Community

You were formed for God’s family

Being in God's family means we are not alone; we have each other for support. You weren't just meant to believe; you were made to belong.

Below, you’ll find a table with some beginner, intermediate, and advanced next steps to help you grow in your community. While you may need to challenge yourself to step up to the task, you also need to be realistic in your expectations, otherwise you might become discouraged and give up.  

So consider starting off with a crawl step—a target you can easily hit in the next thirty days. Then you can move on to a walk step—a tangible goal that will stretch you over the next sixty to ninety days. Finally, choose a run step—something that will require a leap of faith, but through the power of the Holy Spirit will bring you to a whole new level of spiritual maturity  

When you have selected the step(s) you want to take, we encourage you to share your decision with a trusted friend who can help you stay the course by praying for you and holding you accountable. Don’t try to do this alone. Isolation can lead to procrastination. But a loving friend can encourage you if you’re feeling discouraged and help you up if you fall down  

Below those next steps, you’ll find some resources like books, studies, and bonus suggestions to help you dig deeper.

Next Steps

Growth Area Crawl Walk Run
I am genuinely open and honest with others about who I am. Have a friend or spouse complete the Spiritual Health Assessment on your behalf. Discuss openly the differences between how your friend/spouse views you and how you view yourself? Honestly share your faults and struggles with someone who will commit to praying for you on a regular basis. Give a testimony to your group or church about how God helped you in your struggles.
I regularly use my time and resources to care for the needs of others. Pray for a need that someone has. Make it a point to ask them about it when you see them and pray for them on the spot. Find someone who has a need in your small group or at church, and then meet that need. Rally your small group to care for someone who has a need. Contact the church for more information on people who have needs in the church or community.
I have a deep and meaningful connection with others in the church. Attend a worship service, small group, or class on a regular basis. Take First Step or a similar church membership class, and become a member of your church. Invite others to church.
I have an easy time receiving advice, encouragement, and correction from others. Establish a friendship and share something of your life with that person. Find a spiritual partner and meet with him or her about a specific issue in which you would like to grow. Be a spiritual partner to someone else.
I gather regularly with a group of Christians for fellowship and accountability. Attend a small group weekly. Invite others to your small group. Lead a small group weekly.
There is nothing in my relationships that is currently unresolved. Pray for someone you have a conflict with. Make this a regular prayer that will move you towards reconciling the relationship. Make it a point to seek forgiveness or give forgiveness to someone you have a conflict with. Mend a broken or hurting relationship in your life, and seek to reconcile with that person.
There is nothing in the way I talk or act concerning others that I would not be willing to share with them in person. Don’t participate in gossip. Challenge those who gossip to speak with the person directly. Make it a point to share directly with a person instead of talking about the person behind his or her back.

Community Resources

  • Connecting by Larry Crabb
  • Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World by Jennie Allen

Suggestions

Search out a spiritual partner who will commit to meeting with you regularly and help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. It could be an older person or a peer.  

Set up a consistent time to meet together.

This needs to be a person with whom you can openly share your struggles and ask for prayer, discuss behaviors you need to change and want to be held accountable for, share devotional insights you have learned in your personal study of Scriptures, and talk about general life issues.

rayer is usually a great way to build community with others. The next time a person shares a need or concern with you, stop right there and ask if it is okay to pray for them.  

Make this a regular habit, and watch what it does for the level of intimacy you have with the people around you. 

For many of us, there are strains in our relationships that come from false perceptions or hurts we have chosen to harbor instead of heal.  

Take a look at your own life. Are there any strained relationships? Are you angry with someone else? Are you holding a grudge? Are you mad at God for not coming through for you? Are you always critical of yourself and others?  

As you reflect on your answers to these questions (there may be other questions you think of), make it a point to seek to be reconciled to people you are separated from because of these issues.  

You may want to talk with a counselor or your pastor before you seek reconciliation.

What relational problems are unmanageable for you? Are there patterns in your relationships that you repeat over and over again? What bad habits do you bring to your relationships?  

Many of us experience relational problems due to the ways we relate to others. Make it a point to explore these issues with a counselor, pastor, or spiritual partner.

Email US

office@capitalwest.church

Find Us

1308 Fairgrounds Road
 Jefferson City, MO 65109

Call Us

 (573) 634-8335

© 2025 Capital West Christian Church

The Church Co