Kingdom of God (9) - Voluntary Communities

Particpation in kingdom communities will be voluntary. When a person joins a community, they may voluntarily submit to the recognised leaders of that community, but will still retain their freedom. They will be able to withdraw their submission at any time, if they do not like what the leaders are doing. If they think the leadership has turned sour, they will be free to leave the community and join another, whenever they choose.

The leaders of a kindom community will only have as much authority as the members of the community submit to them. If they are trusted, they will be given authority to organise some of the activities in their neighbourhood. If they are not trusted, they will have very little authority. During the early stages of the new season, people will be scared of authority and reluctant to surrender any authority to the leaders of their community. The leaders will not care, because they will know that more can be achieved by love and service than through authority and control.

Kingdom communities will be held together by love and compassion, worked out in sharing and service. Those who join the community will accept the community’s way of living, because the benefits from being part of a strong community will far outweigh the loss of freedom.