Jesus Christ said that “by this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35),” and the early church “devoted themselves to…fellowship” (Acts 2:42). We are instructed to “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Our dream is that we would truly be a family—treating each other like dearly loved brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers (1 Timothy 5:1-2); demonstrating the “one-mindedness” and “gladness” and “sincerity of heart” found in the first church (Acts 2:46) and that our love for one another would gain us “favor with all the people” (Acts 2:47) in the Lawrence area and communicate to all who come into contact with us that we are disciples of Jesus Christ (John 13:35).

Therefore, the people of CBC will seek to develop community in the following ways:

• We will commit to managing our own individual households well (1 Timothy 3:5,12). If married, we will commit to be models of Biblical marital love (Ephesians 5:22-33). If parents, we will commit to bringing up our children in “the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
• We will be baptized into the community of believers. If we have been baptized in the past, we will be publicly acknowledged as a baptized believer who desires to be a member of the CBC family.
• We will commit to being active and vital members of the “household of God” (1 Timothy 3:14-16), taking seriously the concept of the church as a family of families.
• We will seek to put into practice the multiple “one-another” commands given in the New Testament. We will love one another (John 13:34). We will be devoted to one another in brotherly love (Romans 12:10). We will pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another (Romans 14:19).
• We will meet together consistently (Hebrews 10:24-25) for Bible study, prayer and encouragement through two primary ministries: Sunday morning worship (large group) and Community Groups (small groups).
• We will take to heart the command given by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
• We will resolve conflict in a Biblical manner. When we disagree and experience conflict, we will “lay aside the old self…and put on the new self…speak the truth…and not let the sun go down on (our) anger, and not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:22-27). In practical terms this means we will not gossip, not cause division and not leave as solutions to conflict. We will seek reconciliation (Matthew 5:23-24), we will show each other our faults “in private” for the purpose of winning over a brother or sister we believe is at fault (Matthew 18:15).
• We will teach and preach the importance of community in the life of every believer (Titus 2).
• We will equip Community Group leaders to build community in their groups (Titus 2).

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