We live in a world more “connected” than ever before, yet loneliness has reached such high levels in recent times. People can be surrounded by crowds, bombarded by social media notifications, and still feel profoundly isolated; but this isn’t how it was meant to be…From the very beginning, God’s design has been different. He created us for community and Scripture is very clear about this calling:
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst”
matthew 18:20 tlv
Throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, God has consistently called His people to gather together in community. This isn’t merely for our benefit, though we certainly benefit from it. Community reflects the very heart and nature of God Himself. Being in a community makes us stronger, more resilient, and more effective in Kingdom work.
“Though a man might overpower one, two can stand against him. Moreover a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 TLV)
Community Throughout Scripture
Community isn’t a modern church concept or some new invention, it has been God’s plan for His people from the very beginning. Long before the book of Acts described believers gathering daily, God was establishing rhythms and patterns for His people to come together.
The Foundation: Bnei-Yisrael Gathering as One
God gave Bnei-Yisrael (children of Israel) specific times and patterns for gathering…Leviticus 23:3 describes Shabbat as a mikra kodesh—a holy convocation, a sacred assembly. This wasn’t just about personal rest (though that was part of it), it was about communal gathering, a weekly cycle of coming together before God. Week after week, year after year, Bnei-Yisrael (children of Israel) were called to set aside their work and gather together to remember what the Lord had done for them.Then there were the appointed times, the mo’adim.
“Three times a year all your males are to appear before Adonai your God in the place He chooses–at the Feast of Matzot, the Feast of Shavuot, and the Feast of Sukkot.”
deuteronomy 16:16 tlv
Picture this…Bnei-Yisrael (children of Israel) traveling to Jerusalem, celebrating God’s faithfulness together as a unified people. From the beginning, God established patterns for His people to regularly gather, worship, and remember together. Community wasn’t peripheral to faith, it was a central point!
Yeshua’s Example: Living in Community
At the end of the day, if we want to understand just how important community is, we need only look at Yeshua Himself.
“Now Yeshua was teaching in one of the synagogues on Shabbat.”
luke 13:10 TLV
Throughout the Besorah (New Testament) we see many instances where Yeshua was teaching in the synagogues on Shabbat. He was honoring the celebration of Shabbat, gathering with His Father’s people in the appointed place at the appointed time, showing us how important this concept of gathering in worship truly is.
Yeshua also honored the communal celebrations throughout His life. Luke 2:41-42 tells us about His family’s annual Passover pilgrimage, a practice they maintained year after year along with the other pilgrimage feasts. Yeshua valued gathering with God’s people for the appointed times. He didn’t consider Himself above these communal rhythms, He instead embraced them!
And throughout His ministry, we see Yeshua gathering people. “As Yeshua came ashore, He saw a large crowd and felt compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He taught them many things.” (Mark 6:34 TLV) His ministry wasn’t conducted in isolation—it was deeply communal. He gathered disciples, He taught multitudes, He broke bread with tax collectors and sinners. Community was at the heart of everything He did.
Here’s the question we must ask ourselves: If Yeshua Himself, the Son of God, prioritized gathering with others in worship and community, how much more should we? He didn’t just teach about community, He modeled the life He calls us to live.
The Early Believers: A Model Community
When we get to the book of Acts, we see the natural outflow of what Yeshua had modeled. Acts 2:42-47 paints a vivid picture of the early believing community:
“They were devoting themselves to the teaching of the emissaries and to fellowship, to breaking bread and to prayers. Fear lay upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were happening through the emissaries. And all who believed were together, having everything in common.”
Notice that word—devoted, this wasn’t casual or occasional. These believers were committed to four essential things: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. They spent time gathered together with their like-minded community in worship, teaching, and prayer. They shared meals, shared resources, and shared life.
The pattern is unmistakable throughout the entire Bible, believers gather together for times of worship, teaching, fellowship, and prayer. Why? Because they were better together, stronger together, and more effective together.
The Heart of Community
But here’s what we must understand…community isn’t just about showing up. It’s not simply about showing up for services or even being a member. The true Biblical community is about how we love one another…
Yeshua said the world would know we are His disciples by our love (John 13:35). Not by our theology alone, not by our teachings, but by the way we love each other. So what does Biblical love in community actually look like?
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
In this Scripture, Yeshua gave us the greatest commandments, to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. In community, we practice loving our actual neighbors—the people sitting next to us in services, the family going through hardship, the person who thinks differently than we do, the new visitor who has not yet accepted Yeshua into their life. Community is where the idea of love transforms into tangible actions.
Serve One Another Humbly
Galatians 5:13 says, “Brothers and sisters, you were called to freedom—only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Based on this Scripture, true community means to serve one another, and that doesn’t mean only serving when we want to or when it is convenient to. It means bringing meals when someone is sick, helping with moving or yardwork, watching kids so parents can have a break, or praying at 2am when someone calls in crisis.
