GlocalNet

If someone asks me what kind of church we are, I tell them a global church.  We’ve been called a missions church, a missional church, a social action church, a church planting church, a city church, a local church, recently becoming a cell church, though good and true about what we have done and are doing, none of those descriptors fit it for me and the vision God gave me 25 years ago.  I thought it odd that when we began our church one of the promise verses God gave me was Psalms 2:8 “Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance.”  It was a prophetic verse.  We want to do all the things above, but who we are and who we strive to be is global in every way: Global in scope, global in geography, global in context, global in making disciples, global in engaging everyone. Global.  It used to be my understanding of the word global was simply geographical - I didn’t get the other uses of the word.  We have become “global” and work around the world - I’m in Hanoi writing this now.  Global is big picture - engaging with the whole of humanity - not just my particular religious institution.  When we operate on the basis of the disciple (the LCD) and the society (the grid) we will always ultimately get to the church, but if my focus is “a” church we will never get beyond “that” church.” 

I tell our church planters all the time, ignore the church, forget it - don’t be obsessed by it, it’s a waste of time.  Everyone wants to re-invent it, reform it, fix it, create a new model of it as if it started with them, their ideas, and their context.  Instead make disciples and engage glocally.  There’s another lie - if everyone will do church like me, then the whole church will be healthy.  Church - however you do it - is a reflection of your disciples.

Been doing some studying & deep reflecting lately on “church” and there are some things that really have become clear to me.  There were 3 “kinds” of church we find in the New Testament.  One was the house, one was the city, and one was universal or global.  We need all 3 of those expressions of church to be and do what God has called us to. 

The “house” is the basic church, the micro-church, the most fundamental unit of the church.  It is where the body operates in community.  The “city” is the collection of those “houses” that meet and gather be it in synagogues, stadiums, theatres, etc.  Finally the “global” is the church in various regions, ethnos, etc. that exists.  I would add a couple of levels on my own - not inspired or biblical.  First, I would say is house - which is what small groups, cells, or houses churches try to accomplish.  It is the place of encouragement, learning, ministry together, evangelism, etc.  Second, is the “tribal” or “clan” church which is the gathering of those cells, house churches, etc. as a larger body to engage strategically a city or community and fulfill a corporate call and vision.  This is where the broader ministry of 5-fold (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher).  This is the point for polity - if a church grows beyond one or two cells then elders, deacons, etc. all come into play because there are a lot more people than just your house - read Acts.  If it’s more than just about me and my buds - then I need to be connected to a clan or city with the rest of the body of Christ.  Third, I would say is the city church.  It’s bigger than the clans, denominations, networks, etc.  If any level of church is ignored today in the world it’s this one - and until it’s addressed instead of seeing our cities transformed we will merely shuffle our sheep from one pen to the other.  Fourth, is the national church, I say this because when you study church planting movements they are almost always tribal and national.  Finally, is the global church where we connect apostolically to what God is doing around the world and work together.  Read chapter 1 of my book RealTime Connections for more information.  You don’t have to take all this as law - but it’s starting to formulate strongly in my mind and as I observe our practice and the global church - it really is solidifying. 

I’m convinced one of the reasons God has used our church is because we’ve had 3 elements of the 5 and we have had the most basic and the biggest.  We have been more of a tribal church in a city, planting churches in our city and nation and also a global church, connecting with the church and world globally.  We have done small groups but are moving to more of a cell format to see the body of Christ operate in a more healthy and aggressive manner.  I don’t know for sure yet how to engage the “city” church, though I have some ideas and will be moving out in that shortly.  Neither do I know how to be a “national” church beyond denominations and tribes. What would it look like for the church as a whole to come together in the US?  I can only imagine.  Can you imagine all the strategic work that could be done? 

All church starts with a very small group of people - sometimes even just a person - with a vision - and then should go global as fast as possible.  Then spend the rest of your ministry filling in the gap in between.  If you connect the most basic with the biggest - you have a far better chance of defining everything else in between.  But, without the global - you will never be the church that would change the world - let alone your city. 

I’ll be writing lots more on this later . . . . . The reason so many argue about what the church should be is because of style and context.  I don’t see the arguing of the 5 kinds of church around the world - they all see it connected, necessary, and critical to fulfill the Great Commission.  The church exists not merely as a force to be gathered - but as a community to be sent.