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The 72 Church

By Jeremy Myers
2 Comments

The 72 Church

Why Men Hate Going to ChurchDavid Murrow is one of my favorite authors. Not only that, he is a creative thinker about how to reach one of the hardest segments of our culture–men. Here is what he wrote about a new paradigm for church planting that he has been rolling around in his head. I think he is on to something here that will help all of us do a better job at making disciples.

I look forward to reading the rest of his thoughts on this.

Today’s most talked-about church models are polar opposites: megachurches and house churches. Megachurches attempt to draw thousands each weekend with a combination of professional music, top-flight preaching and a phalanx of ministry opportunities. House churches assemble a handful of believers for intimate fellowship, personal expression and a sense of belonging.

These approaches have both strengths and weaknesses when it comes to reaching men. Megachurches offer amazing quality – but they’re so big men can fall through the cracks. House churches offer close fellowship – but they can become ingrown and a bit stale.

I’d like to suggest a third model for the local church, based on Luke 10. I call it The Seventy-Two Church. It’s an idea that’s been rolling around in my head for a couple of years. It’s a hybrid – a cross between a house church and a typical congregational model. It bears some resemblance to the Methodist societies that led so many to Christ in the 1700s and 1800s. Let me share the concept with you and see what you think.

How we plant churches now. Almost every church plant begins as a weekly worship service. The goal is to present good preaching and music so that people start coming. Eventually you buy property and build a building. The idea is to create a large gathering of strangers (a crowd) and eventually work these folks into the life of the church (the core). This is the concept that built Saddleback into one of the world’s most influential churches.

The weakness of this approach is obvious: as the church grows, its ability to minister to individuals is diminished. Big churches know this, so they work overtime to get people into small groups. But most church attenders never find their way to a small group. So these churches draw big crowds, but their impact on their members’ lives is not what it could be (Willow Creek recently admitted as much).

Now, what if you flipped the equation? Instead of growing a large worship service, then trying to get people into small groups, why not build the church on small groups in the first place?

This is how Jesus did it. He started His church with one small men’s group. Twelve regular guys learning, doing and living life together.

Eventually He expanded his reach to 72 men (see Luke 10). Now, where do you think these 72 came from? How were they trained? The Bible does not say. But I have a theory: if each of the 12 apostles trained 5 more men, you’d have 72 men either directly or indirectly trained by Jesus.

Why couldn’t you establish a church today based on this model? Its centerpiece would not be a weekly worship service, but rather a network of relationships – in this case, seventy-two men who are all being personally discipled every week.

I hear paradigms cracking all over the world. I can imagine the objections are already rising in your throat. Bear with me a moment, as we see how a seventy-two church might work in the real world.

Structure and leadership are crucial. Our new church plant starts with a leader (let’s call him Pastor Jack). His first task would be to call 12 men to a rigorous, demanding course of discipleship. Jack would meet regularly with his twelve, focusing on the basics of the faith, including mutual confession, accountability, Biblical living, beating temptation, and practical service to God.

Once friendships form among the men, Jack would pair them up two-by-two. He would give each pair of men a nickname. (Jesus dubbed James and John “The Sons of Thunder.” That sounds nice and manly.) Jack would send each pair out to do stuff together: ministry, recreation and fun. The idea is to get them working together as a unit.

After a year or so, Jack would have a dozen trained, committed leaders who will become the foundation of his church of seventy-two. Then Jack would issue the big challenge: each pair should go out and find 10 more men who really want to grow in faith. Jack would continue to meet with his original 12 men to help them form their groups and raise their men up to maturity.

Assuming the pairs fill their groups, you’d have 72 men being discipled. (12 original disciples, leading 6 groups of 10 men each = 72 men). The foundation of Jack’s church is not a weekly gathering of strangers but a rich honeycomb of men becoming like Jesus. These men are already in accountability pairs, following Jesus as a team.

At this point, a church of 72 would look more like a men’s ministry than a church. But don’t worry; you’re just laying the foundation. Christ told us to build upon a rock. He looked a Simon (a man) and changed his name to “Rock.” It’s time we begin building our churches not on preaching and music, but on the bedrock of transformed men. Upon this rock you can build a strong, enduring church.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: book, Books I'm Reading, church growth, Church planting, David Murrow, Discipleship, Theology of the Church

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Glocal

By Jeremy Myers
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Glocal

Transformation Bob RobertsA while back I attending Northwood’s Glocal.net Turbo training conference.

