Missional Living Nourishes Christian Community

Jessica and I have never lived less than 300 miles from one another. We have seen each other, at most, three times in a year. She lives in a small town, and I live in a big city. We are almost ten years apart in age and don’t share race or ethnicity. And yet, we have developed a close friendship that has lasted over a decade.

What brings people together in such a unique way? Beyond the fact that we both love Jesus (which of course binds people in a way that nothing else can), our friendship has centered on missional living.

Missional living prioritizes intentional disciple-making; it seeks opportunities to share the gospel and then continue walking with fellow Christians. If you think this sounds like how all Christians—not just those called to full-time vocational missionary service—should be living, you’re correct!

Jessica and I got to know each other by serving on a mission trip. Together we braved South Padre Island, Texas, during spring break to meet needs and evangelize among crowds of college students. That week gave us ample opportunity not only to talk to students we met but also to share our own stories.

As this trip made clear to me, missional living is the real feast that nourishes community. Friendships can subsist on snacks of internet memes, but Chrisian community must be fueled better for its grand purpose. Here are five ways that missional living feeds Christian community:

1. Co-laboring

When we live missionally, our brothers and sisters inspire us by their example. If I get tired, feel worn down, or lose sight of the worthiness of the calling of Jesus, my community provides fuel to continue. Sometimes they do this nonverbally: I’m prompted to pray when I see my friend take the opportunity to share the gospel. And hearing my co-laborers articulating truth and seeing them live it out reminds me of its veracity. Their pursuit of the mission reminds me of its trustworthiness and significance.

After completing a Bible study on the book of Daniel one semester, Jessica eagerly shared the trustworthy character of God with spiritually uncertain college students. As I observed the way she was deeply impacted by the study of fulfilled prophecy, my own affection was reenergized for our God who “reveals deep and hidden things” (Dan 2:22). Her example reminded me that as God teaches each of us different things, he equips us to share them with different people. We are one body with many parts (1 Cor 12:12). We need each other and get to serve together.

Our Christian community provides us with a taste of God’s goodness. Hearty companionship is found uniquely among those who know the call to make disciples and partake in it together. Proximity to believers who live out the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22–23) refreshes our hearts.

2. Confrontation

In Christian community, we face who we really are, and we discover the ways we need to grow. I may think I’m a lovely person . . . and then my brother in Christ arrives late for an event, and suddenly my sanctification is tested. My sister in Christ speaks a little too loudly, and I wonder how long my patience tank has been running on empty. Living missionally in proximity to our fellow disciples, we step on each other’s toes.

One time, Jessica, knowing how tired I was, checked in on me, the honesty our friendship expects forced me to acknowledge that the sources of my discomfort were minor inconveniences. Sharing candidly with her helped me detect bitterness that needed uprooting. I found that I’d mistaken the fruit of my “delightful personality” for the fruit of the Spirit, which redirected me toward dependence on God.

The above examples can be unintentional lessons in spiritual formation. But faithful brothers and sisters will also confront us intentionally. They pull us aside to point out our shortcomings, desiring—in love—that we become better representatives of Jesus. They gently show us where we’ve fallen short of exhibiting gentleness (Gal 5:23). They kindly point out where our interactions lacked kindness (Gal 5:22). They speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).

With courage and trust, faithful friends may also share when we have hurt them and then grant us opportunities to ask for forgiveness. In living missionally, we know we share the same goal of making disciples. This purpose bolsters our perspective. When our flesh does not measure up to our high calling, our brothers and sisters reorient us toward Jesus. This confrontation, coincidental or intentional, victuals our community.

3. Comfort

When the Christian life is difficult (John 16:33), community comforts us. After a difficult conversation with a college student who felt hopeless, I found solace with a friend who appreciated the gravity of the circumstance that so weighed me down. Friends who live missionally have the same foundation in Christ and priority of disciple-making.

After a difficult conversation with a fellow believer who was not living according to our shared Christian ethics, I called Jessica, who lamented alongside me. Missional living provides the paradigm for tying disciple-making to intentional Christian living. Jessica’s empathy and values replenished me with the comfort of not walking alone.

Our brothers and sisters who have walked through difficulty become uniquely equipped to comfort us in our trials (2 Cor 1:5–7). Oftentimes comfort comes not from having had identical experiences, but from feeling seen and understood, nurturing missional fellowship.

4. Courage

In addition to confronting us with the difficult truth you need to hear, Christian community will also tell you the great truth about how God is using you. When you live on mission together, others will see when you persevere in difficulty, make the right choices, and sacrifice your comfort for the cause of Christ. Your brothers and sisters will champion your obedience.

Jessica would never let me get too big for my britches—she makes fun of me in the way that only good friends can—but she also encourages me by calling out good qualities she notices. Many of the situations we have shared have not been my finest hour; and yet, Jessica’s affirmation of God forming my character is meaningful because she knows me.

Living missionally brings clarity of perspective. We see ourselves incompletely, but believers around us draw our attention to God’s good gifts in us and through us. The verbal encouragement from a sister in Christ who knows me well helps me see better, and it fortifies me to be more Christlike. When you feel like sanctification takes too long, a brother is there to celebrate small victories along the way. Encouraging words are comestibles for the journey.

5. Comedy

Let’s face it—a community that’s living missionally is just plain fun. Often undervalued in today’s climate, play has great value. In the context of mission trips, for example, we find opportunities to sing and dance to the latest pop music or kids’ VBS songs. We find ourselves outside our comfort zones, laughing good-naturedly at the tasks that stretch us. What else but missional living could bring us to circumstances that provide such fodder for community?

Jessica and I have cleaned up a beach inundated with the oddest party debris, given van rides to college students who are away from home, and used problem solving when the car keys fell down the drain in a public sink. Unusual situations such as these yield quotable moments and hilarious memories. By making ourselves available to serve in any capacity for the sake of the gospel, inevitably the unexpected occurs; in those instances, the source of sustenance is a sense of humor.

Missional living nourishes community. Obedience to the Great Commission is not a solitary endeavor; rather, it yields the sweet fruit of Christian community. Serving alongside others in a disciple-making life provides fare for fellowship through co-laboring, confrontation, comfort, courage, and comedy. Jessica’s friendship is a gift to me; we are united, in random or routine scenarios, because we have the same Savior and mission. Sharing the mindset of missional living undergirds relationships with meaning and delight. Even with people with whom we seem to have little in common, our shared purpose transforms into shared experiences. By living missionally, we develop friendships with the intimacy that comes only from unity of purpose.