It’s important to remember the purpose of the group meeting. If people come to a class that was advertised as curriculum driven and found it to be highly relational (where the objective is not only to know the truth about God but the truth about themselves) they may find themselves uncomfortable and won’t return. But if your objective is life change then you must create an environment where the group dynamics work hand-in-hand with the one another commands. What are some of those group dynamics?

1. Long Term Relationships – The most damaging dynamic that will hinder relationships being built is where the subgroup/break-out table is just feeling comfortable enough to practice the one another commands and a fruit basket turnover occurs. This happens when everyone is directed into a new subgroup every time the ministry meets or every new semester. People start to feel they are getting close enough to open up and now they are with a whole new group of people and have to start over. Mixers are wonderful for helping people to meet some new acquaintances, but it works against the intimacy needed to become close enough to practice some of the more intimate one another commands (confess your sins to one another, admonish one another, etc).

2. Enough Communication Lines Open – The larger the group the fewer the opportunities to interact with one another. Even if you have a small group of 12 individuals it’s important to break-out into subgroups. Jesus Himself had the multitudes, the Seventy, the Twelve and His inner circle. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 sets forth the value of an intimate subgroup – “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. ¹⁰For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. ¹¹Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? ¹²And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. A subgroup of two can give each other too much slack but a subgroup of 3 or 4 gives everyone the opportunity to participate and speak into one another’s lives. One of the equations that has been helpful over the years is:

N x N –N = CL

The number of people times the number of people minus the number of people equals the number of communication lines that need to be open for great interaction within a group.

2 x 2 – 2 = 2

3 x 3 – 3 = 6

10 x 10 – 10 = 90

15 x 15 – 15 = 210

17 x 17 – 17 = 272

If you have an hour meeting how much interaction with one another would occur in a group of 10? 15? 17?

3. Confidentiality – The foundation for confidentiality is trust and trust takes time to build. Some sociologists believe that it takes 9 months for a group to develop trust and intimacy. Trust is built as people share their story with one another. The storytelling deepens with time. People open up and usually only tell the difficult parts of their story as they are confident that the members of their group will keep that information to themselves. When trust is broken and someone gossips that information it destroys friendships (Proverbs 11:13; 16:28; 18:8; 20:19; 25:10; 26:22). When the truth about you (Your Story) intersects with the truth about God (His Story – The Bible) life change occurs. This is community at its best. Others share how they have similar stories (1 Cor.10:13) and reach out to you – bearing your burdens, weeping with you, comforting you, encouraging you and more.

Do the group dynamics of the group you lead or attend lend themselves to facilitate sharing at the one another level?

Next week and the weeks that follow we will examine each one another command in the New Testament in order to improve and strengthen our experience in Christian community.