I didn't come to the conviction easily, but finally there was no getting around it: there can be no maturity in the spiritual life, no obedience in following Jesus, no wholeness in the Christian life apart from an immersion and embrace of community. I am not myself by myself. Community, not the highly vaunted individualism of our culture, is the setting in which Christ is at play. ~ Eugene H. Peterson.Like it or not, we need a genuine community for spiritual growth and discipleship. You cannot have one without the other! Community is more than showing up to church on Sundays or even going to a small group, it requires a level of transparency and accountability many do not want.
