Total Church: Gospel, Community, Mission
Each of us have writers, books and streams of thought that have influenced us. For me, the ideas in the book Total Church are of great interest to me.
The focus is on three central ideas: Gospel, Community, Mission.
Soma Communities is one of the most interesting expressions of this approach to 'doing church' that I've seen.
The folks who are most interested in this initiative are launching a new website. I'm looking forward to looking through it tomorrow.
I'd like to throw out some of the ideas for feedback from this group at some point soon. I'm wondering, are you guys aware of this movement at all or the book?
posted by Dan Masshardt at 8:18 PM
7 Comments:
ave the book and also our planter in San Antonio worked with GCM and did an internship with them.
I think total church is a great book in the story of what God is doing to redeem his world.
I think the ideas discussed in the book will be fun to discuss here on the b;og/
I am interested in the idea of church without 'programs'
How is this planter taking that philosophy into this new church? What aspects is he leaving or adding to?
I don't know if he is a total church guy. Although I know he is not program oriented. The way they will eliminate programs is by planting an incarnational community rather than a "church".
Their focus is to make disciples and help people in need. They believe a house church/community movement will form from that.
I think programs often times focus on having things in the church verses being the church in the community. There strategy is to live their faith in the ebb and flow of the market place and culture to lead people to be disciples.
It seems like what most in this movement are doing is putting the focus of their energy into 'missional communities' (house church is really not the best term I think). These missional communities usually gather on Sunday mornings (many weekly but some monthly). This seems like a great balance to me.
I wouldn't say that I'm anti-program, but I think we need very, very few of them.
Focus.
Dan-
The term house church has been replaced with the term missional communities, but that term covers so many other things beyond has churches.
Any group that has multiple parts that gets together once or twice a month on a Sunday morning or evening or whenever fall into to what we call the cell church model.
The research I'm working on for a group right now will show the huge increase in the house and cell church movements. More in the House church movement.
Most people will be surprised about it. With the help of some well know authors of the house church movement, I have been able to access literally hundreds of house church networks.
The two most prominent movements in the post-modern horizon are Liturgical Church movements and house church movements.
Because of what I've seen and read I put my money on the next "big," leading (willow,saddleback,granger cc) will be a liturgical church.
Dan do you have the book yet? I think I have three or four copies that were given to the Green House Network if you need one.
very interesting. I'll be excited to hear about some more of this research in the future.
The model that most interests me is like what Soma is doing (I linked in the post) and several others of these churches. There are essentially two front doors. There are still worship gatherings every Sunday morning that anyone can come to, but most of the energy and focus is on the missional communities. I think Austin city life with Jonathan Dodson has a similar model as well.
Any word on the cggc accepting house church models? I know there has been some hesitancy. I have some questions/concerns myself at times, but just curious.
I did not want to start a separate post for a link I came across so this may be just the place. The link connects to Authentic Publishing with the tag line The Missional Mind. (Apparently connected to Biblica Dirsct)
They publish ebooks some of which are free and incorporate 3rd world writers. Check it out at the link: http://www.authenticpublishing.com/t-emailsubscribe.aspx
Sorry I couldn't get it take you there automatically.
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