What does a disciple look like? A disciple looks a lot like Jesus, with dirty, dusty feet and a willingness to clean other peoples feet. Walking alongside Jesus and at the same time expressing faith in a way that invites others into the conversation; being in the world but not of the world is in itself an invitation for others to walk alongside Jesus as well.
this can only be written after enduring the Covid-19 pandemic. (I update and write this in 2026) Somehow, somewhere, we seem to have lost our sense of belonging and connectedness not because of the physical barriers but because of the emotional barriers. We are a tactile people, even those who cannot bear touch do so from a privileged position of choice. Choice was ripped away from our communities. But this overarching sense of loss of community isn’t the only story. The Spirit of Jesus is at work in our neighbourhoods, fermenting a new kind of community in all kinds of unexpected places.
To be a disciple in this context is completely different to two years ago. Some ordained leaders discovered they were not disciples themselves or couldn’t cope with parish or circuit ministry and have refashioned their lives in the world.
To cultivate community, projects need not apply here.
More projects will not resolve the deep frustration, isolation and disconnection that our communities face. Plans and outcomes need to take the back seat and allow the Godhead to steer the vessel. With the Godhead in charge deepening roots of connection can be witnessed, and with cute tactics and attractive techniques thrown out of the fast moving vehicle what is left is relationship.
Then a shift can occur in the journey; as the humans begin to pay attention to the what the Spirit is forming amongst us and our neighbours.
If we are going to be leaders who cultivate the soil of community, deepening the roots of connection, then isolation and disconnection won’t be solved with more programmes, tactics or techniques. We will need to let go of the “right plans” that know the “right outcomes” in order to shift our attention to what the Spirit is forming amongst us and our neighbours.
We seek community. It will come as we learn, again, to listen with and discern what the Spirit is gestating among us as congregations and in our neighbourhoods. This is not wishful thinking. It’s betting our lives that God is making things new, right where we are.
four simple steps for a different way of leading:
- not with answers, but with a posture: that of trust, hope and confidence that God is present and at work on the ground bringing life
- with an attentiveness to the stories that then emerge within this hopeful context, calling forth from these an imagination for what God is doing
- that gives permission for an invitation to experiment, responding to God’s actions
- that celebrates the presence of God experienced in our stories and experiments as we worship, pray and share scripture together.
An old Irish saying says “ “it is in the shelter of each other that the people live.”
“We do not tell stories as they are. We tell them as we are.”
And, we must tell different stories. Not necessarily new ones, but deeper ones — stories of remembering, belonging, safety, and shelter.
Newbigin suggests that a community, centred around Christ and committed to prayer, will explode with love, joy and hope. (Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, p. 116)
None of us have a roadmap for the cultural moment we’re in. Shall we explore how centre-ing on Jesus offers a radically countercultural and life-giving way to navigate the realities facing our church and communities today.
Let us pray
Gracious Father be with us we pray, Lord Jesus Christ infuse are words with your words, Holy spirit encourage us, challenge us, nudge us into living well in this pivotal moment. Amen
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