The 'Wiki Encyclopedia of CityReaching' is collaboratively sponsored by the 'Center For Urban Innovation'... "Producing Innovative Multicultural CityReachers."

 

Model Church...  

"And so you became a model to all believers... [in your region]"  I Thes. 1:7

 

(The URL... ModelChurch.org... is an easy short-cut to get here.)

[Also visit Model Church .com -- a playful model under development]

 

 

Wiki-page Objective:   Clarify the key principles... concisely... of what we, the Church, should BE... and DO... as we TOGETHER carry out the Great Commission/Commandment?

 

Importantly... If the primary references to the Church in the NT is Geo-Church... ie, Church at Phillippi, Corinth, Jerusalem, Antioch... and even house-to-house... then how might we define what that 'model church' would look like... generically... for any city?  By using the word 'model', we don't at all mean to preclude uniqueness; we mean only that surely effective biblical churches of every geo-community would share some solid basics.  Our objective here then is to discover/enumerate what those basics are.  And having simplified the basics into an overview we might agree on, we will then better be able to 'get our arms around' the target we're shooting for -- and encouraging each other to attain.

 

 

 

 

 

As we begin, let's try to look at 'the model Church' from 4 unique perspectives...

 

 

God's Perspective...

 

  • The Church as regards communing -- worship & prayer...
  • The Church as regards proclamation...
  • The Church as regards spiritual development & replicating disciples...
  • The Church as regards evangelism...
  • The Church as regards modeling the Kingdom...
  • The Church as regards the practice of compassion...  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27  What is the world's thinking on matters?  What are the world's practices on matters?  What is God's thinking and practices?  A divided paper of comparison thinking is a good start with your Bible in hand and your daily experience in the other.  Write it down and look at it.   [Ed. Note:  Anyone want to concisely bullet other key biblical functionalities of The Church?]
    • Self-sacrificial Serving (Compassion) 
    •  Agape Love (love based upon committment: your kept word) First line of defense: Covenant Marriages, Standing against Divorce, Being honest about excuses in relationships in which God is part of that relationship and promise was given not just to your mate but to Him.  Read Hosea and Remember Jesus' standard returning statement about Divorce.  This is where God looks first.  Read Malachi.  How does your church look to God when he uses the "reed" in Revelation 11:1 to measure on this issue?  Question: Is our church "polluted" by the world's way of divorce?  Covenant Marriages are the first "silent" witness of God's reconciliation to the world and Himself.  Be reconciled to one another.  If the world cannot see that we have love among ourselves, how can they believe the power of the cross?   Is there encouragement for "standing" firm for your  vows or are there divorce recovery classes?  The world has divorce recovery classes.  Can you and I learn better how to be compassionate towards what we may think is "unlovable" in our spouse?  It starts there and moves outward toward others.  The world watches our self-sacrifice towards our spouses first.
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  •  The Church as regards Multicultural Diversity...
  • The Church as regards Location: "Where ever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am also." - Matt. 18-20  Consider that Christ wrote to 7 churches in specific locations and had this recorded in Revelation.  The perspective seems to change with the ability to meet.  Are we needing to meet in catacombs at the moment?  Can we meet with others freely?  Do we have means to get there?  How are the sick, the lame, the homebound meeting?  Are the Elders aware and discussing the situations and cases in prayers?   In other words, what are we able to do so as "...not to forsake the gathering of yourselves as some have the custom, but encouraging one another all the more so as you behold the day drawing near"? - Hebrews 10:25   [Ed. Note:  Good point re the infirmed.  Given Jesus's instruction that our unity is a testimony of the gospel. and given the apostles' many commands to NOT DIVIDE into camps of followers of Apollos, etc.... it seems the only biblical division is a function of geo-location... with the exception of apostates, of course.]
  •  The Church as regards Measurement: And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. - Rev 11:1  The church is a body with many parts.  Do we recognize the weaker parts (in power) with the same honor as the stronger?  Hands and feet working together, in harmony.  Do we recognize our need of one another as Paul reminds us?  -- 1 Corinthians 12:21  Here the church is without location: it is a body that exists beyond borders.  God's thinking is higher than our own.  Just as the scottish writer, James Stewert, characterized Jesus as a "union of contrasts", so too, God has laid before His church a wonderful and marvelous union of levels of operation that cooperate as the systems of a healthy body do on simple levels and on intricate levels, on local matters and global, in the odd case and the regular routine.  The circumstance is always under His caring, compassionate, guiding, and accountant's eye which brings the small and the large gathering together by the counsel of the Holy Spirit and the comfort and exhortation of His Holy Word.

