Through One, For Many: Forming Authentic Communities in Christ

Through one, for many. Through one man all sinned; through one man all are redeemed. Through the man Adam, all have fallen; in Christ, the fallen are raised. Ever thought about how this applies to you? To your place and influence among others in Christ’s mission?

By Lauren Heaton

St. Paul’s letter to the Romans discusses how through one man, Adam, sin entered the world and how through one man, Jesus, all men were saved from sin and death (5:12-19). Through one, for many. Jesus died so that we all might be free to live a life of joy and one day attain heaven. 

This got me thinking. What if this call of “through one for many” applies to each one of us? Are we, though many, who are all one body with different gifts, called to bring many to Christ through our own individual lives of faith? (Romans 12:4-9)

Over the course of the last 3 years now I have been heavily involved with young adult ministry in the archdiocese of Denver. In the various ministries I help with there has been a tremendous focus on creating authentic communities. The problem? You can’t force authentic community.

I would like to propose that authentic community comes about in a similar way to Christ bringing salvation to many. One person is bold enough to invite people in. One person is brave enough to start something new with the people around them. One person is courageous enough to be vulnerable with those people about their joys and struggles as a disciple of Christ in our secular world. One person gathers other individuals into a place of warmth, safety, fun, and love. Community is built by one person saying yes to Christ’s call in their life to do something outside of themselves for the many around them looking for authentic community. 

Authentic communities can come in a variety of ways. Hiking groups, bible studies, rec league teams, game nights, you name it. Where I’ve seen people get stuck is when they try to force authentic community. St. Paul said, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). We might be able to identify some of the key ingredients of an authentic community like vulnerability, accountability, Christ centered, time together, and family life, but we cannot force a group of people to experience them. 

So it comes down to you and me. Will you say yes and courageously invite others to join you on the grand adventure that is a life with Christ? Let us be true Co-workers with Christ!