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Authentic Community Part 2

With the changes in our culture that have debilitated community, it is imperative that the Church facilitates environments and leads people toward authentic Community.  (By the “church”, I am referring to the people of God and not a building or organization!  See this previous post here regarding the Church)

In Randy Frazee’s book The Connecting Church, he quotes Paul Geisel, professor of urban affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington:

Before suburbs, developers would build on city streets already laid out for them.  In a typical pre-World War II urban neighborhood, homes were built upward to promote density and placed close to the street.  They had spacious, covered front porches close to the public sidewalk, making it easy to talk with neighbors walking back from the local market.  Today’s subdivisions feature wide, winding streets, which promote speedy driving.  New homes with tiny front porches sit imposingly behind large private lawns.  And there is no corner store, or public space for community gatherings. 

Suburbia is not set up for easy development of Authentic Community, so the church has its work cut out for it in these suburban settings.

We need people that will BE INTENTIONAL about getting OUT of their houses and connecting relationally with other people.  This will happen most effectively if we are motivated by the love of Jesus!

Simply get out of the house and WALK ACROSS THE STREET!  Start a conversation or discussion.  People are lonely and Christ IN YOU will create community!