Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Innov a t i ve
Minis t r y
r eal stories
in n o v a t i v e
ideas
transferrable
truths
After reading Driscoll’s Confessions, you will never go back to being
an inwardly focused church without a mission.
—Dan Kimball, author of They Like Jesus but not the Church
The multi-site church is not just another passing fad but a revolution-
ary remaking of the church. is a must-read.
—Robert Lewis, Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church
Every ministry leader and church planter needs to read The Big Idea
—Craig Groeschel, author of It
In The Monkey and the Fish, Dave Gibbons delivers insight that will
challenge your view of our world and the role of the local church.
— Tony Morgan, Chief Strategic Officer, The NewSpring Church
The Monkey and the Fish is an essential book for Christians and
church leaders seeking the answer for how the church should be in
the twenty-first century. Dave Gibbons brings us to a whole new level
to understand the perspective of Jesus, who is third-culture God.
— Namjung Lee, Pastor, Sarang Community Church, Seoul, Korea
Dave cuts through all the mess with practical ways to make church
natural, simple, & effective. Regardless of the form or stage of your
church, Deliberate Simplicity will save you time, money, and misery.
— Hugh Halter, Author of The Tangible Kingdom
r eal stories
in n o v a t i v e
ideas
transferrable
truths
Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s
The Big Idea, by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson and Eric Bramlett
Chapter One
Mark Driscoll’s emerging, missional church took a rocky road from its start in a
hot, upstairs youth room with gold shag carpet to its current weekly attendance of
thousands. With engaging humor, humility, and candor, Driscoll shares the failures,
frustrations, and just plain messiness of trying to build a church that is faithful to the
gospel of Christ in a highly post-Christian culture. In the telling, he’s not afraid to skewer
some sacred cows of traditional, contemporary, and emerging churches.
Each chapter discusses not only the hard lessons learned but also the principles and
practices that worked and that can inform your church’s ministry, no matter its present
size. The book includes discussion questions and appendix resources.
“After reading a book like this, you can never go back to being an inwardly focused
church without a mission. Even if you disagree with Mark about some of the things he
says, you cannot help but be convicted to your core about what it means to have a heart
for those who don’t know Jesus.”
—DAN KIMBALL, author,The Emerging Church
“… will make you laugh, cry, and get mad … school you, shape you, and mold you to
have the right kind of priorities to lead the church in today’s messy world.”
—ROBERT WEBBER, Northern Seminary
MARK DRISCOLL is considered one of the fifty most influential pastors in America. He is
the founder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle (www.marshillchurch.org), the Paradox Theater, and the
Acts 29 Network, which has planted scores of churches. The author of The Radical Reformission,
Mark speaks extensively around the country. He lives with his wife and children in Seattle.
Acknowledgments 7
Prelude 9
1. Jesus, Our Offering Was $137 and I Want to Use It to Buy Bullets 37
0 – 45 People
7. Jesus, We’re Loading Our Squirt Guns to Charge Hell Again 163
4,000 – 10,000 People
Today I am a pastor.
This book is about the hard lessons we have learned at Mars Hill
Church in Seattle (www.marshillchurch.org). Writing this book
caused me to reflect on our past and subsequently conjured up a
horrendous feeling eerily similar to seeing my high school yearbook
photo in which I sported a soccer-rocker mullet. Like me, most
people prefer not to dwell on past moments of folly, embarrassment,
or failure. But the providential hand of a gracious God commonly
uses exactly such occasions to shape ministers and their ministries.
At each step of the crazy journey God has had us on, we have made
mistakes that should have killed us. But God has continually saved
us from ourselves and, like the perfect Father that he is, has taught
us important lessons.
Before we get started, I want to ask you a handful of questions
that I continually ask myself to ensure that our church remains
faithful to Jesus and his mission in our city. These questions will
help provide us a common jargon for understanding one another.
They are intended to help clarify your church’s identity, gospel,
mission, size, and priorities.
Question 1
Will your Rev. require reformission?
In my previous book, The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out
without Selling Out, I explained the growing reformation of what
it means to be a Christian missionary.1 Missions once solely meant
sending American Christians into foreign lands and cultures to live
among the people there and to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to
14
Third, some churches are more into their church and its tradi-
tions, buildings, and politics than they are the gospel. Though they
know the gospel theologically, they rarely take it out of their church.
This is classic fundamentalist Christianity, which flourishes most
Question 2
Will your church be traditional and institutional, contemporary and
evangelical, or emerging and missional?
For the past one thousand years, the Western church has enjoyed
a privileged position in the center of culture, during what was
known as Christendom. Because of this, the church also provided
a common moral framework and language for our nation. Simple
examples would include the frequent biblical allusions in the writ-
ings of our founding fathers and, more recently, the deeply biblical
imagery in the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.
During the era of Christendom, it was generally believed that
our national culture was Christian, or at least Judeo-Christian.
Consequently, it was the job of the church to make converts for
the nation by challenging people to commit themselves to Jesus
and live morally. The upside of Christendom was that many people
did attend church. The downside was that the church in large part
became the servant of morality and the national good. The result
• Pastors are CEOs who lead and manage their staff, which is
responsible for ministry.
• Lost people are invited to evangelistic church programs that
target seekers.
• Faith is private and personal but is openly shown at church.
• Worship ser vices are based on styles from the 1980s and
1990s (acoustic guitars, drama, etc.).
