If we are going to transition from church-as-we-know-it (a box) to a dynamic Spirit-filled movement, we will also have to transition from leadership-as-we-know-it to something else.

Alan Creech says the WHOLE thing has to be reinvented:

I mean full-time, paid staff pastors who preach every Sunday and do pretty much all the ministry and stress themselves silly over every little thing in the community. I think this will kill us if we keep this up. It's beginning to happen, but we've really got to re-envision what it means to be a pastor, leader, elder, whatever in our new churches. I don't think we can afford to keep the old pastoral paradigm alive any more. We can't do that and expect to happen what we want to happen in these communities.

Pre-Christendom  -  Christ to Constantine:

Christianity grew from a small, marginalized sect to a centralized accepted religion in 200 years - from a negliable percentage to 10 percent and growing.

Conversions were most likely a result of strong relational, interpersonal contacts with family, friends, and neighbors.  To keep growing, Christians maintained open networks - able to reach out into new adjacent networks.

Epidemics played a crucial role in Christianities growth.  From caring for their own to caring for others was significant - a lower death rate and relationships developed while caring for pagans.

I was recently asked by a Christian Magazine why Organic Church has an advantage to more conventional church expressions in reaching lost people. Here is my answer.

When we teach about organic church (OC), it is not the kind of church (organic, seeker sensitive, purpose-driven...whatever) that is attractive to lost people, it is Christ, and Christ alone.