Lessons from a church planter

I had a couple of book recommendations given to me recently. A pal in Romania is heading up what I’d describe as an emerging network of small church groups (formerly one planted church). There’s around 60 folks home grown from a core of 10-15 people about 6 years ago.

St Andrews Church Romania

I watch their development (trials & joys) from a distance with great respect. I’ve seen how they work from the inside and been hugely touched to join with them on their journey temporarily at various points and listen in to current developments & their “experiments”. Plus the dude & his side kick got me hooked up with my wife & "married us" along the way! ;-) Nice job!

I’m just looking into the books at the mo. They are Organic Church by Neil Cole which I’ve just started on and Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsh which should arrive soon.

I already enjoyed some of Alan’s ideas in “The Shaping of things to come”. Here I was challenged by the notion of “incarnational” church as opposed to “attractional”. I’ve always worked under the principle of “bring em in” (attract) rather than “go amongst”. It’s funny really when you think about it coz J was pretty clear about going out into the world. The other nugget that I was left with from this was about the importance of the “5 fold ministries” in every group – not just an apostle once in a blue moon, a couple of evangelists, a few teachers & prophetic folk and a pastor. I’d say our church is pretty keen on seeing all members minister their mix but I found this an interesting point.

Anyways, I’ll keep ya posted…

The other top tip was a secular book called the Starfish & the Spider - a look at “leaderless” organisations. I gather it discusses the potency of movements that are truelly cellular with DNA passed into every cell…I understand that if you try to chop up a Starfish population (!) you only multiply it. I’m guessin the spider doesn’t do so well. Obviously it’s a portrait of how this system can flourish where a pyramid structure would topple if you knock out the head. It’s not that leadership isn’t useful & important, more that there’s much to be learnt from such “virus like” growth models. Might check that out too.

Later