Community: Building Relationships Within God's Family

by Bill Hybels, Kevin G. Harney, Sherry Harney

Reap the rewards of close bonds with others.All of us hunger for genuine community―for meaningful relationships in our lives. Without community, we wither inside. Deep, transparent relationships help us grow into all God created us to be. In Community, you’ll learn how you can forge strong, meaningful ties with others and with God. You’ll find out how to move beyond superficial relationships and build lasting friendships. You’ll learn how to debug common, harmful relational “viruses” in yourself and set healthy boundaries that will protect you from the viruses of others. Finally, you’ll discover the importance of extending community to those who haven't experienced God’s love for them. Discover a richer depth in your relationships. Community will help you build friendship, marriage, and family bonds that are satisfying and lasting.Interactions―a powerful and challenging tool for building deep relationships between you and your group members, and you and God. Interactions is far more than another group Bible study. It’s a cutting-edge series designed to help small group participants develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, a non-denominational church with eight regional locations in the Chicago area. He is the bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Simplify, Axiom, Holy Discontent, Just Walk Across the Room, The Volunteer Revolution, Courageous Leadership, Too Busy Not to Pray, and Becoming a Contagious Christian.

Hybels launched Willow Creek Community Church in 1975 with his wife, Lynne (Berry), and a group of friends who gathered in rented space in a movie theater with a vision of helping people from any faith background (or no faith at all) become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Utilizing contemporary music, the arts, relevant teaching from the Bible, and a small-groups community focus that has revolutionized how people experience community in the local church, Willow Creek has grown to more than 25,000 attendees, one of the largest churches in North America—and one of the most influential.

In 1992, Hybels launched Willow Creek Association, a not-for-profit organization that equips, inspires, and empowers leaders around the world. In 1995, he convened WCA’s first Global Leadership Summit, an annual two-day event featuring top leaders from all perspectives and areas of expertise—both faith-based and secular (past speakers include Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Bono, Melinda Gates, Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Ed Catmull, Tyler Perry, Sheryl Sandberg, Nicholas Kristof, David Gergen, and Brené Brown). Telecast live from Willow Creek’s 7,000-seat South Barrington auditorium each August, more than 400,000 pastors and community leaders attend the Summit at hundreds of locations across North America, and around the world at 675+ sites in 130 countries and 60 different languages—making it the largest event of its kind on the planet. “Everyone wins when a leader gets better,” Hybels says.

Hybels holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity College (now Trinity International University) in Deerfield, Illinois. He and his wife, Lynne, have two grown children and two grandsons.