Earlier this year, Andrew Nixon wrote an article on the 12 hard truths about ministry in Sydney that he learned from overseeing Connect09. As a result of the feedback he is completing a series of blogs on each of these ‘hard truths’. A list of the past blogs can be found here.

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6. People long for belonging and community - especially local community.

Not so hard this one. or is it?

One of the first things we did in preparation for Connect09 was some investigative qualitative research amongst the general community. We learnt plenty.

For me, one surprising fact was that what Sydneysiders long for deep down is. belonging.

It surprised me because I am a Sydneysider, and I don't. This just didn't resonate with me, and I never would have guessed how significant it was. 

This taught me a few things. Firstly, don't assume. If you want to know about someone, you need to ask. It also showed me that a lifetime of knowing Jesus has made me very different from the society I live in - much more so than I realised. 

I would have expected people to long for a nicer house, or a European holiday, or the latest TV, car, etc. That is what the TV tells me people long for.

And also, I have to admit, I often do - especially when I watch TV! 

So how am I different? Well, whilst it may be hard to pick me out in a line-up of materialists, I don't long for belonging. because I have it already. 

I was raised by my birth parents in a stable home. I suffered no abuse. I live with one wife and kids that are ours. I have life-long friendships. Statistically, all this makes me pretty unusual. And just a few minutes online searching the impact of divorce on kids, or the long term effects of abuse, or the prevalence of loneliness among adults, show how incredibly blessed I am as a result. 

But as important as the things above are, I suspect the chief reason for the difference is that I know I am loved by and belong to God; I belong to Christ because he bought me; and I belong to a "real" community (a family in fact) of believers who love one another. 

Once I was made aware of the fact that Sydneysiders long to belong, I started seeing symptoms of it everywhere. The idea of community - especially local community - is revered. 

And yet, as our researcher also noted, all forms of community involvement are in decline - be it in sports, local clubs, community activities, volunteer organisations, or church. The irony of the situation was not lost on him: as a society we are withdrawing from all forms of community, yet we long to belong.

Why is this? Are we too time-poor? Over-worked trying to makes ends meet? Are we just swamped by easier and more attractive options?

Or is it an unwillingness - or inability - to commit ourselves to others? Maybe some of those deeper social issues are coming into play.

Perhaps a bit of all the above? The more I think about it, the more complex it becomes.

The wonderful news is that as Christians we have in spades what "the community" longs for which is. community!

Whatever the reason, Sydneysiders really want the one thing that we should be able to offer them. Even if they are reluctant - and we should expect that - it seems the desire is there. That is great news!

And even beyond the attractiveness of community, churches (or more accurately God!) can also address their deepest needs: forgiveness, acceptance, relationship, love, hope - real belonging. 

Thank God that he can heal broken people!

But we ought not to expect the process to be comfortable, or easy, or quick - or uncomplicated! Are we up to this massive task?

This one may indeed be the hardest truth of all.