When it comes to church planting, I think Bob Roberts has one of the most profound and yet simple approaches to church planting that exists. Every pastor and church planter should read his books Glocalization and Transformation.

Also, he has a new book out called The Multiplying Church, which I haven’t read yet, but should be good.

Multiplying Church Bob RobertsThere were so many things that were said in his training which encouraged and challenged me, I cannot relate them all. However, the one that struck me the most was that Bob believes that postmodernism is a thing of the past, and that it was a blip on the screen compared to what is coming…and the church had better be ready.

Glocalization Rob Roberts I think he is so right about this. Many ineffective churches, ministries, and Christians will still be writing and speaking against the “evils” of postmodernism for another 20-30 years. Meanwhile, the culture has moved on.

But this is just business as usual with the average church. Churches generally run about 30-40 years behind the culture. And when the church finally crafts a good response to what the culture is going through (whether a church embraces the changes or decry them), the culture isn’t listening anymore, because it is on to something else.

Those who will shape the church of the future will recognize that postmodernism is a dead issue now, and the culture has shifted toward something else. What this “something else” is has yet to be determined. But some of us can see it, sense it, and hear it in the people we interact with. And I agree with Bob Roberts: whatever is coming, it will be the biggest thing to happen to the church since the day of Pentecost. Such change will lead to both the death and the resurrection of the church as we know it.

The way things are today — even in the most innovative and effective churches — is not the way things will be twenty years from now. Will you and your church be ready?

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Bob Roberts, Church planting, Discipleship, glocal, postmodernism, Theology of the Church

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Church Plant Rant

By Jeremy Myers
1 Comment

Church Plant Rant

Below is a post from Gary Lamb (which is no longer available on his site). Lots of people see glory in church planting, but what most don’t realize is that to plant in such a way that genuinely reaches lost people, there’s more gore than glory.

church plant rant

Here is what Gary wrote about that:

Every church planter I meet says they are starting their church to reach those that are disconnected from God. Many of them grew up in church, became Christians at a early age, and don’t even have a relationship with someone far from God, but they are going to reach those far from God. I listen to a lot of podcasts, watch a lot of videos from other churches, and it breaks my heart to know they are doing a lot of things and a lot of things well, but reaching those far from God is NOT one of them.

I have learned that most church planters REALLY don’t want to reach those far from God, they really want to do church in a cool way. There is a difference. Just because you have great video, loud music, dress casual, and use movie clips doesn’t mean you are reaching those far from God.

I honestly believe most planters would freak out if they started having to deal with the issues that come from reaching truly unchurched people. It is messy, ugly, scary, and actually can keep you from growing because it scares the hell out of those who grew up in church.

We had a person on our staff a couple of years ago who came here because he wanted to be part of a church that reached unchurched people.  The first time his wife sat next to a couple of lesbians, he was rethinking that.  This guy was a nice guy, but he couldn’t handle the ugliness that comes with reaching those that are far from God.  He literally walked around the church on Sundays with a look of terror in his eyes.  He didn’t want to reach lost people, he wanted a church where he could come and wear whatever he wanted and impress other Christians because he was at an church with a little edge.  It wasn’t long before he was running for the hills.  He couldn’t handle the messiness of reaching those with problems.  The sad thing is he isn’t alone.  Most guys can’t handle it.

When I say it is messy, I don’t think most guys understand what I mean, so allow me to walk you through my week that just got done. This is a pretty typical week at Revolution and the side 99% never see.

  • I have a bottle of pain pills worth about $400 on the streets sitting in my desk that one of our people’s spouse brought me after finding them. The name on the prescription isn’t the name of the person who brought them because they were bought on the street.
  • I had another one of our people lose their job for stealing thousands of dollars from the company they work for.
  • I have a addict in our church who has relapsed and in the process is about to lose EVERYTHING and he doesn’t even know it.
  • I set up an intervention for an addict that will take place this week. This is his last chance and he doesn’t even know it.
  • Last night I was at the ER until 3 in the morning because one of our people took a razor blade and slit both his wrists, his neck, and took around 80 sleeping pills. He’s alive, but I have to say it was the most horrific thing I have ever seen in my life.

All of that was just from this week. That is the life of reaching those disconnected from God. None of those people care how “cool” our church will be tomorrow. All they care about is we have created a place where they can come with all their crap and feel loved and connected.

I’ll be honest and tell you that there are times when pastoring Revolution freaks me out. There are times when I think it would be easier to do what most guys do and plant a church that really is a place for other Christians to come hang out and talk about how we are reaching unchurched people instead of doing it. I think that would be easier, but we would not be charging the gates of hell with that mindset. There are enough guys around doing that and doing it well.

