It’s easier to show unselfish love toward people once you really get to know them. This is especially important with members you find “difficult.” When you try to better understand these people with patience, you may find there’s a reason for their “difficulty” like insecurity or trauma. Courtesy: Being courteous of others means being considerate of their feelings, respectful of their differences, and exercising patience.Humility: Humility is essential in a fellowship group because it opens you up to asking for help, and helps you relate to others’ experiences instead of looking down on them.This type of honesty allows group members to work through issues instead of hiding them or diminishing them-actions that can create underlying frustration or hurt in the group, eventually causing it to crumble. Honesty: Members tell hard truths and speak to one another directly but lovingly, as they would a member of their family.It takes a lot of work to build a healthy, loving fellowship, but God reveals how to do so through his Word-there are five elements that every healthy fellowship community needs: Sometimes you’ll hurt the people in your fellowship or you’ll be hurt by them, but a genuine fellowship will never use your mistakes against you.īuild and Maintain a Healthy Fellowship Community

Forgiveness: Genuine fellowship forgives and moves on quickly.This fellowship of suffering is the deepest level of fellowship you can offer someone, because turning toward someone’s pain, not away, is a profound act of unselfish love. Sympathy: A sympathetic fellowship responds to members’ suffering by entering into their pain with them to help carry the burden and validate their emotions.This creates a fellowship of holistic support, where all struggles are addressed. The more you open up about your life, the more other group members are willing to open up about theirs. Authenticity: In an authentic fellowship, you’re free to be fully honest about your failures, confess your weaknesses, ask for help, and discuss your doubts.

The purpose driven life by rick warren