Jamie Dunlop & Mark Dever's The Compelling Community – Part 2

 

Part 2 of the book focuses on fostering community. Chapters 5 and 6 emphasize that a community with supernatural breadth and depth can only be achieved through supernatural faith, which is cultivated by hearing God’s Word and through prayer, respectively. Chapters 7 and 8 highlight the importance of building a culture of spiritually intentional relationships and address the structural obstacles to achieving a biblical community, respectively.

Chapter 5 exposed a critical mistake in my pastoral approach. Despite my dedication to preaching expository sermons each Sunday, I failed to see that my congregation was not truly saturated with God’s Word. I was burned out, and while I do not entirely blame the congregation, I recognize my role in this failure. This book has convinced me of the vital role of discipling in the local church and revealed my shortcomings. The authors emphasize that a single Sunday sermon cannot nurture a church community effectively. To cultivate genuine spiritual growth, the community must be immersed in God’s Word throughout the week, with members actively sharing and engaging with it together. My former church lacked this essential discipling culture.

While reading Chapter 5, I noted that the authors extensively discuss preaching as one of two primary tools for cultivating a discipling culture. They emphasize moving beyond mere preaching to pastoring, which includes collaboratively writing sermons with church members and seeking their feedback. Additionally, they highlight the congregation’s responsibility in the preaching process, encouraging the church to read the upcoming Sunday’s text in advance and teaching them how to make observations. These insights are profoundly valuable, though they are not entirely new to me. This is because Grace City Church has already been implementing these practices. I am deeply encouraged and immensely blessed during this season of life, as the principles I am reading about are not only theoretical but also actively practiced, as evidenced in the vibrant life of Grace City Church.

In Chapter 6, the authors outline three compelling reasons to invest significant time in corporate prayer, providing profound insights that have reshaped my perspective on its importance. First, the public nature of corporate prayer fulfills God’s desire to make His glory known. Second, its didactic nature teaches the congregation how to pray effectively. Third, its communal nature builds unity through a collective voice lifted to God. Each reason carries equal weight, but the second and third points particularly stood out to me. Through corporate prayer, the church learns to focus on spiritual priorities, moving beyond trivial or physical concerns. Moreover, it fosters unity within the local church, strengthening the sense of community.

In the section "Work to Shape the Requests That Come from Your Congregation," the authors provide insightful guidance on selecting prayer requests for corporate prayer. They recommend prioritizing requests that are closely connected to the congregation and carry the greatest eternal significance. Looking back on my previous church, I recognize that we lacked this wisdom. Our corporate prayer sessions were often dominated by requests for physical needs, such as students’ success in competitive exams (UPSC, SSC) and healing for those in hospitals, rather than focusing on matters of deeper spiritual importance.

In the section "Build a Culture of Spiritually Intentional Relationships," under Strategy 1, the authors advocate for simplicity, highlighting two essential practices: discipling and hospitality. I wholeheartedly agree with their perspective. In particular, I gained a valuable insight into hospitality. My previous understanding of hospitality was narrow, but the authors offer a compelling argument, noting that the original word, xenophile, means “lover of strangers.” They encourage a broader view of hospitality, encompassing acts like inviting someone out for a meal, greeting a stranger at church, or attending a church member’s wedding, even if the connection is minimal. I realized that I have been unintentionally practicing hospitality by engaging with strangers after church services. However, I acknowledge that hospitality is an area where I need significant growth. By intentionally pursuing these practices, I aim to cultivate a culture of spiritually intentional relationships.

The authors’ exposition of the “golden chain” in Ephesians 4:11–16 is compelling and has illuminated the pitfalls of a church staff-oriented model. In my previous church, the congregation depended heavily on staff for all church responsibilities, often justifying this by noting that staff are paid to perform such tasks. I had not recognized how this approach obstructed the formation of a biblical community. The authors explain that Christ appoints leaders to His church to “equip God’s people for works of service.” As the congregation, equipped by these leaders, engages in ministry, the local church body is strengthened, leading to unity and maturity. This understanding of the “golden chain” has reshaped my approach, and I am committed to fostering a ministry model that empowers the congregation to actively contribute to building a biblical community in the future.

            Initially, in Part 1, I recommended that my hometown pastors read this book with their deacons. However, after reflecting on Part 2, I strongly advocate for this book to be read by all church members, not just pastors and deacons. The authors provide profound insights into fostering a biblical community through essential practices: preaching to equip the community, engaging in corporate prayer as a community, cultivating a culture of spiritually intentional relationships, and addressing structural obstacles to biblical community. These principles are crucial for every member to embrace to build a biblical church community.