 

 

 

Neighbors' Perspective...

 

  • [what should the true Church look like to our neighbors?]
  • If Jesus commanded us to 'love your neighbor as yourself' (and He did), is it not a good question to ask of your church's neighbors... "So, how are they doing at loving you?" (one to five stars)?
  • If the Church is Christ's hands & feet actively engaged in redeeming lives & communities, objectively would it be apparent?  Would our jails start emptying?  Would our streets be safer?  Would families be stronger? Would our youth's character be more Christ-like?  Would they be better educated, mentored, tutored?  Would health improve?  Economics?  Would leaders be prayed-for?  Community leadership be more blessed by the Church?   Indeed the Bible indicates that believers SHOULD BE a blessing to the cities in which they live.
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Internal Processes Perspective...

 

  • [what are the essential processes of the Church doing its mission?]
  • (Servant) Leadership
  • 'Who' process (ie, relationship-building... team-building)
  • 'What' process (ie, the value-chain process... start to finish... producing disciples & disciple-makers.
  • 'When' process (ie, coordinating/scheduling the actual actions/activities)
  • 'Where' process (ie, location, location, location... hospitality, hospitality, hospitality)
  •  How should these processes... ie, the work of the Church be funded?

 

Change Perspective...

 

  • [given that we're all in the process of chronic sanctification, how do any of us change?  or how do we as the corporate body of Christ in the world today, change, year after year?]
  • Phpns 3:12-16 Paul encourages us to strive toward the goal, yet without loosing gains-to-date.
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Stray Thoughts, Ideas, Links for future consideration...

 

 

And what would a model church's strategy be, to participate in optimally carrying out the Great Commission in their city or neighborhood?

 

 

Future Note:

 

The Center For Urban Innovation has set an objective to spark a 'Model Church' convocation in the year 2011... bringing together Christian scholars & cityreaching practitioners... specifically to discuss this question and build a clarifying summary-document from a biblical perspective, that will help accelerate the Great Commission in every community across the country... and world.

 

And if so, then starting the ball rolling via a wiki seems prudent.  Yes?

 

Your thoughts, ideas... ???

 

 

 

[from Christopher Elliott...]

  • At its most basic level I think the Church is "Where ever two or more are gathered in my (Jesus) Name” That would open up the possibilities to; where ever two or more believers gather in Jesus Name they are having/become the church.
  • Having said that.  Let me ask this question.  Are we called to be the church wherever we are?  Is it apart of our duty as followers of Christ to be the church in the workplace?  In our neighborhood? Etc.
  • If this is true.  Then we should be looking to get together with other Christ followers in every sphere of our lives.  
  • This begs another question: At its most basic level.  What does it mean to "Gather in Jesus Name"?

 

 

[Per email from Gailyn Van Rheenen:  Author, 'Missional Helix']

Thanks for your reflections.  I appreciate your perspectives.  I would like to see you define "God's Perspective" much more broadly if it is to equate with "Theological Reflection" and to reflection progression from theological to practice.  Theological Reflection deals with the major themes of the biblical narrative like missio Dei,  the kingdom of God, incarnation, etc., and reflection upon the tenets of the Christian faith (humanity, God, Christ, Holy Spirit, End Times, etc) out of which practices of ministry and church planting are based.  The richness of theology is missing and there is little from theology to cultural analysis and practices of ministry and/or church planting.  Too frequently practices are done by human creativity rather than out of a movement of the kingdom of God within and through us.

 

 


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