We are called to serve our neighbors and the people in our community with the same heart that Yeshua had when He knelt to wash the feet of His disciples and stopped to heal the sick and teach the crowds.
Guard Unity and Practice Humility
This Scripture gives us crucial wisdom for community life because, let’s be honest, in community, disagreements and misunderstandings will happen. We’re imperfect people but because we are living in a community where our mission is to learn and grow in God’s Word and shine the light of Yeshua’s love to those around us, how we handle these matters when they arise holds a lot of weight.
Yeshua addressed this directly in Matthew 7:3-4 when He talked about seeing the speck in your brother’s eye while ignoring the log in your own…
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the beam is in your own eye?”
Before we rush to correct or criticize, we need to self-examine. We all have blind spots and one of the beautiful things about community is that it helps us see them.
Ephesians 4:2-3 calls us to “be humble and gentle; be patient, putting up with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Ruach in the bond of shalom” (TLV).
Notice—”make every effort.” Unity doesn’t happen automatically. It requires intentionality, humility, and a commitment to choose love even when we disagree. Unity doesn’t mean uniformity—it means choosing relationship over being right, choosing forgiveness over holding offense, choosing to stay in the messy process of reconciliation rather than walking away.
At B’rit Hadasha, we take this seriously and so we have a protocol for dealing with conflict and offense which is rooted in Matthew 5 and 18. You can read more about that here. In this protocol, the goal is always reconciliation and restoration of relationships, but the ultimate goal for us in our community is to not take offense—even when it is well-deserved.
Proverbs 19:11 says, “Prudence makes one slow to anger and his glory is to overlook an offense”. It is wisdom, good sense, and discretion to choose not to take up an offense at all. This is what Yeshua modeled, even as He was dying: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, TLV).
Encourage and Pray For One Another
Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good deeds. And do not neglect our own meetings, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another–and all the more so as you see the Day approaching.”
What we are called to participate in here is active, intentional encouragement. It’s not passive, it requires us to pay attention to one another, to notice when someone is struggling or celebrating, to speak life and truth.
In true community, we carry one another’s burdens, celebrate victories together, pray through struggles, and speak life over one another.
This is the kind of community God designed, and it’s the kind we’re building at B’rit Hadasha!
B’rit Hadasha: A Community Living Out the Vision
Who are we? We are a vibrant Messianic Jewish community made up of Jews and Gentiles, under King Yeshua. We are living, growing, discipling, and impacting the world within the framework of Messianic Judaism. We remain committed to our founding purpose, given by the Ruach, those many years ago.
Why are we here? We are here to proclaim the life-transforming Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven; to dedicate our lives to worship; to connect deeply in real community; to walk in the power of the Ruach; to connect together in prayer, knowing that in prayer we join with Him; to develop godly character through discipleship; to come under right order and accountability; and to pursue unity.
As it says in our By-Laws, we are “to maintain, cultivate, and pass on a Messianic Jewish
calling and expression of our faith in Yeshua by observing the Shabbat, keeping the Feasts, and embracing the covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity that is rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition, and renewed and applied in the context of the New Covenant.” We believe that, in Yeshua, Gentiles have the opportunity to participate alongside the Jewish people from generation to generation. Therefore we purpose “to share our faith in Yeshua by word and deed, to our Jewish people as well as all peoples.” Reaching out to all nations, we anticipate the coming fullness of God’s Kingdom under Messiah Yeshua.
This is B’rit Hadasha. B’rit is each of its members individually. B’rit is you and B’rit is me. Together, B’rit is us.
Join Us For Inquirers’ Class
If you want to learn more about B’rit Hadasha, or if you have questions about our community, we would like to ask you to join our Inquirers’ Class! This is an opportunity to learn, ask those questions, and discover if B’rit Hadasha is the right community for you. .
What is Inquirers’ Class?
It’s a place to learn more about B’rit Hadasha—our beliefs, practices, and community. An opportunity to ask questions in a welcoming, open environment. A pathway to potentially joining this community formally in membership.
Our next sessions begin November 1st and will continue for the next following three Saturdays (these sessions do occur several times per year).
This class is open to anyone, whether you’re exploring, curious, or ready to commit.
Why take this step?
We weren’t meant to walk this journey alone, community is where we grow, where we’re refined, encouraged, and equipped for Kingdom work. This is your invitation to move from observer to participant—to find your place in this community.
No prerequisites—just come with an open heart and a curious mind.
We gather as a community because God designed us for connection, for covenant relationship with one another. From the very beginning, He has called His people to gather. Yeshua modeled it. The early believers lived it. And we continue that pattern today.
For more information about Inquirers’ Class or to register, please contact the synagogue office or visit our website!
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