Flagship to Movement - lessons
Following up my post on Flagship to Movement here are some thoughts about some common threads linking the case studies.
1. “Apostolic†leadership
John Peters, Ralph Moore, Rick Paynter, Tim Keller—have apostolic vision. They see beyond their own car park. They see cities, nations and the world transformed by fresh, authentic expressions of the church. Without their leadership there would be no church planting movement.
2. Healthy parent
These churches haven’t planted because they are big. They have planted because they are healthy. Living organisms reproduce when they are healthy, no matter what size they are. They reproduce after their own kind. The churches they plant have a higher survival rate because they have been conceived in a healthy environment. They reproduce that health when they plant.
3. Home grown planters
Each of these churches grows their own leaders. They don’t entrust this vital task to others. They have all set up training centres that preselect the students. They only invest in emerging leaders who are already demonstrating faithfulness and effectiveness in minsitry. The training focuses on holistic development—character and spiritual formation, ministry skills, Biblical and theological knowledge. Training leans towards an apprenticeship rather than purely classroom model.
4. Widening circle
As churches are started these leaders reinvent themselves from senior pastors to movement leaders. They lead an ever-widening network of churches that are linked together by committed relationships and a common cause. They fully expect that the churches they help start will themselves start new churches. They see no contradiction between this strategy and their denominational affiliation whether it be Anglican, Four Square, Baptist or Presbyterian.
5. Movement dynamic
Each of these churches shares the characteristics of dynamic movements: white-hot faith, commitment to a cause, contagious relationships, rapid deployment and adaptive methods. They grow and attract people who share these values.
If I had a sixth characteristic it would be that none of these emerging movements really knows what it is doing. They are sailing into uncharted waters making it up as they go. What sustains them is faith and a passion to see the glory of God cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
