That is where community comes in. The Bible talks about two types of communities; the family and the church. The church appears to be a community made up of Christians that tend to be a part of a family community as well. In our culture, we have many different communities. These communities are based on things like: work, playing sports, watching sports, role-playing games, school, religious beliefs, music, art, or any other common interest.
Though we can always find time for what we are most passionate about, it is very easy to spread our passions too thin with too many communities.
The difference between an activity and a community is paramount. If you go to a bible study once a week and rarely communicate with others in the group then that is probably just an activity. If that bible study is a time when you get together with your friends that you communicate with and rely on other times then that is probably a community.
Our first community that we should be committed to is that of ourselves and the Trinity. The second community is our family. The third is our church. All other communities should come after these three. I'm not saying they are bad, just inferior. Therefore, if any community is a higher priority in your life than those three then something is wrong. If a college group is a more important community than your church then it is overstepping its biblical duty. If a dating relationship is interfering with your church community then it is not healthy.
Don't be that ministry.
Don't be that boyfriend or girlfriend.
Respect the local church community that God has given us, and seek to build that community rather than usurp it.
This may also be a problem in the mega-church structure. They split the local church community into at least two communities. The church as a whole, then the small groups that provide the tangible aspects of community. It almost makes the church as a whole an activity by ceding community to the small groups.
