Resources for Fellowship: Loving Relationships & Community in the Church among Believers
God desires that the Church engage in mutual, reciprocal sharing of our life in Christ with one another. These resources can help you promote true fellowship.
Click on a tab below to view a list of resources for fellowship among the church body.
Many of the links below will take you to articles on other sites or to one of our affiliate stores. While seeking to choose sites and books that are doctrinally sound the Ministry Tools Resource Center makes no claim to total endorsement of any listing. Links to other sites will open in a new page to allow you to keep the list available to look at additional fellowship ministry resources.
General
Articles About Fellowship
- All Sorts of People in the Church
- Does True Fellowship Need to be Restored in the Church?
- Church Fellowship Ideas in a High Tech, Low Touch World
- Fellowship Defined
- Getting Disillusioned People to Open Themselves to True Fellowship
- Ideas for Getting Busy People to Engage in True Fellowship
- Stressed Out People Need True Fellowship
- The Church is a Community
- The Church's Purpose to Love People Is Expressed Through Fellowship
- True Body Life Results in Fellowship
Books about Loving Relationships Essential to Christian Fellowship
- A God-Centered Church: Experiencing God Together
by Henry Blackaby, Melvin Blackaby
- Body Life
by Ray Stedman
- Community 101
by Gilbert Bilezikian
- Connecting
by Larry Crabb
- Encouragement Changes Everything: Bless and Be Blessed by John C. Maxwell
- Everybody's Normal 'Til You Get to Know Them
by John Ortberg
- Lasting Impressions: From Visiting to Belonging by Mark Waltz
- The 5 Love Languages
by Gary Chapman
- The Connecting Church 2.0 by Randy Frazee
- The Relationship Principles of Jesus by Tom Holladay
- True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia by Jerry Bridges
Community Building Ideas
Questions & Activities to Get People Talking as a Means of Building Community
Talk might start shallow with some of these ideas but has the potential develop into deeper fellowship.
- 101 Great Ideas to Create a Caring Group by Thom Corrigan
- 201 Great Questions by Jerry Jones
- Groupbuilder Games and Activities for Youth Ministry by Group Publishing
- Building Community in Youth Groups by Denny Rydberg (although intended for youth, many of the ideas can work well with adults)
- Youth Group Trust Builders by Denny Rydberg (although intended for youth, many of the ideas can work well with adults)
- Groupbuilders: 50 High-Impact Ideas to Revolutionize Your Adult Ministry by Group Publishing
- Fun Friend-Making Activities for Adult Groups by Karen Dockrey
- Ice-Breakers and Heart-Warmers: 101 Ways to Kickoff and End Meetings by Steve Sheely
- Jump Starts and Soft Landings: 101 More Ways to Kick-Off & End Meetings by Steve Sheely
- Ice Breakers & Openers: To Inspire Youth on CD-ROM by Walt Marcum
- Fresh Ideas: Games, CrowdBreakers, & Community Builders by Jim Burns
- Have You Ever...? 450 Intriguing Questions by Les Christie
- Would You Rather . . . ? 465 Questions to Get Teens Talking by Doug Fields
- More Would You Rather...?: 465 Additional Questions by Doug Fields
Teacher Training Resource for Building Community
- Teachers Either Block or Promote Community Worksheet by Ministry Tools Resource Center
Lessons
Curriculum & Bible Study Books For Teaching About Fellowship
- Community: Building Relationships Within God's Family, InterActions Series by Bill Hybels, Kevin G. Harney, Sherry Harney
- Ephesians: Building a Community in Christ, John Stott Bible Study by John Stott
- Christian Community, LifeGuide Topical Bible Studies by Rob Suggs
- Experiencing Community, Pilgrimage Growth Guide by Thom Corrigan
- Practical Issues in the Book of Philippians Discussion Guide by Ministry Tools Resource Center
- Connecting with God's Family by Brett Eastman & Karen Lee-Thorp
May your church experience true community. Use these fellowship resources to promote loving relationships with one another but understand the vital role of the Holy Spirit in bringing us together in Christ (Phil. 2:1).