Community is one of the main reasons people attend church. People want to know others and be known by others. This is one of humanity’s most basic needs. We were designed and created to be in a relationship with one another. But how do you create a healthy church community within your congregation?
It’s easy for churches and church leaders to be distracted by other things and avoid building an authentic, healthy community within their church. However, Covid taught us, among many things, that people are still desperate for a healthy community. The church should be an example of what a healthy community looks like in a world craving genuine relationships.
With that in mind, here is how to create a healthy community within your congregation:
Have a Systematic Approach to Creating Healthy Community
If you want to create a healthy community within your congregation, you need a systematic plan and strategy. Many churches use an organized small group system to create a community within their church.
Some churches have a “Free market” approach to small groups where anyone can start a small group around pretty much anything (book study, hobby, topic, common interest, etc.). Meanwhile, other churches have a small group system that is more intentional. In these, groups may go over the recent Sunday’s sermon or study a specific book of the Bible.
No matter what approach or system you decide to implement, the important thing is to be intentional when creating community. This is the best way to keep your church feeling small, where everyone knows someone and is known by someone.
Have Pastors and Staff Connect with Your Congregation Regularly
A healthy community has to start from the top. If the church leadership is not intentionally building relationships with the congregation, the church won’t have a healthy community. Those who work for the church and lead the church must set an example.
One way to do this is by having the lead pastor and staff intentionally mingle and speak to the congregants before and after service. This can happen in the auditorium, lobby, or even outside the front doors. Pastors and staff members should position themselves so that people can easily access them and have conversations. Pastors taking the time to chat and know their congregants show the church that they are valuable and important.
When pastors, staff, and other church leaders take the time to learn people’s names, faces, and stories, then others will follow along and do the same.
Some of the best community encounters happen organically, but to have those encounters, people need to put themselves in the pathway of other people. This has to be done on purpose by the leaders of the church so that the organic community becomes a part of the church culture. Culture is caught more than it’s taught. Model this to your congregation.
You shouldn’t just do this on Sunday mornings, though. Get to know your church outside the church building. Set up coffee meetings, invite people over to your house for dinner, or lead a small group. Pastors and staff members need to be in the thick of creating a healthy community for true community to be sustained within the congregation.
Create Healthy Church Community Within Your Serving Teams
Many serving teams and positions at churches can become task-driven and lack a sense of teamwork or togetherness. Take advantage of your serving teams by having a community and a true team culture.
Teach your team leaders to build relationships with each member. Know who they are, their family, their story, where they come from, and where they are going. Use this as an opportunity to create camaraderie among your teams. Meet outside of Sundays or serving commitments. Team leaders could have their team members over for dinner to build relationships.
This doesn’t just need to happen on a micro level. This can happen on a larger scale as well. Have a “Team Night” 1-2 times a year. This is where every serving team gets together to celebrate one another and what God has done. Serve food and dessert and have some fun activities. Let there be time and space to mingle. This creates a true “us” feeling and shows that every team is working together to accomplish something significant.
For churches offer multiple services, consider having a serving schedule where the same people serve at the same service times. When people see the same faces at the door, in the auditorium, or when dropping their kids off at their class, over time, there are natural conversations and rapport built. People become comfortable and familiar with each other.
Creating community among all your teams is a great way for your church members to feel a part of something significant.
Serve Your Local Community
Another way to develop a healthy community within your congregation is to serve the community and area the church is located. Something special happens when churches come together to help their community. People in the church have an opportunity to serve alongside people they may not know or see regularly.
Whether it’s cleaning around a local school, taking care of an elderly couple’s yard, or helping at a local food bank, when people serve side by side to help others, it creates a natural connection. These moments create memories and connections. Be intentional about serving your local community. Watch your church join together to create a healthy community among each other.
Create a Hospitality Team
If your church doesn’t already have a hospitality team, you should consider creating one. “Hospitality” can mean many things. It could mean a team that makes and serves coffee and pastries before and after service. It could mean a team that greets and assists people and families as they walk in. Whatever the task, the goal is to create a welcoming atmosphere that allows people to speak with one another.
People are looking for connections. Whether it is chatting over a cup of coffee or greeting someone as they walk in, having a hospitality team creates an atmosphere that fosters conversations and relationship building. Having a hospitality team creates opportunities for people to talk, connect, know one another, and ultimately create a healthy community within your congregation.
Creating A Healthy Church Community Is a Process
Creating a healthy community within your congregation isn’t complicated. But it requires looking at all aspects of your church and seeing where things can be better. This may be something that requires minor tweaking or a complete overhaul. Wherever your church is in the process of creating a healthy community, follow the steps above to see your church continue to progress in the area of building a healthy community.
