We believe that life happens in community. People are made for relationship. We wither away without it. That is why an infant who is fed and cared for but not caressed, talked to, and cuddled will experience developmental difficulties, become sick, and sometimes even die. Doctors call this phenomenon failure to thrive. Humans are made to be connected to one another.

Humans are made to be connected to one another.

The Godhead
God Himself existed in community from the beginning. The Hebrew word for God used throughout Genesis 1 is Elohiym. It is in the plural form because when God created the heavens and the earth (and even before), He was God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They shared the joy of creating the heavens and the earth, the wonder of separating the land and the sea, and the delight of forming humanity in Their own image (see Genesis 1:26). It is no accident that as soon as Adam was created, God sought a companion for him. Why? The answer is simple: "It is not good for man (or woman) to be alone..." (see Genesis 2:18, 20-23).

He first spent time alone with the Father, often slipping away to pray by Himself.

The example of Jesus
When the Son of God came to earth in the form of a man, He did not choose to spend all His time in the synagogue teaching the multitudes. He did not use every moment to travel the country-side and heal all who were sick. He did not focus His energy on convincing the religious authorities that He was the promised Messiah. He first spent time alone with the Father, often slipping away to pray by Himself (see Luke 5:16). Second, He lived in community. If anything, He placed more emphasis on teaching and equipping His disciples than He did on the multitudes. While He consistently modeled compassion for the masses, He often chose the few over the many. This was not favoritism; He simply knew that these men and women were the ones who would build His church when He had completed His task on the Cross. He knew that by pouring into this small group, He would ultimately influence more for His Kingdom. It is telling that as His time on earth came to an end, His prayer was for their unity. He prayed that the Father would "…keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are" (John 17:11).

The early church
For the early church, living life together was a natural outpouring of their new life in Christ. "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people" (Acts 2:42, 46-47). They wanted to spend time with those who had also had been (and were being) transformed. Jesus' prayer for unity was abundantly answered in Jerusalem. We want it to be answered at the Austin Stone as well. Our desire is to follow the model of the Trinity, of Christ in His earthly ministry, and of the early church by devoting ourselves to living life with our brothers and sisters. When we do this, we'll be equipped to be the light in the world that we are called to be (see Acts 2:42-47 and Matthew 28:18-20).

Our call
Alongside our weekly corporate worship service, the most important way we will pursue this unity is within community groups. We have groups that meet all over the city. They gather once a week to pray, study Scripture, share struggles, and live life together.