• Church buildings are functional places (e.g., no crosses,
no stained glass, no icons) where people can dress and act
informally.
Question 3
Will your church be an emergent liberal church or an emerging
evangelical church?
I was part of what is now known as the Emerging Church Move-
ment in its early days and spent a few years traveling the country
to speak to emerging leaders in an effort to help build a missional
movement in the United States. The wonderful upside of the emerg-
ing church is that it elevates mission in American culture to a high
priority, which is a need so urgent that its importance can hardly
be overstated.
I had to distance myself, however, from one of many streams
in the emerging church because of theological differences. Since
the late 1990s, this stream has become known as Emergent. The
emergent church is part of the Emerging Church Movement but
does not embrace the dominant ideology of the movement. Rather,
the emergent church is the latest version of liberalism. The only
difference is that the old liberalism accommodated modernity and
the new liberalism accommodates postmodernity.
which was written by patriarchal men. After all, how in the world
can we possibly know what anything means after we have a college
degree?12 Come to think of it, I’m not even sure what I mean when
I say that I’m not sure what Scripture means — know what I mean?
For some Emergent leaders, this critique may be as welcome
as water on a cat. But I assure you that I speak as one within the
Emerging Church Movement who has great love and appreciation
for Christian leaders with theological convictions much different
from my own. And because the movement has defined itself as a
conversation, I would hope there would be room in the conversation
for those who disagree, even poke a bit of fun, but earnestly desire
to learn from and journey with those also striving to be faithful to
God and fruitful in emerging cultures. Standing with my brothers
and sisters in our great mission, I hope this book can in some small
way help the greater church emerge in biblical faithfulness and mis-
sional fruitfulness.
Therefore, it is very important that any church seeking to be
emerging define whether it is an emerging evangelical church or an
emergent liberal church. Our church is emerging and missional in
its practice and evangelical and biblical in its theology.
Question 4
Will you proclaim a gospel of forgiveness, fulfillment, or freedom?
Traditional, contemporary, and emerging churches also differ
in how they present the gospel. The traditional church generally
proclaims a gospel of forgiveness. According to the gospel of for-
giveness, we have sinned against God and are under his wrath until
we ask for his forgiveness and live changed lives of repentance. This
gospel worked for people in Christendom because they had a gen-
eral knowledge of authority, sin, judgment, hell, and Jesus.
Though this gospel made sense to most people at one time, this
sort of gospel seems judgmental, mean-spirited, naive, and narrow-
minded to the ever-growing number of people who do not under-
stand the basic tenets of Christianity. Such people do not appreciate
Question 5
Will your church be attractional, missional, or both?
The contemporary church growth movement and its evangeli-
cal seeker churches are attraction-based, meaning that the church
functions as a purveyor of religious goods and ser vices. Therefore,
the primary task of these churches is to bring people from the cul-
ture into the church to partake of programming that targets their
felt needs.
Question 6
What size shoe will your church wear?
Churches, like children, have a shoe size that they will grow
into. As a church grows, it must accept its size. This can be diffi-
cult because people have different ideas of what constitutes “large”
and “small.” Additionally, people are prone to attach a moral value
to church size. This means that people who prefer a small church
will criticize a large church for being too slick and impersonal, and
people who prefer a big church will criticize a small church for not
experiencing enough conversion growth, diversity of people, or
quality of programming.
When it comes to church size, a few things are important to
remember. First, a church must determine what size they would like
to become and start acting like a church of that size if they hope to
achieve that goal. Second, a church must accept its size and not allow
people to demand that they receive the type of treatment they would
receive at a church of whatever size they prefer. An example of this
would be the expectation of some people in a large church that the
pastor be as accessible as the pastor of a smaller church. Third, for a
church to grow, it must also accept that the church will change. The
problem with most churches is not that they don’t want to experi-
ence conversion growth but rather that they do not want to change,
which negates their ability to grow and is a sin to be repented of.
Therefore, each church must ask how large they want to be and
prepare to work toward that goal. To help determine a reasonable
goal, it is helpful to see the various sizes of other churches. How-
ever, determining size categories for churches is very difficult. The
following is a rough estimate I came up with after reading some
books on the subject16 and interviewing John Vaughan of Church
Growth Today, who was particularly helpful. No one is exactly sure
how many Protestant churches there are in the United States, but
the general figures are somewhere between 400,000 and 500,000
Question 7
Will your church have a mission of community or be a community
of mission?
The buzzword community is so often bantered about that it is
nearly devoid of meaning. But since the church is a community, it
is important to define what kind of community the church should
be. Without a clear definition of what a missional church commu-
nity is and does, tragically, community will become the mission of
the church. Consequently, the goal of people will be to hang out
together in love, like the family they never had. While this is not
evil, it is also not sufficient.
If taken too far, this can lead to the heresy of participatory
redemption, in which the goal is to have authentic friendships and a
loving community instead of repentance and personal faith in Jesus
Christ as the means of salvation. This error is a very real threat that
is overlooked by many young Christian leaders I meet who prefer
smaller and more loosely defined neo-church arrangements and so-
called new monastic communities, in which being in community
sometimes takes priority over being in Christ.
In Scripture, we see two prototypical communities: Babel/Bab-
ylon and Pentecost. Their similarities and differences are noted
below.32
Question 8
Will your leaders work from guilt or conviction?
