Simple Church or Traditional Church?
The number 1 question I have from pastors and church leaders relating to the DMM (disciple making movement) strategy is "What are the churches like?" "What kind of church government?" "Are they all House Churches?"
In fact, many times it seems that this is the most important question that leaders have. I must admit that this has really dismayed me at times. It sometimes seems that leaders can be more focused on issues of structure, than on issues of evangelism. Indeed I have had conversations that seemed to imply (and sometimes outright state) that if the resulting churches in a DMM are not of a certain kind of structure, that it would be better not to do DMM at all. These sentiments are stated by God loving, experienced leaders sometimes....but they have not thought through the bottom line meaning of such concepts.
Are we really to believe that it would be better for people to not hear the Gospel, not become believers, not follow Christ at all unless they are then put into the "right" kind of church? Is it better to go to hell than to be in a church that is not structured the way we think it should be?
Well.....when you put it that way.....
Yes, I know, that's why I put it that way!
Nevertheless, I understand that church organization and structure are important issues. And as in the previous Blog, Transitioning from a Discovery Group to a functioning Church is a key issue and part of the DMM/CPM strategy. In that blog I listed the 7 stages or steps of facilitating a CPM/DMM. Here they are again in a short list.
1. Have a Kingdom of God Mindset.
2. Develop the Prayer base and commit to Obedience to the Scripture and Holy Spirit.
3. Develop the Access Strategy.
4. Find Person's of Peace.
5. Begin Discovery Bible Studies and multiply.
6. Transition from DBS group to church life.
7. Train and Mentor leaders.
So it is with stage 6 that we are concerned at the moment.
What kind of church will result from a DMM strategy? For the present let's talk about 2 concepts of church.
1. Simple Church: Also called House Church, this is a small group of believers, either with or without formal leadership, where the people meet together regularly to study the bible and leave to obey it. This church meets in homes, or parks, or restaurants, or Starbucks! It is a small group and remains a small group, edifying each other and obeying the word.
2. Developed Church: Also called Traditional Church, this is the church developed beyond the small group, usually larger than a Simple Church....maybe much larger....even mega churches of many thousands are in this category. There are many kinds of church government patterns among Developed Churches (Congregational, Presbyterian, Episcopal, New Apostolic Reformation, and all kinds of Hybrid patterns....each based on both reading of scripture and usually some kind of traditional understanding. God has His true children in them all!)
In the INSTAR project, we have trained leaders in the DMM strategy from 51 denominations and networks that are actually planting and leading groups! So clearly there are simple churches AND developed churches from a variety of church government patterns that are using DMM and profiting from it and seeing people come to Christ! And that is the point I want to make here: THERE IS NO ONE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF WHICH KIND OF CHURCH EMERGES FROM THE DMM STRATEGY. THE DMM STRATEGY WORKS WITH BOTH THE SIMPLE CHURCH AND THE DEVELOPED CHURCH PARADIGMS AND WITH EVERY FORM OF BIBLICAL CHURCH GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE SO FAR ENCOUNTERED!
In the next blog, I will list 9 practical observations about the Simple Church/Developed Church issue that we are seeing to be true in Latin America as the movement is multiplying. These observations will help clarify the principles and will include ways of developing from a new small DBS group of believers, to a sustainable church in a community.
In fact, many times it seems that this is the most important question that leaders have. I must admit that this has really dismayed me at times. It sometimes seems that leaders can be more focused on issues of structure, than on issues of evangelism. Indeed I have had conversations that seemed to imply (and sometimes outright state) that if the resulting churches in a DMM are not of a certain kind of structure, that it would be better not to do DMM at all. These sentiments are stated by God loving, experienced leaders sometimes....but they have not thought through the bottom line meaning of such concepts.
Are we really to believe that it would be better for people to not hear the Gospel, not become believers, not follow Christ at all unless they are then put into the "right" kind of church? Is it better to go to hell than to be in a church that is not structured the way we think it should be?
Well.....when you put it that way.....
Yes, I know, that's why I put it that way!
Nevertheless, I understand that church organization and structure are important issues. And as in the previous Blog, Transitioning from a Discovery Group to a functioning Church is a key issue and part of the DMM/CPM strategy. In that blog I listed the 7 stages or steps of facilitating a CPM/DMM. Here they are again in a short list.
1. Have a Kingdom of God Mindset.
2. Develop the Prayer base and commit to Obedience to the Scripture and Holy Spirit.
3. Develop the Access Strategy.
4. Find Person's of Peace.
5. Begin Discovery Bible Studies and multiply.
6. Transition from DBS group to church life.
7. Train and Mentor leaders.
So it is with stage 6 that we are concerned at the moment.
What kind of church will result from a DMM strategy? For the present let's talk about 2 concepts of church.
1. Simple Church: Also called House Church, this is a small group of believers, either with or without formal leadership, where the people meet together regularly to study the bible and leave to obey it. This church meets in homes, or parks, or restaurants, or Starbucks! It is a small group and remains a small group, edifying each other and obeying the word.
2. Developed Church: Also called Traditional Church, this is the church developed beyond the small group, usually larger than a Simple Church....maybe much larger....even mega churches of many thousands are in this category. There are many kinds of church government patterns among Developed Churches (Congregational, Presbyterian, Episcopal, New Apostolic Reformation, and all kinds of Hybrid patterns....each based on both reading of scripture and usually some kind of traditional understanding. God has His true children in them all!)
In the INSTAR project, we have trained leaders in the DMM strategy from 51 denominations and networks that are actually planting and leading groups! So clearly there are simple churches AND developed churches from a variety of church government patterns that are using DMM and profiting from it and seeing people come to Christ! And that is the point I want to make here: THERE IS NO ONE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF WHICH KIND OF CHURCH EMERGES FROM THE DMM STRATEGY. THE DMM STRATEGY WORKS WITH BOTH THE SIMPLE CHURCH AND THE DEVELOPED CHURCH PARADIGMS AND WITH EVERY FORM OF BIBLICAL CHURCH GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE SO FAR ENCOUNTERED!
In the next blog, I will list 9 practical observations about the Simple Church/Developed Church issue that we are seeing to be true in Latin America as the movement is multiplying. These observations will help clarify the principles and will include ways of developing from a new small DBS group of believers, to a sustainable church in a community.
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