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“Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!” Luke 15:1-2

When was the last time you shared a meal or had a cup of coffee with some unbelieving friends for the purpose of sharing Christ with them? Jesus Christ often broke bread with His unbelieving friends, so frequently that He developed a bad reputation. "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them," (NIV) was the accusation by the religious elite. The Pharisees felt like Jesus was a fool to lower himself by close association with these reprobates. We know that the contrary is actually true. God loves sinners, all of us! He wants us to imitate Him.

Changing our evangelistic mindset isn’t easy. Extraction evangelism is ingrained in Western Christian culture. Yet extraction evangelism techniques create too many barriers to the Gospel to result in church planting movements. Period. They may even inoculate people against receiving the Gospel. There is not one single example, to my knowledge, of a group that uses extraction evangelism as their primary strategy ever catalyzing a church planting movement. Community evangelism, on the other hand, is part of catalyzing church planting movements around the world: even as you read this post! If church planting movements are our goal, we have to make the jump from extraction thinking to community thinking.

It is vital to understand that house (or simple) church networks are not the same thing, in any way, as churches with small groups (even if those small groups are called "house churches."

The cell church (I will adopt the term "cell" church to refer to all types of small-group-based churches) has been a strong movement in North America over the past 30 years while the house (or simple) church network is only just beginning to emerge.

For nearly twenty years, along with many others, I have prayed for, dreamed about and hoped to participate in the spontaneous expansion of the church or in a movement of rapid church reproduction – all led by the Holy Spirit as He would naturally do by His own missional nature. 

As a foundational belief and observation, I clearly see that the Holy Spirit is always willing to do His part if we, as men, will simply follow His leading and ways just as Peter did in Acts 10 and 11 and as Paul did in his entire missionary work.  I learned early in my Christian work that if we are faithful, God is always faithful to bring about expansion of His kingdom.  We are God’s method!

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.

The Gospel of Jesus is the flame that burns at the grassroots of the apostolic movement. Having a means of igniting that flame in such a way that those who catch it can spread it on the same day is an extremely valuable catalyst. We felt we needed a means of unveiling the true Christ to a person open to it that was simple enough that everyone could do it in any culture, language or generation. That is a tall order to fill. We found our answer in the Bible, specifically the Gospel of John

The Seven Signs of John is based on the words that the apostle John writes near the end of his gospel. He said, "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:30-31)

Apparently, while John was with Jesus from the start and saw all the miracles performed, he selected these particular miracles and included them in this specific order for a purpose-to open the eyes of the unbeliever to have faith in the real Christ and gain eternal life. This is not my opinion; this is what the Scriptures themselves say. Consider it this way: the Holy Spirit is telling you that the miracle stories in the gospel of John are the stories that are best to present the true Christ to an unbelieving heart. It is quite common for American Christian leaders to exaggerate the effectiveness of a method, but in this case it is the Holy Spirit making the claim, not me.

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.

Many churches are looking to become increasingly relevant to the society around them by shifting to a more organic form of church.

Here are some of the shifts toward organic:

1. We're moving from being building and event focused to lifestyle and family focused. Church is no longer an event to go to or a building to assemble in. We may meet together, but church is more like a family. You don't go to family; you are family. It's based on relationship and lifestyle.

2. Church is missional rather than attractional. We're looking to make disciples rather than converts.

3. We no longer need specially trained people to do all the work of ministry. Ordinary people are fully equipped to minister. The clergy/laity distinction is becoming less and less relevant.

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.