"Community" is one of the most pressing needs in many churches. Pastors talk about its importance, tell people they need it, and offer numerous ways for people to participate.

However, the danger of the church aiming for community is that it frequently becomes the destination. Once relationships are established and the need for friends is met, a community group will remain that way. Community groups enjoy spending time together and developing strong friendships, and the idea of "doing life" together is simple and appealing.

However, these types of groups frequently struggle because they lack the imperative of mission. They gather and live in community but do not engage in missionary activity. A community group often dies out when more appealing friendships or changes in life circumstances occur.

However, community on this side of heaven is not primarily about us. The purpose of community is to show the world God's glory. In John 17:21-24, Jesus clearly explains that the purpose of Christian unity and community is for the world to know that God the Father sent Jesus to this earth.

Missional Communities are distinct in that they see their friendship, love, and unity as primarily a demonstration of the gospel to their neighbors. The group's primary goal is not community, but mission.

MCs confront members with both the truth of the gospel and the imperative of discipleship. Collectively, a MC must see the glory of God, greatness of the gospel, and joy found in following Jesus to seek out those far from God.

While a missional community studies the Bible, it is not PRIMARILY a Bible study.

A Bible study is generally defined as a gathering for the purpose of learning. Yet, a missional community is made up of people who actively engage God's Word every day and seek to obey.

The main difference is in expectations: whereas someone attends a Bible study to consume something, a missional community expects participants to contribute something (1 Corinthians 14:26).

There is no doubt that studying the Bible is important, but doing so in isolation from genuine community on mission is dangerous. The goal of Bible study is to know God and be conformed to the image of Christ, but it is also to prepare us for ministry in the church (community) and outside the church (mission).

If we want engaging, authentic communities that foster biblical obedience, our community should be natural, neutral, and regular, in the pattern and rhythm of everyday life, rather than a one-hour drive-through Bible study.

Small groups have been used effectively in local churches for many years. They take many forms, but they are typically a group people who meet weekly to connect, worship, study the Bible, and pray for one another. Often times, they try to serve together in ministry within the church and in their city.

These groups frequently recognize the importance of the Bible, the need for community, and the group's purpose beyond itself. But there is often a significant struggle to invite others to join in, and it’s often difficult to mobilize an entire group to do something outside the regular meeting.

In trying to balance a number of different objectives, small groups often struggle to produce mature disciples of Jesus and multiply into new communities.

This is because events still serve as the standard for success rather than helping relationships develop naturally within the rhythms of everyday life.

Small groups frequently attempt to engage in community and mission by adding an event to the week rather than intentionally reclaiming daily life for the gospel and integrating community into daily life.

A missional community recognizes the importance of various types of gatherings. Instead of being defined by participation in an event, a missional community sees itself as a network of relationships with a common mission. Missional communities gather, but the gatherings have different purposes.

Small groups begin to shift as people develop rhythms that allow them to naturally spend time with their non-believing friends in gospel community. When a small group has specific names of people to pray for and to ask God to save, and those people begin to appear in missional community with them, they are on the right track.

In other words, a small group transitions to a missional community when it actually begins to live on mission for Jesus in the everyday stuff of life!