One of the greatest inhibitors of keeping a church on mission is
the erroneous spoken and unspoken expectations people have for
church leaders and their families. In a missional church, the lead
pastor is the architect who builds the ship more than he is the cap-
tain who pilots it, the cook who washes dishes in the galley, or the
activities director who coordinates the shuffleboard reservations.33
The role of architect is incredibly important because most pastors
have been trained how to work on a ship instead of how to build a
ship. Having a skilled captain, cook, and activities director is impor-
tant but does not really matter if the ship can’t float, which means
that boat building is the most important job. Likewise, the pastor’s
highest task is to plan the building of a church that will float and to
allow everyone else to use their talents and gifts to accomplish the
overall mission God has for that church.
Most pastors, however, work in their boat and not on their boat
because often the Christians in a pastor’s church have mastered
the art of making him feel guilty and making their needs seem
urgent and important, when they rarely are.34 Therefore, leaders
of emerging and missional churches must work from the convic-
tion that comes from God and his Word instead of from the guilt
that comes from people and their words. Leaders must frequently
decide between offending Christ or a Christian, and Ghost-guided
biblical conviction alone must determine the duties of church lead-
ers. Otherwise, church leaders will waste their time washing dishes
while their church sinks.
Question 9
Do you have the guts to shoot your dogs?
Dogs are idiotic ideas, stinky styles, stupid systems, failed facili-
ties, terrible technologies, loser leaders, and pathetic people. Most
churches know who and what their dogs are but simply lack the
courage to pull the trigger and shoot their dogs. Therefore, it is
Question 10
Can you wield a sword and a trowel?
In the days of Nehemiah, when the Israelites’ mission was to
rebuild the wall, Nehemiah had his people carry a trowel in one hand
to build and a sword in the other to defend their work. As we build
our churches in a culture no less hostile than that of Nehemiah, we
too must learn how to both build a missional church and defend it
from Satan, demons, and evildoers. In the following chapters, I will
be painfully honest about the shots from hell that nearly killed my
family and our church. In the next chapter, we’ll start our journey
in the hot upstairs youth room of a fundamentalist church.
Reformission Reflections
1. Do you personally tend toward liberalism, fundamentalism, or
reformission? Why?
Mark Driscoll’s emerging, missional church took a rocky road from its start in a
hot, upstairs youth room with gold shag carpet to its current weekly attendance of
thousands. With engaging humor, humility, and candor, Driscoll shares the failures,
frustrations, and just plain messiness of trying to build a church that is faithful to the
gospel of Christ in a highly post-Christian culture. In the telling, he’s not afraid to skewer
some sacred cows of traditional, contemporary, and emerging churches.
Each chapter discusses not only the hard lessons learned but also the principles and
practices that worked and that can inform your church’s ministry, no matter its present
size. The book includes discussion questions and appendix resources.
“After reading a book like this, you can never go back to being an inwardly focused
church without a mission. Even if you disagree with Mark about some of the things he
says, you cannot help but be convicted to your core about what it means to have a heart
for those who don’t know Jesus.”
—DAN KIMBALL, author,The Emerging Church
“… will make you laugh, cry, and get mad … school you, shape you, and mold you to
have the right kind of priorities to lead the church in today’s messy world.”
—ROBERT WEBBER, Northern Seminary
MARK DRISCOLL is considered one of the fifty most influential pastors in America. He is
the founder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle (www.marshillchurch.org), the Paradox Theater, and the
Acts 29 Network, which has planted scores of churches. The author of The Radical Reformission,
Mark speaks extensively around the country. He lives with his wife and children in Seattle.
Part One:
The Birth of the Multi-Site Movement
One: You Say You Want a Revolution? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Meet several highly successful multi-site churches
Two: A Wide Variety of Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Notice the broad range of models in this overview
of the multi-site movement
Part Two:
How to Become One Church in Many Locations
Three: Would It Work for You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Consider why your church should explore multi-site
as a strategy
Four: On a Mission from God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Discern God’s call for your church and leadership
Five: Opportunity Knocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Don’t expect “We’ve always done it this way” to
become your church motto
Six: Selling the Dream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Learn how to use effective vision casting, helpful
language, and strategic field trips
Seven: Who’s Going to Pay for This? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Discover how to do multi-site in ways your church
can afford
Eight: Launching the Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Evaluate these common factors in the successful
launch of a second location
Part Four:
Why Extend Further and Reach More People?
Fourteen: Secrets of Ongoing Replication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Don’t let your dream stop short of developing an
entire movement of replicating campuses
Fifteen: Where Do We Go from Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
Be part of turning the tide in a battle being lost by
current approaches to doing church
These churches, and more than 1,500 churches like them across the
country, are discovering a new model for doing church. Going beyond
additional ser vice times and larger buildings, churches are expanding
into multiple venues and locations, and many of
them are seeing increased evangelism and even The
exponential growth as a result. The approach approach of
of taking one church to multiple sites seems taking one church to
to be the beginning of a revolution in how multiple sites seems to be
church is done in North America and the beginning of a revolution in
around the world. how church is done in North
When four university computers were America and around the
linked together for the first time on some- world.
thing called ARPANET in the fall of 1969,
there was very little press coverage of the event.
Aside from the scientists working on the project, no one considered
this event revolutionary; it was just an adaptation of concepts that had
existed for many years. In spite of such simple beginnings, ARPANET,
known today as the Internet, has revolutionized almost every aspect
of our lives in the twenty-first century — from how people get sports
scores to how they buy airline tickets to how they size up a church
before visiting it.
