Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 9
Samantha contrasted American church culture as “top of the dog pile… get my family where I need to go” with Anabaptist community that says, “I’m there for you,” even offering beds to strangers; what does this imply God intends the church to be, and what would have to change in our schedules, privacy, and budgets to live that kind of mutual aid?
Another way to ask: Samantha says American church life can be selfish, while Anabaptist community says, “I’m there for you,” even giving beds to strangers. What does that suggest God wants the church to be, and what would we need to change in our time, privacy, and money to live that way?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
It implies the church should be a real, dependable community where believers actively carry one another’s needs—even across social distance. To live that way, people would need to open their homes, reorder priorities, and make room (time, space, money) for others.
- Samantha says the factor wasn’t just “the sense of community, but the reality of it,” because “there’s always people and you’re there for each other.”
- She contrasts this with “American church and American culture,” calling it “top of the dog pile… I want to get to where I need to go or get my family where I need to go.”
- She describes Anabaptist posture: “it’s very much, ‘I’m there for you,’ even if you’ve never met the person before.”
- She gives a concrete example: traveling and needing lodging—“you just meet this random Mennonite person and they’ve got a bed… ‘Hey, come stay.’”
- She summarizes the result: “a security and it’s an identity.”