As I mentioned yesterday, I have been thinking quite a bit about creating and cultivating a community of grace in our church. Tim Chester has provided a helpful comparison between communities of performance and communities of grace:
Communities of Performance
- The leaders appear to have it all figured out
- The community appears respectable
- Meetings must be a polished performance
- Failure is devastating, because identity is found in ministry
- Actions are driven by duty
- Conflict is suppressed or ignored
- The focus is on orthodox behavior (letting people think they have it all figured out)
Communities of Grace
- The leaders are vulnerable
- The community is messy
- Meetings are just one part of community life
- Failure is disappointing but not devastating, because identity is found in Christ
- Actions are driven by joy
- Conflict is addressed in the open
- The focus is on the affections of the heart (with a strong view of sin and grace)
You would benefit from reading the entire article. If you find yourself benefiting from this material I would suggest buying Chester’s (along with Steve Timmis) book: Total Church.
