1. Create Spaces for Open Discussion

My initial thought when reading this first suggestion for building community by Chris Smith, in his book Growing Deeper in our Church Communities, was that our congregation does this already every time we have a fellowship meal.  But as I read more, I realized that Chris was talking about a time with a more specific purpose and topic of discussion. He gives some examples that draw this out:

Once you gather people, there are thousands of things that could be discussed: How could we be more faithful together? Are there people in our congregation who aren’t being taken care of?  Perhaps there is a book that could be read and discussed.  For us, the initial conversation went in the direction of “What is scripture and how should we read it?”

This is the kind of conversation I've longed for in our congregation for quite awhile now. We seem to march ever onward in our traditional roles, making little tweaks here or adjustments there in how we do things or when we do them or what we're doing, but we never get together as a congregation and brainstorm on any of these things as a body. I would love to hear what people appreciate in worship, group study, fellowship, etc. from the past year of our life together. I'd like to know why they liked those things or hear their ideas on how we could do better at them in the upcoming year.

I think sometimes people direct their thoughts or reactions to the pastor like he's supposed to be the repository for all of our opinions as a church, and he is to be the master coordinator and organizer regarding how those opinions will henceforth change our means and methods of interaction. It would make so much more sense for us to all share our thoughts and ideas among each other -- to hear how something that I didn't really care much for meant quite a bit to someone else or to discover that there's a need I wasn't aware of but that I can help to meet.

This would develop a greater openness among the body as we learn more about one another's needs and preferences and we also learn to honor them in these things. I may not like reading through a question and answer of the catechism each Sunday, but if that's something that's particularly meaningful to another member of the congregation, and it helps him to feel more connected to God, then I'm more likely to read that question and answer with delight, not because I find value in it, but because I know that that act is enabling my brother to draw closer to God and that has value for the entire congregation.