It’s a sad fact, but one that you need to face up front. You will lose people. When you transition from a legacy church to a network of simple churches, not everyone will come with you. For many, the legacy church has been their whole life, and when you suggest a paradigm shift as major… Read More
Category: Church planting
The answer is: slowly! Photo credit: Balaji.B (Creative Commons) I know several legacy churches that have successfully made the transition to a network of simple/organic churches. When I’ve asked their leaders about the process, they have always told me that its been a lengthy one–a couple of years to complete. Usually they have taken about… Read More
If the Lord shows you that you are to make the transition from legacy to a network of simple/organic churches, there are a number of obstacles to overcome. (This post assumes you are in a position of church leadership.) Many people in your church do not share your vision for the transition. It’s not what… Read More
Transitioning from a legacy church to a network of simple/organic churches generally involves letting go of the building, and may result in the paid staff finding other means of income. Of course, many hybrid forms are also possible. Here are some of the reasons why a church might consider transitioning: Finances are tight; they’ve already… Read More
As the simple/organic movement becomes more mainstream, and the financial trends force more and more traditional churches to cut back economically, then many churches are asking the question: should we transition our legacy church into a network of simple/organic churches? Photo credit: Dan4th (Creative Commons) Every church needs to hear from the Lord about their… Read More
Simple things multiply; complex things are much harder to reproduce. Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks (Creative Commons) One of my favorite quotes from a Filipino church planter is this: Never do anything in church that a one week old Christian would be unable to duplicate. Only model what you want to see reproduced and what will lead… Read More
Does your simple/organic church have an impact beyond the gathering? There’s a simple tool to help with that. Photo Credit: Kalexanderson (Creative Commons) In the interactive Bible study pattern that we most frequently use and teach to others, four symbols help people share around the passage: A question mark: do you have any questions… Read More
If you want your group to be outward looking, the list is a powerful tool. In CMA's Life Transformation Groups, each person makes a list of three to four people who are not followers of Jesus that they commit to pray for daily. In T4T, each person is encouraged to make a list of all… Read More
There are good invitations, but if you want to see multiplication, there might be better ones: Photo credit: Tracy Hunter (Creative Commons) You’ve shared your story, using it as a bridge to a presentation of the good news of the Kingdom. What now? It’s unusual for someone to say, “How can I become a Christian?”… Read More
Telling our story is only a bridge to an explanation of the good news of Jesus. Photo credit: Southernpixel Alby (Creative Commons) Another skill it is good to have in our toolbelt is the ability to explain the Gospel simple and concisely to a not-yet-believer. I’m not talking the Santa Claus Gospel here–invite Jesus into… Read More