“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.” — Reid Hoffman
If you have dipped, dabbled or become submersed in any level of volunteerism or servitude of western civilization churches, you would have heard, “He came to serve, not to be served!” We have heard the sermons, the pep talks and rallying cries from Pastors, Preachers, Teachers and Volunteer leaders. You would have heard the WHYS; “We serve so others can receive the Gospel” or “Saved People Serve People”! I absolutely agree with all of this. We should serve so others can receive the Miracle of Salvation. Salvation is still the greatest miracle of all. However, we rarely mention or discuss how impactful you can be when part of a team. Better stated, “How relevant are you to your community?” In order for an organization to be relevant in a community; there must be alignment and shared vision for the future. At NCC that Vision is, “Connect with God, Connect with Others, Create a Community.” We want unchurched and unsaved people to Connect with God. We want everyone to Connect with Others by engaging in a group so we can disciple others and be discipled ourselves. Finally, we Create Community by serving those outside of the community (unchurched and unsaved) and helping our brothers and sisters in Christ during all times, whether it be good times or bad.
When part of a community, everyone is on the same team! We each have our own purpose and calling. If you are searching for purpose, let me make this easy, DRAG AS MANY PEOPLE TO HEAVEN WITH YOU AS POSSIBLE! How you do this can be unclear at times, but that’s the purpose for community! Within Christ-centered community you have three kinds of people; mentors who provide wisdom for your journey, colleagues who journey with you and disciples who you help along their journey. But so often we let pride get in the way and we isolate ourselves from those who can help us find freedom. Within Christ-centered community, individual actions are exponentially impactful because they are usually link to at least three other people (a mentor, a colleague and a disciple). Deuteronomy 32:20 says 1 can put 1,000 to flight with God’s help, but 2 can put 10,000 to flight with God’s help. Now imagine what 3 can do?
As humans, we have tendencies to withdraw in times of pain and affliction. It is our emotional defense mechanism. However, this is not God’s design. He created us to be relational, so we could be stronger together. The stronger we are, the healthier we are. The healthier our community, the more people from outside want to join, and that’s the goal. We want people to choose Jesus! In times of struggle, don’t withdraw but rather press in and find brothers and sisters who help shoulder the burden. Isolation is the only battlefield the enemy wins on. We can simply defeat the enemy by choosing to surround ourselves with wise and Godly people.
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm ~Proverbs 13:20.
This week I encourage you to create new connections in your community. Find someone to love and mentor, meet a new friend to enjoy life with, humble yourself to the council of the wise, and share how amazing Jesus is with somebody.
