• Is up close and personal with all types of people–not just those we prefer, but every person in the room
  • Shoulder to shoulder walking, sometimes running, sometimes picking up those who have fallen
  • God’s love is felt in the atmosphere
  • It is loving and accepting and warm
  • People are secure because they are freely themselves
  • There is no condemnation, no fear
  • Shame is never a tool used to motivate, neither is punishment, intimidation, manipulation, religious bullying…
  • It is transparent and honest and vulnerable and open
  • It is willing to grow together and sometimes fight together–together, not against each other
  • It is so close people call each other brother and sister–even the most unlikely are joined together in this family
  • There is no favoritism, God is not partial, neither is His family
  • Unity permeates every relationship because of the extreme level of love and commitment to one another
  • The central focus of all activity within the community is unmistakably JESUS
  • Everyone and everything points to JESUS
  • Everything in the community gets it’s purpose from JESUS
  • The community lives and breathes and does everything with eternal purpose
  • Sacrifice is understood as Jesus’ example for us to follow
  • Willingness to get down in the dirt and wash people’s feet permeates the culture.
  • There is deep respect and honor for everyone in the community–and it’s tangible.

Is this an illusory ideal? Nope! This is the community we read about in the New Testament. This is the family God is wanting to build us into. When we are allowing God to transform our hearts and our churches, we will look more and more like this. But, if there is distance in our relationship with Jesus and we are not allowing His life to affect ours, there will be distance in our relationships with people.

Allowing Jesus to transform our lives, transforms our churches. Seeking to live up close and personal with Jesus, will make us want to live up close and personal with His–our–family.