Why Community Matters MoreThan We Think
“And they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof….” — Mark 2:4
Recently, I attended a sourdough bread-making class hosted by Covenant’s Moms in Prayer group. As I looked around the room, I was struck by something deeper than flour and starter jars. Many of the moms gathered there were quietly carrying heavy burdens—aging parents, prodigal children, struggling marriages, betrayals, broken bodies, grief, and weary hearts.
And yet, they showed up. They came to pray. To learn. To sit beside one another.
During the class, Ashley Goodlin shared several beautiful parallels between sourdough and our spiritual lives. When making sourdough, the environment matters. If the temperature is too cold, the dough barely grows. If it’s too hot, the growth can die altogether.
Bread is shaped by its surroundings. So are we.
And the environments our children grow up in shape not only what they learn, but what they love, what they believe, and who they become. The communities we place ourselves in matter deeply. The people we gather with, the rhythms we build, and the environments we choose for our families shape what grows in our hearts—and in the hearts of our children. God knew this long before we did. That is why Scripture urges us not to neglect gathering together:
“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another.” — Hebrews 10:24–25
God didn’t give this instruction because He needs our attendance. He gave it because we need each other. Often, the very community we feel tempted to withdraw from becomes the place God uses to heal us. Over the years, I have watched this happen again and again within the Covenant community. We have celebrated the arrival of sweet newborn babies together. We have stood beside hospital beds and prayed for healing.We have brought thousands of meals to families walking through difficult seasons.We have filled funeral services with quiet support, and stadium stands with loud cheers.
We’ve watched hundreds of chapel performances, football games, and senior thesis presentations. We’ve high-fived and hugged through victories and wept together when life didn’t turn out like we expected. And somehow, in the midst of simply doing life together, God showed up.
He brought healing. He brought perspective. He brought His quiet, divine intervention.
We are healed in community.
Of course, community is not perfect. Sometimes we hurt each other. Sometimes good intentions create unintended wounds. One of my favorite stories in Scripture is the account of the friends who tore open a roof just to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus. It’s such a powerful picture of faith and friendship—people willing to do whatever it takes to bring someone they love to the place where healing can happen.
But I’ve often wondered about the homeowner. After the miracle, someone still had to repair the roof. Sometimes the ministry meant to bring healing leaves a little mess behind. Real community can be inconvenient. It requires patience, humility, forgiveness, and grace. But even with the occasional mess, the miracle is worth it. Because somewhere in the middle of showing up, praying together, celebrating together, grieving together, and sometimes even fixing the roof together…God brings healing.
And for many families, choosing a school is not only about academics or opportunities. It is also about choosing the community that will help shape your child’s heart. At Covenant Christian Academy, we are not just educating students—we are walking through life together. We pray for one another, carry burdens together, celebrate milestones together, and remind each other where true hope is found.
Because in the end, the most meaningful communities are not the ones where life is always easy. They are the ones where people keep showing up for each other. Just like sourdough, growth happens best in the right environment.
And where, over time, God quietly brings His healing through the people sitting right beside us—parents, teachers, and friends walking together toward Christ.
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