Revolutions often begin with little fanfare. They are usually built on
concepts that have existed for many years and are seldom recognized
in the beginning as revolutionary. The measure of a revolution is its
impact, not its origins.
That is why we believe the multi-site church movement is revolu-
tionary. The concept of having church in more than one location isn’t
new or revolutionary; the roots of multi-site go back to the church of
Acts, which had to scatter due to persecution. Elmer Towns points
out that the original Jerusalem church “was one large group (celebra-
tion), and many smaller groups (cells). . . . The norm for
the New Testament church included both small cell
The groups and larger celebration groups.”1 Likewise,
measure of Aubrey Malphurs observes that Corinth and other
a revolution is first-century churches were multi-site, as a num-
its impact, not its
ber of multi-site house churches were considered
origins.
to be part of one citywide church.2
Multi-Site Overview
Until recent years, few churches in this century have purposely pur-
sued a multi-site strategy. In fact, many churches in the movement
have stumbled into multi-site almost by accident. The potential impact
of the multi-site movement, however, is extraordinary. Even though
the movement is still in the very early stages, multi-site churches are
beginning to have a significant influence on how people are being
reached with the good news of Jesus Christ.
miles like that? It starts with the church’s leadership being convinced
that it is something God wants them to do as part of their mission.
A multi-site approach is well suited to fast-growing congregations
like Life Church, and high-visibility congregations tend to be the ones
highlighted in the recent wave of media attention to the multi-site
movement. But far more churches are flying under the media radar.
They come in all sizes and settings, but their results are equally as
impressive.
Take, for example, twenty-five-year-old Chartwell Baptist Church
in Oakwood, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto, where Peter Roebbelen is
pastor.
“We backed into multi-site,” says Peter. “It’s not something we
intentionally tried to do. It was more like a disruptive moment when
we faced a problem and saw an opportunity.” In essence, their problem
became an opportunity.
For Chartwell, the initial motivation for becoming multi-site was
to accommodate growth. “We needed to go to a third ser vice, but
we wanted to do it during the optimal Sunday morning time,” Peter
explains. So Chartwell began experimenting with the use of additional
campuses. That was in 1993. Ten years later, Chartwell was offering
six Saturday night or Sunday morning ser vices on four campuses. By
2005, more than 1,200 people regularly attended one of the Chart-
well congregations, yet the original church’s seating
“We capacity was 260 — and still is — which is consis-
backed into tent with their particular strategy of creating a
multi-site. It was more sense of relational intimacy within each local
like a disruptive moment worship setting.
when we faced a problem Life Church and Chartwell are typical of
and saw an opportunity.” how a congregation becomes multi-site. Most
— Peter Roebbelen
churches that use a multi-site approach evolve
into it, rather than starting out with it.
According to our research at Leadership Network,
the 1,500-plus multi-site churches across North America become multi-
site by extending themselves to more than one location: some to loca-
tions across town, some across the state, and some around the world.
Church analysts have been observing this trend for a number of
years, which was initially seen only in the more innovative churches.
Source: Survey of 1,000 Multi-Site Churches © 2005 Leadership Network, available www.leadnet.org
conduct in 2005 (see the table above) found that churches have a
greater evangelistic impact when they become multi-site.
The many reports of conversion growth at multi-site locations
affirm that something is working well. Many people who are wary of
“established religion” are willing to come back to these same churches
in one of their multi-site expressions, as seen in this email Seacoast
Church recently received:
I am twenty-five years old and have spent the majority of my life ques-
tioning religion and Christianity. My wife, however, has always been an
amazing Christian woman and example to me. She attended a ser vice
[at Seacoast] last year, and she was so touched that she insisted I go. I
told her I would go with her, [although] I was as far from a relationship
with Jesus Christ as a person could be. I left that ser vice at the West
Ashley Campus moved by [Pastor] Greg’s words, relatability [sic], and
sincerity. I felt like, and have since that first ser vice, that each mes-
sage was delivered solely for me. I do not know how to thank you all
for bringing Christ into the life and spirit of a twenty-five-year-old
atheist.
four walls
model, they are embracing the concept of one church with
more than one site: multiple congregations sharing a com- . . . in Many
mon vision, budget, leadership, and board.
Drawing from the examples of churches nationwide, The Multi-Site Church
Revolution shows what healthy multi-site churches look like and what motivates congregations
locations
to make the change. Discover how your church can
• cast a vision for change
• ensure a successful DNA transfer (vision and core values) to its new site
• develop new leaders
MULTI
SITE
• fund new sites
• adapt to structure and staffing change
• use technology to support your worship services
THE
CHURCH
You’ll identify the reasons churches succeed and how they overcome common snags.
The Multi-Site Church Revolution offers guidance, insights, and specific action steps as well as
appendixes with practical leadership resources and self-diagnostic tools.
Foreword by Erwin Raphael McManus
REVOLUTION
“I wholeheartedly recommend this book for any pastor or church leader who needs to know the pertinent
issues, tested solutions, and real examples of multi-site strategies that are currently being deployed around
the world.” —Ed Young, senior pastor, Fellowship Church
“The authors have done their homework. They have firsthand knowledge of the successes and failures of
this movement, having been networking with and facilitating dialogue among churches across the country
for years.” —Max Lucado, senior minister, Oak Hills Church
“Look no further than this book to propel your ministry to Ephesians 3:20 proportions: exceeding abun-
dantly above all that you could ever ask or think!”
