But God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty]. God has selected [for His purpose] the insignificant (base) things of the world, and the things that are despised and treated with contempt, [even] the things that are nothing, so that He might reduce to nothing the things that are, so that no one may [be able to] boast in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (Amplified)

According to the Apostle Paul, a Christian community is not a place for perfect people with perfect lives. Rather it is where imperfect people can find hope, acceptance and love, as well as a new beginning. The finished work of the cross serves as the basis for our community. Through Jesus, we are reconciled to God and reconciled to one another. In this sense, community provides us the space and opportunity to pursue and practice the truth in love.

If the gospel is not present in our community, we will quickly become addicted to performance and perfectionism. This is when we shift the focus of our community on our love for God rather than God's love for us. Loving God is the fruit of being loved by God. We don’t do good works so that God will love us more. If left uncorrected or unchallenged, we will begin to hear conflicting messages of God’s acceptance and rejection. This vulnerability can be easily exploited and manipulated.

When busyness is used as a measurement of your worth and value, you will often feel compelled to give and serve beyond your means and capacity. This “passion tax” will lead to burnout, exhaustion and disengagement.

A gospel-centred community is encouraging, uplifting, and liberating because it reveals and demonstrates the effectiveness of the gospel. It does not keep people from being who they are meant to be in the kingdom of God. Rather, it equips and empowers individuals to live their lives in Christ to the fullest.

No church is perfect, but it can be healthy.

When we encounter Jesus through His Spirit and Scripture, we are transformed by His perfect love into a perfectly loving community.