Loving Community

 The first mark of a church was that they "loved one another."
 Life in Christ is always urging to koinonia. In a healthy church,
 loving community is fostered and cherished. This will be
 reflected in personal relationships and small groups, the
  acceptance of newcomers, and constructive patterns of conflict
 resolution. Such communities are attractive.

 

Questions for Reflection

• Does each member have a strong personal relationship with four or more other church members?
• How many relational groups (both formal and informal) are there? Do members participate in more than
  one group? how do the groups relate to one another?
• How does the church open itself to newcomers? How do they establish friendships and become part of groups?
• How long is the average pastorate? Can you list reasons pastors leave? Why did pastors choose to stay?
  Why do members stay or leave?

 

 

 

American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region is a ministry resource and missions center for American Baptists in Illinois (excluding Cook, DuPage and Lake counties) and Missouri.  We are 50,000 members in 265 diverse congregations representing many ethnic backgrounds.  We hope you enjoy your time at our site and will be blessed by your visit.

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To help this site be more of a blessing to you: revrick4@insightbb.com