The book chronicles the rise of a unique movement of churches called Christ the King. They have spread like wildfire all over America (particularly the Pacific Northwest) and the World by refusing to have bigger services.
What do you mean refusing to have bigger services?
Well, Browning and his team has instead focused on planting. Meaning, rather than constructing buildings to further house people coming into the church they send teams out to start new sites/churches/services elsewhere. The distance could be a matter of blocks or international. But the plan is always the same, when more people attend - divide.
This is a shift from the methodology of a church being the place to go to the people who go. This is a church that does what I have dreamed about for years. The ethos of the community is defined by their desire to be constantly planting, constantly sending.
I love it.
I underlined one great line that pretty much defines their approach: "The time to start a new location is when we have the leadership to execute it rather than the people to attend it" (page 142).
Ministry leaders read this book, or just go plant something.
Two weird things:
ReplyDeleteOne of our teaching elders (we have no pastor)is named David Browning!! I'm certain that he has never written a book.
And
Our church used to split off baby churches like that, years ago. And I don't know why they stopped.
I like the idea. I bought the book. Will read it soon.
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