Detrimental Cliques Within Christian Communities
Christian Churches and Communities strive to be beacons of love, acceptance, and fellowship. Yet, a subtle threat can lurk beneath the surface – the formation of cliques. These exclusive social circles, while seemingly harmless, can be detrimental to the very core of what a Christian Community represents.
At the heart of the issue lies the contradiction between cliques and Christian values. The Bible condemns favoritism (James 2:1), emphasizing that in God’s eyes, all believers hold equal value. Cliques, by nature, create an “in-crowd” and an “out-crowd,” undermining this essential principle. This fractured environment weakens the unity that the Bible calls for in passages like Ephesians 4:4, which speaks of the Church as “one body and one Spirit.”
The consequences of cliques extend beyond internal divisions. Newcomers seeking a place of respite, rest, community, fellowship, or a place to call their spiritual home can be easily discouraged by the closed-off atmosphere that “cliques” create. The message of Christ’s all-encompassing love gets lost when the existing Community appears unwelcoming, whether this perception is seen overall or in only a handful of the members.
We, here at It Ain’t Over Ministries fully believe that everyone in the Body of Christ has intricate, and inestimable value and that everyone can contribute to the overall health and vitality of our Community. Cliques hinder fellowship (koinonia), of like-minded believers getting involved in sharing what the Lord may be leading them to share, because they will feel like they “don’t fit in” or “aren’t welcome”, within the Community when they start to see all of the “clique-i-ness” going on.
Consider the life of Jesus, and how He actively engaged with the marginalized and ostracized, challenging societal norms and established cultural constructs of His day. By welcoming tax collectors, sinners, and even lepers, Jesus embodied God’s unconditional love, worth, and value of all peoples, both the saved and lost alike.
Christian communities are called to emulate this example by extending warmth and building genuine connections, not just with those within their established circles, but also with those seeking a connection to God’s love and looking for a place they can open up and be themselves, hoping to find someone else who can walk with them on this journey of life.
So, how can Christian communities and especially the It Ain’t Over Ministries Community dismantle these detrimental cliques that are so prevalent today, not only in modern denominational churches, but in online communities and social media platforms such as Facebook, Discord, and others? Intentionality is key. Simple acts like actively greeting newcomers, inviting others to events, and fostering open conversations can create a more inclusive environment, even sometimes and especially with others whom you may not totally agree with. Leaders can play a crucial role by promoting activities that encourage interaction and discourage cliquishness.
Ultimately, a thriving Christian Community should be a place where everyone feels safe, seen, valued, and loved. By breaking down the walls of cliques and embracing genuine fellowship, It Ain’t Over Ministries Community can create a powerful testament to the unifying and all-encompassing love of God, the Fellowship of His Spirit and get along like the Bible tells us to. We don’t have to be, nor do we desire to be like the other social media platforms where “Cliques” prevail; and we simply will not be.
If any member of our Community sees or believes that there are any “Cliques” forming, please bring this to the attention of the Host, Admins, and Moderators and we will deal with it and squash it. It Ain’t Over Ministries Community is DIFFERENT! We aren’t your normal run-of-the-mill online Community where anything goes including ostracization of anyone by anyone, and if we allow cliques to form and continue, then the only result will be other members of the Community feeling ostracized, and this cannot be tolerated. Have a Blessed and Unified Day, in Jesus’ Name!
– David Fore