—Randy and Paula White, senior pastors, Without Walls International Church surratt
ligon
bird
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
P a r t
ONE
Little Ideas or the
Big Idea?
Chapter 1
No More Christians!
13
14 Part 1: Little Ideas or the Big Idea?
1. Little idea from the clever message on the church sign as you
pull into the church parking lot
2. Little idea from all the announcements in the church bulletin
you are handed at the door
3. Little idea from the prelude music that is playing in the back-
ground as you take your seat
4. Little idea from the welcome by the worship leader
5. Little idea from the opening prayer
6. Little idea from song 1 in the worship service
16 Part 1: Little Ideas or the Big Idea?
think it’s another example of the fact that more results in less action.
Experience has taught me that if I want the kids to get something
done, I’m farther ahead to give them one task, ask them to check in
with me once it’s finished, then give them the next task. This is the
Big Idea approach. It provides clarity and produces action.
I know that as church leaders we can’t control the media and
the barrage of information that comes at our people — and we don’t
want to control it. But what we do want is to challenge our people
with the truth of God’s Word and insist that it be lived out mission-
ally. When we contribute to the bombardment of little ideas, we
are implicitly telling our people that not all of God’s truth has to
be accompanied by obedi-
ent action. We are implicitly
We must challenge our telling our people that just
people with the truth because they hear the truth
of God’s Word and doesn’t mean they necessar-
insist that it be lived out ily have to live it out. We are
missionally. telling our people that what
is really important is saying
it and not doing it.
walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called
Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake,
for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will
make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed
him” (Matt. 4:18 – 20).
I can’t help but notice that Jesus didn’t say to Peter and Andrew,
“Come, be Christians.” Here’s how Don Everts puts it in a terrific
little book titled Jesus with Dirty Feet:
When Jesus met someone for the first time, he challenged them
with one Big Idea: “Follow me.” A Big Idea that was simple but not
easy. If Peter and Andrew were asked, “What did Jesus teach you
today?” there is no way they would respond like this: (Silence.)
“Ummm . . .” (More silence.) “Ummm . . .” (Still more silence.)
“Ummm . . .” And if they did, it would not be because they were con-
fused and didn’t understand, but rather because they were stunned
at the boldness and size of Jesus’ request. This Big Idea was very
clear, and the call to action could not be misunderstood. The sim-
plicity and clarity of that Big Idea, “Follow me,” was what catalyzed
a movement of Christ followers into action. And these Christ fol-
lowers knew what was expected of them and would do anything
and everything, including trade their very lives, to accomplish the
mission of Jesus.
What about “deeper teaching”? That is what the rich young
ruler wanted. He came to Jesus and began to explain that he already
knew the commandments — “Do not murder, do not commit adul-
tery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor
your father and mother” (Mark 10:19) — and that he had obeyed
these commands since he was a boy. He wanted more. He wanted
a midweek service. He wanted
graduate-level teaching. With
When Jesus met clarity and simplicity, Jesus
someone for the first challenged him with one Big
time, he challenged Idea when he said, “One thing
them with one Big Idea:
you lack. . . . Go, sell everything
“Follow me.”
you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me”
(Mark 10:21). The message was clear. It was a call to action. It was a
Big Idea that was simple but not easy.
What would happen if we challenged people in the same way?
What if we gave people one clear and simple Big Idea and asked them
CHAPTER 1: No More Christians! 23
I just wanted to let you know that my kids really, really got a lot out
of this week’s large group time in Kids’ City. It made such an im-
pact on them to know where their offering money goes every week.
Each week when they get their allowance on Saturday, 15 percent
automatically goes with them to church, but they’ve never really
understood where that money goes. (I guess I haven’t been very
effective at explaining what “giving back to God” means!) Anyway,
when they came home this week after experiencing the Big Idea,
they both went in and emptied their piggy banks into the offer-
ing bags they made and said, “We have to give it all to church.
There are orphans in Rwanda that don’t have homes. We have to
help those kids get a home!” Never mind that we talk about “poor
people” around this house all the time, but for whatever reason
they “got it” in a way they never had, thanks to the way you pre-
sented it in Kids’ City.
Thanks!
Kirsten
24 Part 1: Little Ideas or the Big Idea?
way Jesus challenged people — with one Big Idea, simple and clear:
“Follow me”?
I no longer call myself a Christian. I no longer try to convert
people to Christianity. It’s not that the title is wrong but that as
a label it has come to mean something far different than what it
means to follow Jesus. Being a Christian has been reduced to the
expectation of niceness. How pathetic. How boring. How easy. How
insignificant. And even that expectation of niceness doesn’t have to
be fulfilled, because the greater
expectation is hypocrisy — the
practice of professing beliefs,
I no longer call myself
feelings, or virtues that one
a Christian. I no longer
does not live out. Who would
try to convert people to
want to be associated with
Christianity. I am a Christ
that?
follower. I follow Jesus
I am a Christ follower. I
step by step as his
follow Jesus step by step as his
Spirit moves me in his
Spirit moves me in his commu-
community called
nity called the church. When
the church.
Jesus steps, I follow. When
Jesus speeds up, I increase my
pace. When Jesus slows down, I slow down too. The direction, the
speed, and the ultimate destination of my life are determined by
keeping in step with Jesus’ Spirit. Simple. Clear. Not easy!
