Transformational communties as a key aspect of The Thanktuary's Christian mission to preach the whole gospel incorporating good news for body, soul and spirit

Perspective | February 2009Transformational Community: Transcending Mere "Going to Church"

The term ‘transformational community’ can be confusing if not carefully defined, simply because you find it attached to vastly different concepts. Yet, it signifies at its core a common underlying concept of transformation—radical change—achieved via the dynamic relationships and synergisms of an organic community: as in the growth of an embryo into a fetus, full-term baby, child, and so on; or, as cells in a seed sprout to become a plant, flower and fruit; etc. In a similar way, the transformational community is always more than the sum of its parts, and achieves vastly more than a mere collective or group via individualized effort even when this effort is compatible and complimentary. Organic growth is exponential, whereas the growth of a collective is merely linear. In terms of collectives such as an organization, the transformational community rises from within as a community within a community working to transform the whole, whether the whole is a church or society at large.

A "transformational community" as the term is used here is a community of faith centered upon the presence, power and person of Jesus in a communal dimension. This dimension transcends individualism, division, and self-interest so as to focus the dynamic of Jesus’ Lordship on the common objectives of faith through each member of the community as a whole in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus brought the Church into being as a transformational community—that is, he intends people within the community of faith to be transformed even as they transform things around them. This is so patently obvious in Scripture that "proof texts" seem absurd. Yet, to clarify Jesus’ meaning, it is always good to listen again to what the Scriptures say.
For example, Jesus instructs us,
- "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven [for] if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven [for] where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" Jesus, Matthew 18:18-20
Notice, the community of faith (two or three come together) centered upon Jesus (in his name) is itself transformed from a mere social gathering into a supernatural entity (there I am with them) in order to transform things for the common good of the community (if two of you agree, whatever you [the community] ask for, it will be done) as well as to transform the external context within which the community exists (whatever you bind or loose on earth).
In regard to the external context, Jesus said earlier,

"You are the salt of the earth…the light of the world…a city on a hill [that] cannot be hid…let your light shine before men…"Jesus, Matthew 5:13-16;

Thus, he directed the community of faith to transform things around them by preserving (salt), revealing (light), and attracting (city on a hill).
The Holy Spirit led the Church into the experience and practice of Jesus’ intent as seen in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:42-47; 4:23-36; 5:12-16; etc.). Further, in their preaching, teaching and writing the Apostles clarified the dynamics of the experience and encouraged the practice.
For example, Paul writes,

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil (hiding the glory of God’s presence) is taken away…and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory…for God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ…so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God" 2 Corinthians 3:16 – 4:15;

In the above, Paul describes the Church at Corinth as a transformational community. Things around the Corinthian believers were being transformed (God’s grace reaching more and more people) because they were being transformed (into Christ’s likeness) through God’s light shinning "in their hearts" as they focused upon the "glory of God in the face of Jesus."

From the above (and a broad base of other scripture) we can draw certain conclusions to be acted upon:

Jesus intends the Church to be a transformational community of faith in action.
The basic unit of the transformational community is "two or three come together in" his name.
The dynamic of the transformational community of "two or three come together in" Jesus name, is the real presence of Jesus "with them"—not merely "within" any member of the community, but within the community as a whole in addition to all other individuals, i.e., as the head in relation to the body, thus requiring and enabling true communal activity in a synergism making the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Thus, the transformational community is exponentially more than a collection of individual believers each ‘filled with the Spirit;’ rather, because each is filled with the Spirit the community is an organic whole. While ideally this descirbes the church, in fact this distinguishes being a vital member of a transformational community from what we usually mean by ‘going to church.’

Point three above is essential to all that follows. The practice of the transformational community is:

unity (if two shall agree; believers were one in heart and mind;) as all members bow to the Lord of glory in their midst;
generosity (no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own) as in the light of the Lord’s glory, "things" in themselves lose their value except as a means to express love;
prosperity (there were no needy persons among them;) as "things" can be used for a greater good, not merely given but also invested and the proceeds used, multiplying the capital (see Matthew 25:14-28;);
liturgy (devoted to the breaking of bread) which linked imagery and regularity to practice and proclamation;
prayer and praise as the breath of the Holy Spirit within and among them;
hearing and doing (they devoted themselves to) the apostles teaching, as opposed to debating or discussing abstract theology;
transformational influence within and upon society at large (‘the favor of all the people,’ on the one hand; and in the face of opposition, ‘You will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God’);
Growth (‘the Lord added to their number daily’).