While trying to answer the question, “what does a transformative community look like,” I found myself stuck. I assumed it would be easy to describe tangible characteristics. I’d describe how many people should gather, what type of activities would be included in the gatherings, and what type of teaching and learning would be embraced. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
Form vs Function in Transformative Community
You’ve probably heard the old adage in the marketing world that form follows function. In the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries, architects and designers stated that the shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose. Although that principle was rooted in design, it can be applied to a faith community at any size.
Before we define the characteristics of what makes a community transformative, we have to pay attention to the word in our phrase that defines the function of the community – transformative. A transformative community, first and foremost is transformational. As we clarify the function, we can allow the form to develop (how many people, what activities, etc.) as long as it doesn’t hinder the function.
What Does it Mean to Be Transformative?
Trans·for·ma·tive – adjective – causing a marked change in someone or something.
Hmm. That helps a little, but what about this one.
Trans·form – noun– make a thorough or dramatic change in the character of.
Ah. That’s even better.
Make a dramatic change in the character of! So a transformational community is one where its members find what they need to be transformed in character. So, that identifies the FUNCTION of a transformative community. If people who are gathering maintain the same character over a period of time, they may be living in community. But, they may not be in a transformative community.
That leaves the task of identifying what elements in a community lead to changed character. Now, we’re getting somewhere!
Agents of Change in Faith Community
A Vision for What Could Be
You may have heard it said that in order for change to happen in a person’s life, the pain of staying where one is must be greater than the pain of making the change (the path of least pain.) Another way to look at this is in order for someone to change, the joy on the other side of change must be greater than the comfort of staying the same.
In order for a group to be transformative, there must be at least one individual in the group who can share stories of how much joy there is in doing the hard work of character change. There must be someone who has actually paid the price to make the hard adjustments necessary to walk close enough to Jesus to have been changed for the better – even just for a baby step. If you haven’t taken that step, find someone willing to join you. They can share the hope found in fully committing to the reign of Jesus in their life.
Vulnerability to Others in the Community
I rarely experience significant life transformation without the help of mentors or friends.
It’s so easy to remain the same when no one knows my barriers to growth but me. When there is no accountability to overcome obstacles, the path of least resistance is irresistible. When I share my struggles and commitment to growth with members of my spiritual community, I have objective outside help. That accountability will keep me on the path to long-term transformation.
A Community-Wide Commitment to Live into God’s Original Design
The story of the Bible starts with a small community living in a perfectly designed ecosystem (Genesis 1). It ends with a nation living in a perfectly restored city (Revelation 22.) Everything in the middle is a story of broken chaos resulting from humanity’s refusal to submit to the “original design.”
When Jesus taught us to pray for the Kingdom to come right here on Earth as it is in His dwelling place (heaven) His hope was that we would trust God. Do the hard transformative work of submitting to the “original design” in everyday life.
A transformative community unifies in its pursuit to be God’s hands and feet. We bring the reign of Christ to that community. In turn, God’s Kingdom comes to the places where those individuals live, work and play.
A community is transformed when it is committed to embrace the Word of God. That leads to helping each other live into its principles.
A Clear Understanding of How Jesus Multiplied Disciples
The greatest transformative community in the history of the world was Jesus and his 12 disciples. If we are asking the question, “What does a transformative community look like?” we have no better source than the most transformational community in the history of the world.
Of the most unlikely people on the planet to usher in the Kingdom of God, the disciples Jesus selected were at the top of the list – at least from outward appearances. Unclean, uneducated, Hebrew school flunkies working in professions and living lifestyles which made the religious elite wince in repulsiveness.
But these were the very people who made up the most transformative community that ever gathered on planet Earth. The key was that those people had no religious entanglement to undo. Jesus built their faith foundation from scratch. They had the freedom to embrace His way of life. They didn’t first have to see if it fit their religious matrix.
And with these unexpected followers, Jesus was able to launch the movement. It changed the world and altered humanity forever.
He Selected the Disciple-able
Jesus knew he had no time to waste, so He chose to spend time with those who were ready to turn their backs on all their world had to offer and embrace following hard after the Messiah.
Jesus Taught with Stories and Questions
God designed our minds and hearts, so He understood better than any of us that the best way to open the door to our hearts and tweak our mindsets was to tell stories and ask probing questions to create tension.
When the Time was Right He Sent Them to Copy His Techniques
After 18 months of watching Him invest in the next generation of Kingdom bringers, Jesus paired up the disciples and sent them to do exactly what He did. The 6 groups of 2 replicated what had been modeled and brought back 6 groups of 12 – exactly as Jesus had done with them a year-and-a-half earlier.
He Empowered the Subsequent Generations of Disciples to Intensify Multiplication
As these transformational communities began to create other transformational communities, the process simply repeated itself until the whole known world had to face what the Gospel of Jesus Christ meant for them.
In the coming years after Christ, we see His strategic commission come to life and the vision He cast in His last moments on Earth come to fruition.
Matthew 28:18-20 – Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
These principles and more are the ones we focus on in our transformational network at Ignite Discipleship. If you’d like more information join us at http://ingitediscipleship.com.
Conclusion
The temptation for 21st-century American disciple-makers is to look for programs and plans that will make the disciple-making process easy and fast. Unfortunately, true Jesus focused disciple-making is not organizational but organic. Organic things grow when the season is right and the proper nutrients and environment is available – and it generally starts very slowly and accelerates as the process develops.
A few of the nutrients for multiplying transformative communities include:
- A Vision for What Could Be
- Vulnerability to Others in the Community
- A Community-Wide Commitment to the Original Design
- A Clear Understanding of How Jesus Multiplied Disciples
There are others of course, but hopefully this will give you some things to consider that don’t include large budgets, lifeless programs and fruitless efforts.
May your discipling communities be filled with life and excitement and lead to true transformation in the lives of those you gather.
Contact Ignite if you need a community to journey with in the process.
