Belong — Be Known — Be Encouraged — Be Sent Out
Empowered. Missional. Kingdom Minded. Christ-centered. Spirit-filled. Holistic. There are a lot of adjectives pastors can add to describe the community they are trying to build. These words add focus or clarity to the vision of the community.
At Revival Valley, we foster the creation of Life Groups, the smaller mid-week communities that live along side the weekly worship gatherings. At a high level, all communities should seek to fulfill the great commandments to love God, and love others (Matt 22:26-40), spurred on by the great commission (Matt 28:18-20) to make disciples. Each follower of Christ learning to love God and others doesn’t just happen. It is the disciple making process found in a good community of believers. An Empowering Community in Christ which include the foundational values of: Belong, Be Known, Be Encouraged, and Be Sent Out.
We don’t seek to establish these DNA points one at a time, moving first to create a sense of Belonging, and then moving to Be Known by others. No, we seek to establish all four points at the inception of each community.
By seeking to Send Out each disciple, to launch them into their Kingdom work, we actually are better motivate to know and encourage them better than if we were merely seeking to Belong to a community. It is good to Belong to a community, it is better to belong to a community committed to loving God, and making disciples. A community with purpose is an Empowering Community.
The Belong and Be Known aspects are really focused on Community building, with an expression of loving God and loving each other. The second two aspects of Being Encouraged and Being Sent focus on Empowering each other to fulfill the Great Commission through are particular gifts and callings.
Belong
Many times we say we ‘attend’ church, but it does not make sense to say we ‘attend’ family, or ‘attend’ a body. No, we ‘belong’ to a family and ‘belong’ to a body. The Bible calls us all the Family of God and the Body of Christ.
Empowering Communities always seek to create spaces where any follow of Jesus feel they belong. There aren’t outsiders. There is always room for one more. Just as our Father worked to turn orphans into daughters and sons, so we too should always be working to include anyone who needs a community.
Be Known
Knowing God is eternal life (John 17:3), and God knows us. God knows us perfectly, and loves us perfectly. We don’t know each nearly that well. Our desire to love each other better, should drive a desire to know each other deeply. This love for each other is grounded in knowing, and receiving the love of the Father.
Empowering Communities seek to know each other deeply, not just meet at a regular time and place. Mutual, two way sharing is required, surrounded in love and grace, not judgment or suspicion. Love for each other deepens as we understand someone’s story; their high points and their low points, as well aa discovering design and purpose God has for them. Great intention and focus is needed to truly know, and truly love God and each other.
Be Encouraged
The entire Bible is to help guide and direct us. The four gospels and the letters to the churches are full of encouragements to the followers of Christ. We are to be built up, strengthened and encouraged in Christ constantly, and we should help each other as well.
Empowering Communities use the Word of God to build each other up. Both the Bible, and the timely words spoken through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, equip and encourage members as we all walk this earth. General encouraged can be given to the community, as well as specific trainings, teachings and encouragements to each member. Each person is expect to give and receive encouragement as we meet.
Be Sent
Each of us has a mandate to go make disciples but Jesus didn’t give that commission to individuals, one at a time. He gave that commission to a company of disciples. If each person is doing their part, then more disciples are made. One disciples call and gifting is different than another, so how he or she are sent will of course be different.
Empowering Communities understand the call for each disciple is different and seeks to send out each person according to their unique gifts (Eph 2:10 & Rom 11:29). Each group seeks to launch every disciple into their specific Kingdom work.
We experience and grow in God’s love, our love for Him and each other in Communities where we Belong and are Known. We Empower each other to accomplish God’s plan and purpose as we Encouraged and Sent Out. Empowering Communities merge together the need for healthy fellowship and relationship with accomplishing God’s plan in the world.
These communities are not works driven. The motivation is to know deeply how God made each one of us. By digging deeper to know each other, we are more focused in our encouragements when we understand the calling upon each life. We seek to assist the unfolding plan and purpose for each person as we prepare to send each other out into the world. Full of God’s love, and full of His purpose. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father, so too we are sent into the world.
Questions
Where do you belong? Who have you invited to belong?
Are you known? Who do you know?
How have you been encouraged? Who did you encourage?
How was I sent ? Who am I helping to send?
