The Importance of Circles

When I look at a city, I don’t focus on neighborhoods or individuals or even centers of power.

Instead, I look for circles.

Each circle I find is unique.
Sometimes a circle is a family, sometimes it is a group of friends, sometimes it is a group that works together, and other times it is a group that plays together.
Here is why these circles are important: with one exception, circles are just like a local church.

  • Circles have a leadership structure and a decision making process
  • Circles have a sense of history, identity, purpose and future
  • Circles have members who care for one another

The only thing that circles are missing is Christ.


When Christ becomes the center of a given circle, that circle becomes a church.

That is why Jesus sends his disciples to existing circles (Luke 10:5-7), which Luke calls households. The results of Jesus’ strategy emerge throughout the book of Acts:

  • Cornelius and his household are saved (Acts 10, 11:1-18)
  • Lydia and her household are saved (Acts 16:11-15)
  • The Philippian jailer and his household are saved (Acts 16:22-34)
  • Crispus and his household are saved (Acts 18:1-8)

And that is why I look for circles, too.
Your turn:

  1. What do you focus on when you look at your city?
  2. What are the advantages of transforming an existing circle into a church?
  3. How does your disciple making strategy incorporate the importance of circles?


Share your thoughts and make it a conversation!

Kirk Anderson

  • I inspire disciple makers through training, coaching and writing to think and act strategically to reach their cities with the Gospel.
  • Inspiring disciple makers to think and act strategically.

//udmms.com/about/simple-church

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    September 16 2009

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    All across the world, people are gathering in small groups to serve and worship God, be family, and encourage and affect each others lives. These gatherings are called by many names including simple church, organic church, and house church. Whatever you call it, the people involved value incarnational ministry to the lost, living radically for Jesus and each other, and are willing to get rid of anything that gets in the way of being fully devoted followers of Christ.

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