Anchored in Love, Set Sail in Mission: Creating New Spiritual Community

Creating opportunities for new community means more than adding another program or event to the church calendar. It’s about intentionally carving out places, spaces, time, energy, and focus for building new relationships in our neighborhoods. In a culture that is increasingly isolated and disconnected, the church has a profound opportunity—and responsibility—to create spaces where people can genuinely belong and grow spiritually together.

The path forward, however, will look different from what many churches are used to. Building new spiritual community must be grounded in curiosity, listening, vulnerability, and a judgment-free posture. It may even mean wandering beyond the familiar boundaries of what feels comfortable—for both clergy and laity. True connection begins when we are willing to enter the world of others with open hearts and open minds, seeking to understand rather than to be understood.

This sacred work is not the sole responsibility of pastors or staff. Creating new spiritual community is a shared calling between clergy and laity. Both must embrace a spirit of experimentation and courage as they step into new rhythms of ministry. It will take shared leadership, mutual accountability, and a renewed focus on what truly matters—people and relationships.

To live into this calling, the church will need to make multiple shifts—in thinking, in priorities, and in practice. The “same ol’” approach simply won’t reach today’s spiritually curious but institutionally skeptical culture. This transformation may feel uncomfortable for some, especially as leaders begin to invest their time differently, reallocate resources toward missional engagement, and move from an attractional model (where people come to us) to a deployed movement (where we go to them).

This shift requires more than new strategies—it requires new hearts. Building new spiritual community starts with refocusing on the community itself: its passions, needs, opportunities, and gaps. When the church listens deeply and responds to what the community truly values, authentic relationships can form, and the gospel can be embodied in ways that are both relevant and transformative.

To lead in this season also demands emotional and cultural competence. We cannot build meaningful relationships with people we don’t understand or respect. Church leaders must grow in their capacity to connect with those who are currently disconnected—people who may not look, think, or believe like those already inside the church walls.

Jesus modeled this beautifully. He created spiritual community not through buildings or programs, but through relationships rooted in compassion, authenticity, and love. Early Christian leaders followed His example, gathering people into circles of care, prayer, and purpose. That’s the kind of community people are hungry for today—a place where they are seen, valued, and invited to grow.

It’s time for the church to rediscover that way of being. Building new spiritual community may stretch us, but it will also renew us. And in that renewal, the church can once again become what it was always meant to be—a living, loving movement that meets people where they are and draws them closer to Jesus.

Offered here are themes and excerpts from our book, Becoming the Church People Choose: Charting New Church Courses for Relationships, Discipleship, & Leadership that will be released on March 5, 2026, but you can preorder your copies now.