ChurChes ThaT bombard people
BIG IDeA
THE
WITh Too maNY “little ideas”
IDeA
CREATIVE COLLABORATION THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER
AND MAXIMIZES MISSIONAL IMPACT.
• THE BIG IDEA CAN ENERGIZE A CHURCH STAFF AND BRING
ALIGNMENT AND FOCUS TO MANY DIVERSE CHURCH MINISTRIES.
This book shows how the Big Idea has helped Community Christian Church
better accomplish the Jesus mission and reach thousands of people in nine
locations, and launch a church planting network with partner churches across
the country. FerGusoN
“eVerY Year oNe booK Grabs me aNd WoN’T leT Go. THE BIG IDEA Is ThIs Year’s booK.
IT Is a ‘musT-read’ For eVerY ChurCh leader.”—CraIG GroesChel, pasTor, lIFeChurCh.TV
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Life-Giving Power of Self-Examination
1. Love Strengthens Every Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Leader’s Heart
2. Lifelong Learning Expands Our Horizons . . . . . . . . . 41
The Leader’s Mind
3. Attentive Listening Informs Wise Decisions . . . . . . . . 59
The Leader’s Ears
4. Clear Vision Sees What Lies Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
The Leader’s Eyes
5. Affirming Words Bring Blessing and Energy . . . . . . . . 99
The Leader’s Mouth
6. Humble Service Reveals Jesus’ Presence . . . . . . . . . . 119
The Leader’s Hands
7. Laughter Sustains Our Sanity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
The Leader’s Funny Bone
8. Understanding and Harnessing Our Sexual Desires . . 151
The Leader’s Libido
9. Bearing the Yoke of Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
The Leader’s Back
Concluding Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Understanding and
Harnessing Our
Sexual Desires
The Leader’s Libido
152
like a brother. I did not see this coming. I was brokenhearted for his
wife, children, church, and for him. I mourned the effect his decisions
would have on so many people. One bright light in this situation was
that he committed to a process of confession and reconciliation.
The knockout punch came when I heard the accusations about
Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Reporters were talking about “accusations” of his involvement with
a male prostitute and illegal drug use. It seemed far-fetched, almost
too bizarre. But something inside me broke. I had never met this pas-
tor, but my gut told me that when the smoke cleared, things would
be even worse than initially reported. This wasn’t some kind of pro-
phetic insight but feelings based on what I had been experiencing
with my two pastor friends. I was growing painfully aware of the
sinister power of sexual temptation.
Once the confessions came and things were in the light, I entered
unfamiliar emotional territory. I was not angry, and I was not sad. I
was filled with fear and profoundly introspective. Leader after leader
was shipwrecking their lives through sexual compromise, and I had
a sober awareness that I was not beyond temptation. I found myself
scrutinizing my own ability to self-deceive, my propensity toward
sin, how I can rationalize poor choices, and how I can live a double
life if I’m not very careful.
Anger came when I realized my first friend was leaving his family
and ministry for another woman. Sadness engulfed me as I walked
with my second friend through his time of struggle. Sobering fear
gripped me when the news broke on Ted Haggard. The fear has not
gone away. I hope it never does.
Symptoms
Check
My Desires N
eed Harnessin
g
❏ I find myse
lf lett ing p
tiona l need eople in m
s that shou y church m
ld be met o eet emo-
n ly by my
spouse.
continued ➮
153
azines,
w s, in te rn et sites, mag
TV sho an effort
w movies, ulation in
❏ I vrieother sources of visual stimth ese secret b
ehaviors
o d s.” If
y sexual nee ssed and
to “meet m w o u ld be embarra
ome public,
I y ministr y.
were to bec ev en co m promise m
t
nd it migh ere I
ashamed, a y mind wh
a fa nta sy world in m e th ings in
I have crea
ted er do thes
❏ gage in sexual sin. I w self playing out mental
o u ld n ev
en nd my
rld, but I fi
the rea l wo rong.
k now are w ll
scenarios I e ha nd, I ca
u b le li fe . On the on m y per-
a do ut in
I a m liv ing holiness. B
❏ eople to moral pu ri ty a n d
iors I co nd em n
p e in th e ver y behav
I engag
sona l life,
publicly. undaries
g re lationa l bo
topic of se tt in want to face
When the ause I don’t
❏ mes up, I get def en si ve b ec
crossing bo
undaries.
co a h ab it o f
I have
the fact that
154
Doctor’s Insigh
t
You May Not See
It, but It’s There
With a know in
g look in his ey
did you notice es, Dr. Dek ki ng
the first proble a asked, “Whe
it and sa id, “W m w ith your sk n
hen I was thir ty in ?” I thought
-six years old.” ab ou t
head to conf ir Jack just nodd
m what he susp ed hi s
ec ted.
continued ➮
155
es
e, the on
b le m s I h av s
sk in p r o nty y re a
t th e k ind of u p a bout twe
ined th a d to p o p ent lo gn
He ex pla to th e sun, ten r ig h t. I h ad s p
verex po
su r e exac tl y of hig h
due to o d o n e . He was o p h o m ore yea r
is to my s y sk in
d a m a ge mers up ouble. M
a fter the m y s u m os ig n o f tr
d i-
e sun a ll e re w a s n or a ny in
days in th tw o d e cades, th e c u r r in g s or e s , a t the
ut for ots, r d ay s
school. B w e r e n o d r y sp f m y m a rathon
. T h e re es o
wa s fi ne s e qu e nc
e s e r ious con o n. nt in t h
e
c ation o
f th
e th is is com
m
y e a r s you s p e a t I
m ll t h e you th
ck told , “Did a ave told
beach. Ja m e ld h
ad a s k e d
?” I w o u he d - a m
I f you h a g e y our sk in b e e n w rong. T r.
