Building Community ~ Connecting People

We had an outstanding Small Group Conference this morning with around 140 people in attendance representing 15 different churches. Russ was fantastic. He spoke two times on The Case for Community and Small Group Leaders: God's Catalyst For Life Change. Over the next several days I will be posting my notes and thoughts from the Conference. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the Conference.

The first evidence that Russ presented for The Case for Community is The Theological Case. God has never been alone. He is a community being in His essence.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

The Trinity is the forebearer of marriage and the church. We can be separate yet one; plural and singular at once.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery–but I am talking about Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32

Jesus left the crowds to spend time with the few. And then at the end of His life, He prays that His followers would be one. He prays that they would establish community according to the Trinitarian design.

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. John 17:11-12

Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one, that they would experience a community that is hard to imagine.

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20-21

It was a great morning. It's a great vision. It's a great call .... Building Community ~ Connecting People.