As campus ministers and pastors, it’s a word we all know. We’re intimately aware of the power of community to influence lives and direct futures. In fact, most of us would probably say that Jesus-focused community is the backbone of our discipleship models.

We Create Community…

Community naturally forms among students. They’re grouped in residence halls and classes. They’re encouraged to join and start groups to make their campus and community better places to live. These group settings provide the environment for influential relationships to form. When it comes to ministry on the university campus, it just makes sense for us to use the well-established community model to help make students more like Jesus.

But our strategy isn’t just contextually-based. We see examples of discipleship through intentional community throughout the history of the church and the pages of our Bibles, so it must be helpful for more than just students.

…But Do We Partake In Community Ourselves?

This leads me to ask why I find it so difficult to make this a priority in my personal walk with Jesus. I’ve got a funny feeling that I’m not alone in this. I’ve seen a theme developing in conversations I’ve had with fellow campus ministers, pastors and missionaries–we lack genuine friendships in our lives. We long to find the community we seek to create among students for ourselves, but the stuff of life & ministry keeps getting in the way. I say to myself that I can’t add anything else to my jam-packed schedule while I try to ignore the inner ache of wanting to know others and be known.

We Are Our Own Greatest Enemy To Living In Community

There have been seasons when I saw intentional community as a big part of my life as a minister on campus. I shared dinner with friends on a regular basis and we spoke words of challenge and encouragement into each others lives.

But in Washington, D.C., people are constantly coming and going. You probably experience this whether you are in an urban center or a rural college town. Friends move away and for me personally, it’s been tough to reestablish that kind of friendship with a schedule full of evening events and my wife and three boys who deserve my time and attention. After a full week of everything from counseling to event setup to sermon writing, sometimes the last thing I think about is how to intentionally engage in community. It is tough work, but as I’m starting to see more and more, essential to my ability to hear God’s voice and experience the joy of walking in His will. Time to roll up my sleeves and get busy, but I’d love to hear your thoughts as I try to make this work.

What do you think?

Is living in intentional community essential as a leader? How do you prioritize it’s expression in your regular routine?

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Mike Godzwa is the Georgetown Campus Pastor for National Community Church, DC Metro Chi Alpha Campus Ministries Director and The Director for Chi Alpha at American University. His heartbeat is community and his passion is seeing local churches and campus ministries partner together to make a long-lasting impact. Mike is married to his high school sweetheart Jen and they have three boys – all of which are being raised to be Yankees fans.