ia su n d
a m
ut I wou
ld hav e bia l pipe
Ca lifor n it h it . B p a y th e prover
w to
en away g to have
had gott a n d I was goin e nt progr
a m.
e rea l-
s th e r e , r e d p a y m the sa m
a ge w a a d e fe r in fa c e
at I w a s
on x ua l s e w il l
It’s just th w it h h idden se a n d th at no on
who batt
le d up just
L e a de r s it covere w ing ha
bits a re
l th ey have r v ie e
mig h t fe e
ht liv e s o ome th to
it y. They p r iv a te thoug r, th e y a lways c e .
w. The ir a nc e ecom
ever k no ke sk in c things b
iv a te ! B ut just li e m , th e worse
r e th
that — p we ig nor
c e . T h e longer
su r fa
156
Help from
My Friends
What Helps Y
ou Keep Your
Motiv es and Life P
My model fo
r morality an ure?
deep convict d integrity is
ions and pers my dad. He
versations w onal characte is a man of
ith him conce r. I have had
over the year rning what it regular con-
s. He constan means to liv
impeccable ch tly challenge e a moral lif
aracter. s m e and provid e
My wife, Clau es a model of
dia, and I ar
is ever a ques e open books
tion concern with each othe
each other. ing any value, r. If there
decision, or co
My personal n d u ct, we ask
motivation is
adore. When my two sons,
I’m tempted whom I deepl
ask myself, “H to go down th y admire and
ow will this d e w rong road m
is a huge mot ec is ion impact th or ally, I often
ivation for pu e lives of my
My board of rity ! so ns?” This
elders meets
questions. Th regularly wit
is is not alway h me to ask
My congregat s comfortable the tough
ion is fully aw , b ut it’s extremely
concerning m are of my lif valuable.
y values and e. I am open
be perfect an integrity issu w it h them
d will readily es. I have nev
and weaknes sh ar e my failures, er pr et en ded to
ses. I share struggles, tem
values and et w it h them my pers pt ations,
hics. onal choices
concerning
— Wes Dupin
, Senior Past
or, Daybreak
Community C
hurch,
Hudsonville,
MI
157
Savior used the Bible as a weapon against the attacks of the enemy, I
would give it a try.
I decided to memorize a few verses from the book of 1 Peter. Each
time my mind wandered, I would meditate on these verses. The first
week, I found myself walking around the campus constantly mut-
tering, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in
the world . . .” Honestly, it didn’t help much.
I stuck with my commitment. If I was going to be a leader in the
church, if I was going to live for God, I wanted my mind to be under
his control and not running wild. So each time I found myself fixat-
ing on the lovely ladies of OC, I went back to 1 Peter. As one verse
became part of my thinking and was rooted in my heart, I would
add another.
To give you a sense of how much the battle raged and my eyes and
heart wandered, over that year of college I memorized all five chap-
ters of 1 Peter and also the book of Haggai. I did this not because I
was disciplined but because I was desperate. At first, when my mind
wandered to the wrong places, my response was mechanical. I would
begin at 1 Peter, chapter one, verse one. I would rattle off the words
as fast as I could. Even this remedial approach was helpful. Some of
my lust-filled moments subsided, and I thought more about God’s
Word. But with time, something more substantial happened. The
truth and power of God’s Word filled and dominated my thought
life. I slowly stopped dwelling on thoughts that dishonored God and
poisoned my view of women. I began to reflect on the goodness of
God, the value of people, the truth I was learning. I began praying
for people on campus. My mind was being shaped by God’s values
and not the values of the world.
Through the year, something amazing happened. The battle sub-
sided. It did not go away, but the intensity lessened. My mind focused,
more and more, on thoughts that honor God. Believe me, it was not
a quick fix. But with time, something inside of me changed. Close to
three decades later, I still turn to meditating on Scripture when my
eyes and mind wander where they should not be. Every time I do, the
truth of God’s Word brings power in the spiritual battle.
Memorizing passages of the Bible and reciting them might seem
old-fashioned. Some see this as a discipline for grade-school kids try-
ing to get stars on a chart in their Sunday school classroom. I disagree.
158
Doctor’s Insigh
t
Preventive Care
As I spoke w ith
Dr. John A lbre
about the impo cht, my dent ist,
rtance of preven he bega n ta lk in
1960s, a team fr tive care. John ex pl g
om the Univers ained that in th
periodonta l di ity of Michiga n had e
sease (g um di done studies on
cause was bact sease) and lear
eria l infect ion. ned that the pr
At the time, th imar y
dental hygienis ere were relativ
ts. Most dent is el y few
minute clea ni ts wou ld do a
ng of the teet h quick ten- to fif
but wou ld not te en-
the gums. address ta rtar
under
Once the cause
of periodonta l
measures coul disease was iden
d be ta ken. M tif ied, preventiv
clea n and scra os t de ntal hygienists e
pe the teet h at now ex tensivel
the gums and ea ch appointment. y
remove tarter T hey get unde
the gums. Den so bacteria ca n’ r
tists encourag t cling to it and
e thorough brus at ta ck
this clea ns on ly hing, but they
about 60 percen know
cate patients on t of the toot h su
how to floss an rface. So they ed
d clea n the ot he u-
patients enter r 40 percent. W
the preventive- he n
When they refu ca re process, de
se to do their pa ntal health incr
rt, problems gr eases.
ow.