Canton didn’t need another church. Canton didn’t need another church with loud music, casual dress, and “relevant” teaching. Neither do most of the towns where guys are planting. However, Canton did need a place that was loving the unlovable. It needed a place that was willing to get it’s hands dirty and deal with the messy crap that takes place in the lives of those far from God.

When a guy wants to tell me they are starting a church to reach the disconnected, I always ask them if they are sure they want to do that. I don’t think they understand the cost that comes with it. It literally can almost kill you at times.

BUT, if they do understand the cost, they will realize it is nothing compared to the reward of seeing lives changed with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is worth whatever cost there is. I would put everything on the line to continue to do what we do because the payoff is so huge.

Most guys won’t.

end rant.

Thanks Gary, for laying it out for us!

2013 UPDATE: I am not a fan of church planting any longer. I now believe that we don’t plant churches, we simply be the church by loving others whom God places in our life. Simple. Easy. Natural. …And it looks like Jesus.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: church, Church planting, Discipleship, love, mission

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I’m Going into Missions

By Jeremy Myers
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I’m Going into Missions

When I tell people I am going into church planting, the most common reaction I get from people is, “Why? Don’t we already have enough churches? Why can’t you just pastor an established church?”

The truth is that I don’t care as much about planting churches as I do about helping people come into a deep and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Here is a video that explains more: (Wait for a few seconds after you press play….)

If this sounds more like missions, that’s because church planting IS missions. Church planting is state-side missions.

So when people ask me why I’m going into church planting, I think I’m going to start saying, “I’m not. I’m going into missions.”

world missions

2013 UPDATE: I am no longer in “church planting” but I am still in “missions.” I have had some changes in my theology regarding church, and I now believe that we don’t plant churches or go to church, but we ARE the church by loving the people around us whom God brings into our lives. It is simple, easy, and looks like Jesus.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Church planting, Discipleship, love, missions

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How Much is Your Vision Worth?

By Jeremy Myers
6 Comments

How Much is Your Vision Worth?

My wife and I finished watching all twelve hours of the Lonesome Dove series last night and as we sat there, watching the credits roll, my wife looked at me and asked, “How much is vision worth?” I knew exactly what she was asking because I was thinking the same thing.

Turning Vision into Reality

Woodrow Call- Lonesome DoveIn the Lonesome Dove movies, there is a big emphasis on the vision of Captain Woodrow Call, and how he turns his vision into reality.

In Part 1, he starts a cattle ranch in Montana. In Part 2, he brings a herd of wild mustangs to Montana. But in the process, he loses almost all of his friends. At the end, when he finally tells Newt that he is his father, Newt basically says “Too late, Dad. I’m leaving.”

As my wife and I sat there, I thought about my vision for church and theology, and wondered, “What is it worth?”

What is Vision Worth?

I have read and heard some visionaries talk about how you can know what you are meant to do by asking yourself the question, “If money were no object, and failure was impossible, what would you do?” The problem with this is, how do you define failure?

In my opinion, Captain Call successfully accomplished his vision, but failed miserably. He said at the beginning of Part 2, while commiserating about the death of his best friend Captain McCrae, that “A man ought to leave something more behind than a sorry piece of dirt and a sign.”

Captain Call left a lot more behind, and as it turned out, a lot less.

Worthless Vision

Here is where I am at right now: No vision is worth losing my family. I would rather be digging holes in the desert and have my family intact than help reform the church but lose my wife and girls.

Some would say I have made an idol of my wife and girls, and if I really want God to use me, I have to put them up there on the altar just like Abram did with Isaac.

I have seen many pastors do this very thing, and almost without fail, they end up divorced and with a bunch of kids who hate them, hate church, and hate Christ. I do not call this success, and based on what I read in the New Testament, I don’t think God does either.

I feel that my wife and kids are my first “church.” If I cannot “plant” and “pastor” them, I have no business trying to plant or pastor churches elsewhere.

So I don’t know if I will ever be going into formal “church planting” but one thing I do know…this year, I am going to continue planting a church in my own home. And that is a Christ-honoring, God-glorifying vision!  If I can leave behind a godly heritage in my family, I am a success. And if God allows me to leave behind more than that, all the more glory for Him!

The trick, of course, is how to bring this vision to reality in my family. Any of you husband and father experts have practical suggestions on pastoring your own family?

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Church planting, Discipleship, family, vision

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