Our Values: Community

By Lauren Stearns, Start-Up Team Member

Community is at the core of who we are as Community Church, and it is also at the core of who we are as human beings. Community is not just something we participate in; it is something we were created for.

Before we as humans walked this earth, and even before the creation of the world, God existed in community: Father, Son, and Spirit. Community always existed, and love always existed within this community. The love between Father, Son, and Spirit was so great that it overflowed into the creation of this world, into communities of people like you and me.  

The beauty of community is the ability to share life with other people, to know that there are things common to all of us as humans and things that are unique to us as individuals. We don’t have to journey through this life alone. In fact, we weren’t meant too.

I have been fortunate enough to be a part of some truly exceptional communities. These communities were in many ways glimpses of heaven here on earth. With people from all around the world who constantly invested in one another’s lives, so much growth was experienced when we joined together. Spending time learning from the people around me as we worshipped together but also as we did normal, everyday things enriched my life.

We learned more about God and about the communities we lived in. We learned how to walk with one another through joy and grief. We learned how to extend forgiveness and how to receive grace. We learned to practice patience. We learned to love each other because Jesus first loved us. We truly shared our lives with one another.

Berlin is known for a lot of great things, but one of the not-so-great things Berlin is known for is loneliness. It’s even sometimes referred to as the “capital of loneliness.” This is why the value of community is so important to us.  

As a church, we share life together. We create a space where people can come with whatever questions they have and whatever emotions they carry. We are a church community that gathers around the table to share meals, stories, laughter, and tears with one another. We share how Jesus has changed our lives while also acknowledging that we don’t always get things right the first time.

This is a journey of walking with Jesus and walking alongside each other in the process.

I pray that Berlin will experience the vibrance of community that is offered in Jesus. I pray that people will know that they are loved and that there is a space for them at the table. I pray that Berlin will no longer be a city known for its loneliness but for its vibrant community of people walking with Jesus.

If you’d like to learn more about our community or begin exploring the Christian faith with others, we invite you to join our Explore the Bible series starting April 18th.