Challenge Communities are the small group bible studies of Christian Challenge
The goal of a Challenge Community is to introduce college students to Christ, encourage students to grow in their relationships with Christ, and equip students to live on-mission for Christ. Our passion is to develop college students who LOVE God, LIVE His Word, and SERVE His Church.
Challenge Communities are RELATIONAL, BIBLICAL, & MISSIONAL. Challenge Communities meet weekly in student’s homes, on campus, in dorms, in coffee shops, and other locations. They share a meal together (or at least some light snacks) and have a Bible-centered discussion. They connect with each other on a deep level and have real conversations that move beyond simple pleasantries. Spiritual truths are discussed and meaningful questions are asked. Scripture is clearly applied to real-life in a way that makes sense and invites action. The gospel is applied to everyday life. Students who do not yet know Christ are warmly welcomed into community where they are provided an opportunity to explore Christianity. Christian students are nurtured in their spiritual growth and encouraged to live missionally. Students with leadership potential and Christlike character are cultivated into future community leaders. Challenge Communities are committed to developing authentic relationships (RELATIONAL), studying and applying God’s Word to their lives (BIBLICAL), and missionally engaging an identifiable affinity group on campus (MISSIONAL).
Challenge Communities are RELATIONAL. They are committed to loving God, loving one another, and loving their neighbors. The strength of a Challenge Community is dependent upon the strength of the relationships in the group. God created people for community. We all need and crave healthy loving relationships, from the day we were born until the day we will breathe our last breath. In Genesis 2:18, after creating Adam, God observed that “It is not good for man to be alone.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 states that “two are better than one” and goes on to identify some of the benefits of community (productivity, provision, and protection). The writer of Hebrews challenges his readers to “spur one another on” and to “not give up meeting together.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) The New Testament is full of “one another” passages that point us toward what life lived in community should look like. Challenge Communities should promote and practice these biblical “one anothers.” They should also be a place where new people are always invited. They should be warm and welcoming, and a safe place where non-Christian students can explore the person of Christ and ask spiritual questions. Spiritual exploration, spiritual formation, and spiritual engagement all happen best in the context of a loving community. Healthy and effective Challenge Communities are committed to encouraging those in their community to LOVE God and each other.
Challenge Communities are BIBLICAL. They are committed to knowing, understanding, and applying God’s Word. The Bible is the absolute foundation of all spiritual growth and sanctification. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states that “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The only way for believers to be thoroughly equipped to serve the Lord and walk with Him faithfully is to know His Word – all of it. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded the disciples (and all disciples through the ages) to make disciples, to baptize them, and to teach them to “obey everything I have
commanded.” Obedience clearly necessitates knowing and understanding God’s
Word. In Acts 2:42, Luke records that the early church was “devoted to the
apostles’ teaching” (i.e. the New Testament). Every community of believers
should have a passionate devotion to God’s Word that would include reading,
studying, and applying it to their lives. Paul exhorted the Colossian Christians to,
“let the Word of Christ dwell in your richly.” (Colossians 3:6) The Psalmist ponders, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” and observes that it is only “By living according to your Word.” (Psalm 119:9) A healthy and effective Challenge Community will commit to exhorting those in their community to LIVE God’s Word.