Women in missions mid-year retreat
23RD-25TH JUNE, 2023.
Theme: Building a Community of Saints
Objective: The aim of this study is to awaken our consciousness to our roles in building
sustainable community of saints that will serve as a tool in the fulfilment of the mission of
God.
Introduction
From Gen 2: 18, when God Himself declared that it is not good for the man to be alone,
to Rev. 7:9 when He finally gathered humanity in eternity, a common feature all through
scripture is that humans were not created to be alone but to dwell in community.
1. What is Community?
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the
apostles.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke
bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to
their number daily those who were being saved.
a. Community can simply be defined as –
“A group of people with shared commonalities which create interconnections and
interrelationships.” Give more definitions.
It is not exclusively a Christian phenomenon, but critical to the Christian expression.
b. Everyone desires community. Please share your experiences
Why do people go to bars, dancehalls, church e.t.c? Most of those activities can be done
individually but there is something special about the gathering of people with the same
mindset- for instance Matt. 18.20. That was why COVID 19 was so terrible.
2. Why Community?
This longing for community has a deep root in how we were created.
Gen.1: 26-27
26
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they
may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all
the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
a. Created in/by Community – The Trinity
i. Isaiah 48:16. vi. 1 Peter 1: 1-2
ii. Matthew 3:16–17. vii. John 1:1 & 14.
iii. Matthew 28:19. viii. Romans 9:5
iv. John 6:27.
v. Romans 1:7.
“Trinity” means that God himself is in community. God is community: one God,
three persons. Before any sort of human community existed, God in His threefold
being dwelt in perfect, loving harmony.
b. Created for Community
Who was God referring to when He said: “Let us make man in our image” in Genesis
1:26? What can we deduce from Gen. 1:26 about our need for community?
Our longing for community is so deep and primal because we are made to be like God -
as God’s image bearers!
c. Cruciality of Community
Note that community is the basis of the Christian faith.
i. The ten commandments – Ex. 20:1-17, Note esp.12-17.
ii. The Lord’s prayer – Matt. 6:9-13. Note vs. 9 – “our Father”.
iii. The Fruit of the Spirit is practiced in community – Galatians 5:22-23.
iv. The gift of the Spirit also – 1Cor.12
v. The Mission of the Church is imbedded in community. Eph. 4:11-16
3. How then do we build sustainable communities of saints?
b. It starts with us – Prov. 27:17, Matt. 7:5
i. the genuineness of our salvation –
ii. the depth of our walk with God
iii. our context and understanding.
c. Consider some of the “one another” scriptures –
i. “Love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing
honor” Romans 12: 9-21.
ii. “Comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace.”
2 Corinthians 13: 5-14
iii. “Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love
serve one another” Galatians 5:13-14.
iv. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” Ephesians 4:
17-32
v. And 1 Pet. 4:7-1, Acts 2: 42-47, Heb. 10:25.
vi. Discuss and add to the list below.
Fellowship, Transparency, Sharing, Vulnerability, Honesty, Humility
d. Hinderances to Community – Acts 5:1-11
i. Why was this judgment so rash?
ii. What are some significant differences between our present church
communities and the church of the Apostles? Acts 2:42-47
iii. How are these mentioned differences affecting our relationships with other
Christians and our ability to build communities?
iv. How do they affect the mission of the church?
Conclusion
It is pertinent to understand that the building of communities of faith is directly related to
the mission of God. The weaker our bonds in communities, the weaker our impacts. Most
of the ongoing popular teachings are inimical to the building of communities as they
engender competition rather than cooperation, pride, jealousy and envy rather than
humility, love and empathy. Since we were not created to be alone, it therefore becomes
crucial to intentionally cultivate our relationships, knowing that in so doing, God is
honored, His mission is accomplished because we then become His living witnesses. Jn.
13:35, Acts 2:47, Gal. 6:10.
