One of the five VITAL aspects of church health that lead to revitalization is Authentic Community—the “A” in VITALs, as we teach in our Revive Workshop and Revive Book. A healthy church must be rooted in genuine love for one another. I’ve learned that two of the most basic human needs are to be loved and to belong. When you think about it, the Kingdom of God, experienced through the local church, meets both of those needs.

We all know John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” There is no greater affirmation of love than God giving his own life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, that we might have a personal relationship with Him forever. It is an amazing love, especially because we do not deserve it and cannot earn it.

Fewer people know 1 John 3:16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Those words make it clear that we belong to God’s family, the Church, and in that family we are called to love one another as Christ loves us. That is genuine, sacrificial, other-focused love.

Simply put, the Church is where we live out the Great Commandment: to love and be loved by God, and to love and be loved by our eternal family. Of course, that love should overflow into the world. Jesus prayed for this when He said, “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me” (John 17:23 NLT). Authentic Community is therefore essential to a thriving, growing church.

You probably already know we “ought to” have authentic community. The question is: how is your church doing in this area? If it needs strengthening, how can you create a better environment for that kind of love to grow?

The Power of Small Groups

The best answer I know is Small Groups. Sunday morning worship is wonderful, but it is not enough to create authentic community. Most of the time, people are facing forward rather than facing each other, which is appropriate for worship but not for relationship-building. Even a generous passing of the peace or a coffee hour afterward cannot create the kind of deep, abiding love Jesus calls us to share. That is where small groups come in.

I found that organizing a small group ministry can be one of the more challenging parts of revitalizing a church. We tried, failed, and tried again many times to increase participation. Yet because small groups are so vital to creating authentic community and church health, we never gave up. Although I was never fully satisfied, we consistently had over 50 percent of our congregation involved in midweek small groups.

My best results came from capitalizing on natural seasons in the church calendar. People are far more open to joining a group for a short-term commitment, such as a six-week series during Lent or Easter. If they have a positive experience, they often continue. After a short break, you can relaunch another six-week cycle following Pentecost or another season. As you plan for the year ahead, consider using natural seasons like Epiphany, Lent, and Easter to launch new groups.

Strategic Opportunities to Form Groups

Here are several other transition moments that can help people step into small groups:

• Significant Events: Baptisms, confirmations, and pre-marital counseling are all moments when people are open to taking a deeper step in faith. Invite them to join a group.
• Struggles: Pain motivates connection. Groups can form around topics like grief, finances, parenting, addiction recovery, or blended families. These shared struggles open the door to authentic community.
• Spiritual Steps: When someone joins your church or attends a new member class, it’s the perfect time to introduce them to small groups. Be sure to highlight opportunities in your class.
• Starts and Stops: Starting new studies with fresh curriculum is an easy way to launch groups, especially when the material meets a felt need in your community. I found great success using various 40-day campaigns, whether purchased or developed in-house.

Focus on Health, and Growth Will Follow

If you want to grow your church, focus first on health rather than numbers. As your church becomes strong in all the VITAL areas, growth will follow naturally. If you would like to learn more about revitalizing your church, visit www.churchrevive.org and click “Schedule a Call.” We’d love to hear your story and connect you with the best resources for your congregation.