A different aspect of the group's openness is exemplified by the many non-students who have been an integral part of the group and have enriched our community life. A community is more than just a group of people. A community provides a place for people to develop friendships, have emotional, spiritual and physical needs met and to use their gifts to meet other people's needs. A community is not exactly the same as a group of friends either. A community must share a goal or vision, or have some other characteristics in common.
Close community takes commitment on the part of members.
One of the major commitments is to spend time with people in the community. But being in community should also involve a sense of responsibility for the well-being of others whether physical, spiritual or emotional. We should expect to go out of our way to help and support each other. We do not intend to be able to provide the kinds of things that a church provides. We do not have a large range of ages in our group, nor do we display the balance that comes from people of different social backgrounds and with different jobs which ought, ideally, to be a feature of a local church.