Backpack 
This resource is part of the Flourishing Communities Collection.
A flourishing community.
We all want community. Real community. Jesus is all about creating the kind of community that goes beyond just being known—how we live and love each other will change the world around us.
Get your roomies and friends together and encounter God in this 7-week series as you unpack what it means to be a flourishing community.
- Week 1: Embodied Faith
- Week 2: Selfless Love
- Week 3: Radical Inclusion
- Week 4: Mutuality
- Week 5: Reconciliation
- Week 6: Costly Compassion
- Week 7: Justice
Each week of the small group series includes:
- 5 minute intro video for the facilitator giving an overview of the study and key points of the passage. (note: these videos were recorded prior to social distancing, so look for notes in the YouTube video descriptions on how to adapt. However, the Small Group Guides have been modified to be used online. Many video programs have options for breakout rooms, but if yours doesn't, you can have a whole group discussion.)
- 1-pager small group guide with an ice breaker, passage background info, discussion questions to choose from, and a response activity.
- Photo summary to text the small group or share via social media
Introduction Video
Week by Week Guides
Week 1 - Embodied Faith
God's design for community is one of flourishing. As we embody faith together, individuals, communities, and even systems flourish.
Week 2 - Selfless Love
We love selflessly, through our words and our actions, because of Jesus' love for us. Embodying our faith through how we love is the foundation of the flourishing community.
Week 3 - Radical Inclusion
In flourishing communities, all are seen, heard, and honored in the fullness of who God has made them to be.
Week 4 - Mutuality
Access and equity in the flourishing community are not contingent on social status. Instead, everyone participates in mutual self-giving where joys and pains are shared. Mutuality leads to unity.
Week 5 - Reconciliation
Having been reconciled to God through Jesus, we engage in the hard, costly work of being in right relationship with one another. Not only will we flourish, but so will those around us.
Week 6 - Costly Compassion
Communities flourish when followers of Jesus practice compassion. We see and act, embodying what it means to love God and love our neighbors. We extend compassion to all, even when it is costly or risky.
Week 7 - Justice
We are called to mirror God's heart and participate in God's mission to make all things right in our world. Pursuing justice is integral for true flourishing.
This resource has been tested and approved by InterVarsity’s National Strategy & Innovation team for campus ministry. Explore more resources by visiting the Accelerated Small Group Bible Study Collection.
