Simply ChurchModern day fisherman on the Sea of Galilee While we were in Mongolia a few years back, I had a dream which over time has had a profound effect on my thinking. In the dream I was handing a small group of people a book. “It’s about how to be a commercial fisherman,” I told… Read More
Why is transitioning a church so difficult? Because when existing Christians get involved in simple/organic church life they have to go through a process that our friend Wolfgang Simson calls “Death Valley.” And it’s usually a slow and painful journey. Jesus told us in the parable of the wineskins that those who have tasted the… Read More
Even though David Havice has faced challenges in transitioning his legacy church to a network of simple/organic churches, he is still committed to simple/organic church. Here’s the conclusion of my interview with him. You can view the first two parts of the interview here and here. Felicity: I know with the benefit of 20:20 hindsight,… Read More
What challenges do you face when try to transition a legacy church into a network of simple/organic churches? This post continues the interview with David Havice. Felicity: You obviously hit some challenges when you transitioned your church. Can you describe them? David: The normal challenges were there and revolved around three areas: Spiritual concepts, emotional… Read More
The following is part of an interview with David Havice, a good friend, and pastor of a traditional church who transitioned to a network of simple/organic churches. Felicity: What made you decide to transition your legacy church into a network of simple/organic churches? David: We were a small congregation in a town of multiple megachurches… Read More
Imagine the scenario. I’m the pastor of a traditional church that’s going fairly well. We’ve been running along at 150 members for several years now. I love the church and the people, but recently I’ve been challenged to think about simple/organic church and the impact it can have on missions. As I pray about it,… Read More
In the past week, I have come across two (small) denominations who are revising their views on church planting. Rather than planning on traditional church planting with the expense of buildings and trained staff, both denominations are looking at a simple/organic approach to missions. They are encouraging their existing churches to plant out daughter simple/organic… Read More
Transitioning a legacy church to a network of simple/organic churches is not an easy route. There may be compelling reasons to take it, such as the fact that your church can no longer afford to keep its building. But if there are no compelling practical reasons, there are alternatives. Photo Credit: rburtzel (Creative Commons) It… Read More
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
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