En Comunidad Framework
The En Comunidad participant church aspires to:
Holistic Culture
Embrace the truth that God’s redemptive plan encompasses the whole person and all of creation and is not limited to spirituality alone but instead, spirituality is the cross section that touches creation.
Practical view:
- Church leadership prioritize engagement with the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of people in a way that reflects God’s holistic love and care for them.
Church leadership integrates this belief into its teachings, activities and community development efforts.
Church leadership develops a deeper understanding of the importance of people, church and community holistic health including its key components such as culture, leadership, and communication.
Christian Community Development
Embrace the truth that God is actively creating and restoring the world and the church is partnering with Him to fulfill that mission as an essential component of their purpose.
Practical view:
- Church leadership believes in reaching out beyond the church walls to bring the gospel in both word and deed to all people within their local context.
- Church leadership believes in the Spirit’s ability to work through the practice of relational presence and listening with humility in the local community.
- Church leadership has a passion to see both people and the lived environment restored, understanding that the quality of the lived environment impacts the daily lives of the people who live there and contributes to perspectives of dignity and worth.
- Church leadership ensures members are learning about their missional role in their local community and desire greater vocational clarity in their calling.
- Church leadership provides intentional guidance on its local mission.
- Church leadership is committed to fulfilling its mission alongside their community.
- The church leadership believes that its resources (financial, human, facilities) should serve the local community.
Collaborative Body
Embrace the truth that the body of Christ is interconnected and interdependent and every believer has been activated (by Holy Spirit) to fulfill their specific function as they work in unity with others to participate in the flourishing of their immediate community and the world.
Practical view:
- Church leadership recognizes the value of the whole body and the beauty of each member’s uniqueness and their inherent worth and dignity.
- Church leadership believes that the collaborative body is a group of like-minded members working together for a common mission.
- Church leadership believes in the importance of sharing power and activating people and groups to fulfill their mission and calling in the local community.
- The church is a safe environment that creates a sense of belonging for its people where they feel heard, respected, considered, and valued.
- The surrounding community recognizes and values the church as a safe place.
- Church leadership recognizes that the Church of Christ extends beyond their congregation and is interconnected with other local congregations.
Healthy practices
The church leadership recognizes the importance of organizational healthy practices such as building organizational capacity and developing collaboration to effectively engage in the church’s local mission which includes engagement in community development.
Practical view:
- Church leadership ensures that each member of the congregation is activated to be part of the church’s local mission.
- Church leadership identifies and practices its vision, mission and core values.
- The church’s plans are strategically developed on their local mission and shared openly amongst the congregation.
- Church leadership is open to adapting its organizational structure and processes to better meet the needs of its community and to respond effectively to new opportunities and challenges.
- Church leadership favors a flexible and collaborative structure and decision-making process.
- Church leadership collaborates with community partners including institutions and brothers and sisters from other church traditions.