by John Freiberg
A door to freedom
Daniel met Nathan in the lift of the crumbling tenement where other refugees often landed. He could tell that Nathan was lost in this new city and was hungry for connection. Daniel invited Nathan to one of our church home groups, which we call Gospel Communities (GCs). Even though Nathan made it very clear that he was not a believer, he was welcomed into this peculiar community that treated each other like family, treasured Jesus Christ, and sought to be a tangible blessing to their neighbours and their city. Nathan’s work situation only allowed him one day a month off, but for over a year, he chose to spend that day travelling over 3 hours to attend these GC meetings.
Over time, it became clear to the members of the GC that something was off about Nathan’s work situation. Finally, Nathan admitted that he had been trafficked from his home country. Through the work of one of the church members who is a lawyer, Nathan was eventually able to gain his freedom from prison. But that was just the beginning of Nathan’s journey to redemption…
“That the world may believe…”
Our city, Jakarta, shares all the challenges and opportunities typical to the world’s urban centres—traffic, diversity, corruption, socio-economic divides, and more. Add to this the reality of being a Muslim-majority city, where church planters and believers seeking to make disciples of Jesus often face challenges and opportunities that can seem overwhelming. How, in an unreached neighbourhood, closed community, or the frenetic chaos of urban life are believers to be equipped and mobilised? Where are unbelievers going to encounter a clear gospel witness?
One verse that has been central to our church’s missional approach is John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”1 This oft-quoted verse declares that one of the most powerful witnesses to the unbelieving world of the Christ-treasuring identity of believers, is their love for one another.
Yet, for the world to be able to identify believers as Jesus’ disciples by their love for each other, the world needs to have the opportunity to see Christ’s body in action. This witness requires more than just attendance at a weekly service, closed off from the world. For the world to see the love Christians have for each other, that love must be demonstrated outside the walls of a church building. The world is not in the church building. If Christians want to show the world the power of gospel community, they need to love each other both inside and outside of the church gathering. This means being intentional about creating spaces and opportunities for unbelievers to observe believers living out their identity as a family in Christ.
Gospel communities that bridge the gap
The local church is both the goal and means of fulfilling the Great Commission. Too often, church structures and cultures are so insulated and inward-focused, that no missional training or witness is possible “within” the church. Missional GCs are one way to bridge that gap.
We like to define our GCs as, “gospel-formed families of Christ-treasuring disciples on mission together.” They provide:
- A realistic context for believers to practise the “one-anothers” of Scripture through living out our identity as family in Christ.
- An intentional and focused culture of being equipped and mobilised for mission together.
- An incubator for church-planting skills to be practised and developed.
- A framework for practising missional hospitality that provides unbelievers an accessible window into gospel-shaped community.
In our city, most people are asking, “Who do I belong to?” before they ever ask, “What is true?” We know that the call to follow Christ will often result in the loss of social stability for those in our city. If we are calling people to risk giving up their community, then they need to know what is waiting for them on the other side. Being a part of a GC provides this opportunity. Long before Nathan understood the gospel intellectually, he had already witnessed it embodied in the lives of the people around him.
“Is it worth it?”
About two months after Nathan had gained his freedom from his trafficker, he was still faithfully attending our GC. However, he was upfront that he was not yet a believer, nor would he pretend to be one because we had helped him.
Still, he found himself compelled to join our meetings and remained curious about the source of the love and joy in this community. Three months later, Nathan approached the group leader and expressed his desire to know more about following Christ. He understood there was a cost—perhaps even his life—and wanted to be certain that Jesus was worth it.
He asked if the pastor could teach him the Scripture, answer his questions, and help him clearly understand the gospel. After about 6 weeks, Nathan confessed, “I’m ready. I believe in Jesus as my God and Saviour now. I see that he is worth it. I want to be baptised before my next birthday to show everyone that I have a new life now!”
Nathan did not ask if following Christ was worth it in a vacuum. He asked it after months of watching a people who loved one another with a costly, visible, and joyful love.
Nathan is now helping lead a new GC. The community that once helped secure his freedom is now being multiplied into new communities through him, as the beauty of the gospel is put on display for a world in need.
1. See also John 17:20–24.↑
Author
John Freiberg (DMin) is a husband, father, and church planter who is passionate about seeing healthy, Christ-treasuring churches planted in the world's largest city, Jakarta, Indonesia. He planted and pastors at Jakarta Gospel Community Church (JGCC), a church that is part of the Treasuring Christ Together network. His ministry experience includes serving in military contexts as well as inner-city ministry in Los Angeles, where he had the opportunity to share the gospel and walk alongside people from a wide range of backgrounds. He has a particular interest in biblical counseling, church planting, discipleship, and helping believers grow in a deeper knowledge and enjoyment of Christ. When he is not involved in ministry, he enjoys surfing, hiking, scuba diving, and seeking lost treasures. Above all, he desires to see Christ cherished and His church strengthened for God's glory and the good of the lost.
