I was paging through the Gospels last night and decided to make a list of what I felt a community of believers of Jesus would look like. Below is the laundary list of characteristics I found in no particular order:
- discipleship - following Jesus/understanding the cost
- miracles
- persecution
- peace
- prayer/reliance on God
- giving, a no-worry faith
- receiving/welcoming/open-doors/accepting
- bearing fruit
- filled with grace
- Matthew 11:28
- teaching of the Word
- proclaiming the Kingdom/eternity
- service - feeding the poor/caring for the sick/elderly/widows
- internal purity and righteousness without forsaking external obedience - Mt. 15
- servant based - "least of these"
- community/relationship drive
- non-Pharisaic
- Holy Spirit led (what does this look like?)
- humble
- focus on transformation/inheritance/repentance/redemption
- covenant focused
- John 2:5
- abundant life - now and eternity

I hope to rank these at one point, but I don't know if that is wise or not.


I also made a short list of what the visible church is not:
- business
- method of accumulating wealth/possessions
- method of control