Present with the Community

This year at CityLife our vision is believing for God’s Kingdom Life of love in action to overflow from every community, city and nation where we live to the next, in short Overflowing Life!  A way I’ve found easy to articulate this we want to be more present in more places.

More present means to be less distracted and more aware of the place, situation, people we are currently with or around.  Not buried in our phone, not thinking about work or the 10 things on our to do list.  There are three areas that I think this is key for us this year.

We need to be:
1. More present in our relationship with God 
2. More present in our relationships at church 
3. More present in the communities that God has placed us

It is this third area that I’m keen for us to explore further as we look at Community Impact.  To help us do this I want to take a look at a phrase that was often used when I was growing up in the church, “In the world but not of the world”.

This phrase comes from John 17 and in particular John 17:13-18.  This is an incredible prayer that Jesus prays after the Last Supper with His disciples.
Read this passage together.

What do you observe as you read this passage?
What does Jesus say about the difficulties of being a Christian?
What does Jesus specifically pray he wants for His disciples?
What does it mean to be sanctified?

I believe a better summary of John 17:13-18 is “Not of the World but sent to it”.  This is quite incredible as we reflect on the fact that Jesus was sent by the Father and we are now being sent by him.

Take a moment to discuss what this means to you?

As we view ourselves as “sent” we see that the places we do life are not just accidental or by chance but it is on purpose.  We are sent to these places to bring the Kingdom of God.

If we truly capture this it helps us to see the opportunities around us to speak and show God’s Kingdom and to be more present with the communities we are part of.

Discussion Questions
1. The phrase is highlighted. In what ways can this perspective of "Not of the World but sent to it" change our approach to community engagement? How might it influence our relationships with those outside the church? 
2. What does phrase "not of the world but sent to it"  mean in the context of being a follower of Jesus? How can we balance being separate from worldly influences while actively engaging with the community?
3. What are some practical steps you can take to be more present and engaged in your own neighborhood or workplace? 
4. What are some key action points from here?  It it participating in the Bags of Hope initiative? What steps can you take this week to be more engaged in your community? How can you encourage others to join you in these efforts?