Advice to New Communities

To people interested in establishing a new community I would encourage them to see 1) who the leaders are, 2) what the purpose of the community is, and 3) what the commitment among them is. Many attempts at community fail because the reasons for living together are vague or “romantic.” I believe that where God’s people are gathered because that has been his word to them, there is a solid foundation on which to build.

Initially, most communities seem to face the same basic problems and struggles, ranging from eating habits to family life to priorities. When people come together committed to share openly, all of who they are eventually emerges. This, in turn, presents areas in the common life (like the ones mentioned above) that must be resolved.

The basic difference in the dynamics of a beginning community and one that is established and mature is the wisdom and experience that comes with the established community. The established community has gained knowledge in the forming of relationships and how to “grow people up.” Their trust in the Lord’s faithfulness is well established. Emerging communities would do well to vigorously pursue established communities -- to visit them for periods of time and have members of established communities stay with them -- whatever needs to be done to develop a trusting, learning relationship.

We have learned much about not imitating, but rather that each community develop the style of life together that suits their life and ministry -- in areas such as leadership, worship, family, living accommodations, clothing, transportation, childcare, etc.

It is true that often a major cause of many communities failing is a lack of strong, given pastoral care. However, there have been times when we have carried such heavy emphasis on pastoral oversight that people stopped hearing the Lord for themselves. Teachings that place so much emphasis on submission and authority make it easy to fall into this trap, and so you end up with people not able to hear the Lord individually, much less corporately. Also, we have seen communities crippled by keeping the emphasis of leadership among married couples and not giving single people full involvement.

We have learned many things about corporate worship. I believe each community needs to know and seek what its “style” is, and this will grow and change as the community does. In terms of living accommodations, on the basis of our experience I would be cautious about putting three or four households in one large building, unless there were ways of clearly defining the household “boundaries” and unless there were more than one person in experienced leadership able to be on the premises consistently.

Our understanding of married life and the natural family has grown from the initial shock or fear of losing husband or family to resting in the knowledge that we are able to love and serve husband and children as brothers, which is the primary relationship. That realization is ever so freeing.

My understanding of community has greatly changed in the last five years. At this point in my life, I know without a doubt I am called to it. At first I didn’t know this, and I fought it tooth and nail.

The whole idea of extending my natural family was extremely threatening to me, to say nothing of the fear of losing my individuality. My experience in community, however, has been one that has deeply enriched the life of my natural family. We have the opportunity to see and experience one another in so many more situations, and I am exposed to many more facets of my husband and children.

The gifts within me have been creatively and lovingly drawn forth during these years, and those things in my personality I call “excess baggage” are being healed and removed.

Community has renewed me as an individual, freeing me to give myself to those I live with and to participate in the corporate renewal of the church. I see this as my vision for corporate renewal: individuals who have experienced renewal in their own lives now given to the body of Christ to serve, and setting one another free for ministry, so that there are always those of us willing to keep the home life rich and full, teaching others; and those of us willing to go out sharing the good news of our life together -- Christ among us.

When this article appeared, Margo Farra was one of the elders at Community of Celebration, a renewal community in Woodland Park, Colorado.