Flourishing Communities for the Church
Note: This resource is adapted from Flourishing Communities for a campus context.
A flourishing community.
We all want community. Real community. Jesus is all about creating the kind of community that goes beyond just being known—how we live and love each other will change the world around us.
This 7-session series explores what it means to be a flourishing community that embodies God's transformative love. Through Scripture, meaningful discussion, and activities, your group will deepen its understanding of community, grow in connection with one another, and discover how to be a blessing to those around you.
Originally designed to foster deep community on campus, this series has been adapted for a broader audience so that any group in a church context can grow in understanding and vision for what it means to live out God's Word.
Week 1 – Embodied Faith
God's design for community is one of flourishing. As we embody faith together, individuals, communities, and even systems flourish.
Week 2 - Selfless Love
We love selflessly, through our words and our actions, because of Jesus' love for us. Embodying our faith through how we love is the foundation of the flourishing community.
Week 3 – Radical Inclusion
In flourishing communities, all are seen, heard, and honored in the fullness of who God has made them to be.
Week 4 - Mutuality
Access and equity in the flourishing community are not contingent on social status. Instead, everyone participates in mutual self-giving where joys and pains are shared. Mutuality leads to unity.
Week 5 - Reconciliation
Having been reconciled to God through Jesus, we engage in the hard, costly work of being in right relationship with one another. Not only will we flourish, but so will those around us.
Week 6 - Costly Compassion
Communities flourish when followers of Jesus practice compassion. We see and act, embodying what it means to love God and love our neighbors. We extend compassion to all, even when it is costly or risky.
Week 7 - Justice
We are called to mirror God's heart and participate in God's mission to make all things right in our world. Pursuing justice is integral for true flourishing.
Testimony
Learn how Taylor used Flourishing Communities and how it can apply to your church congregation.