I believe the best way to practice preventive care of our souls, when it
comes to sexual temptation, is to saturate our minds with God’s Word.
Meditating on Scripture is a cleansing process, and at any time, we can
draw on portions of the Bible we have memorized.
159
160
Help from
My Friends
How Do You E
stablish Boun
d aries?
As a woman
, my guidelin
especially a e is not to
married man be alone wit
spiritually, em . I also keep h a man —
otionally, an ap propriate bou
problem, I tr d physically. ndaries —
y to avoid th Even if I th
e potential fo ink it is not
r a problem. a
continued ➮
161
sense I
th er e is a scene that I
, but !)
a good movie imes my ears
When I go to cl os e m y ey es (and somet e w hat I
to be seeing,
I leav
do not need as io na ll y, I just have to k lik e
Occ ords st ic
approaches. images and w
as the scene ov ie . W ro n g for ev er y
ght w ou ld be a good m e fi rst co n tact. This goes
th ou avoid th
mind. I try to
barbs in my ’ Ignited
of m ed ia . E va n ge lis m Leader, Livin
form sham, PhD,
— Nancy Gri
162
Help from
My Friends
How Do You S
eek Purity W
hile Traveli ng?
When I travel
in the West, I
me in a hote usually reques
l, unless I am t that my host
find that in th traveling with s not put
e West, even my wife. This
normal TV is is because I
often unedifyi
ng. Because
I
continued ➮
163
the TV
m in istr y, I tend to put on
ay of for a
ti re d w he n I finish a d in a ho te l, I usually ask
am ve ry st stay ttles
ch fo r to o long. If I mu n I am ti re d after the ba
and wat be alone w he
that I will not ed advantage
roommate so in ho mes. The add
enerally, I pref
er to st ay ure, I like as
of ministry. G am in a foreign cult
whe n I and get to
ay in g in homes is that en ti fy w it h the people
of st le to id ent talk-
op po rt u n ities as possib d o n ot lik e the time sp
man y cher s lps me
th em . I kn ow many prea er to pe op le, and this he
know e get clos
ink it helps m
ing. But I th them. ist, Sri Lanka
r m or e ef fe ctively among r, Youth for Chr
ministe n d o, D ir ec to
— Ajith Ferna
ur Back
I’ve Got Yo y
untabilit
Serious Acco hese a re n
ot
p p o rt g roups. T s
of two pa
stors su a re g ro p
u
I a m pa rt n d g o ssip. T hey
mpla in a eeply, p y
ra
u p s th at meet to co s, sh a re our lives d
g ro other’s face
et in each
where we g
164
passionatel
y, a nd ex te
g roups, we nd honest
d iscussed accou ntab
internet p il it y. In on
the cha llen o rnog raphy. e of the
ges of stay A s we ex p
avoiding th ing pure in ressed
is v isua l ce the world
ss p o of our min
subscribe to o l, we decid d s a nd
a n internet ed that each
ever y site w report ing of us wou ld
e access a n p rogra m th
one else in d then sen at keeps a
ds a month list of
the group. ly report to
some-
our need, a trusted friend who asks us the hard questions as well as
encourages and prays for us is an amazing gift.
165
places of hidden pain and silent anger. When a ministry couple fails
to embrace the goodness of their sexual relationship, it creates a rift
between the husband and wife where the enemy of our souls can
drive a wedge, creating a breeding ground for sexual temptation
and indiscretion.
Most of the time, when a godly Christian man or woman begins
crossing lines in the area of sexuality, it has to do with an emotional
need. They feel far from their spouse. The rigors of ministry are tak-
ing a toll. The physical and emotional needs they carry deep inside
begin to surface. Then someone comes along who will meet their
emotional need. They are drawn to this person, first, because they
“care about me.” Once the emotional link has been established,
sexual temptation begins to grow.
There is an amazing passage in Proverbs that addresses the good-
ness of sexuality, the call to fidelity, and the danger of sexual temp-
tation. Read this passage closely. Catch the imagery of water as a
picture of sexual intimacy:
166
far away from those who seek to draw us in. He goes on to talk about
the wisdom of receiving discipline and listening to the wisdom of
others. We are called to ferocious fidelity and warned of the dangers
of adultery. Yet in the middle of this serious caution comes a celebra-
tion of intimacy and sexual fulfillment.
All through the Bible there is a call for sexual celebration. Within
the marriage covenant, there should be sexual blessing. Just as we are
called to bless with our words, we are also called to bless with our
bodies. Our genitalia, specifically, are to be fountains of overflowing
blessing. The breasts, vagina, and penis are all part of the celebra-
tion of one-flesh intimacy. Romance and sexual intercourse are gifts
from God to his people.
There is a clear sense in Scripture that we are to satisfy our spouses
with our bodies. Read the words closely, and for heaven’s sake, don’t
be embarrassed! “May her breasts satisfy you always.” The passage
could just as unashamedly say, “Let his penis satisfy you always.” I
know some will blush when they read these words. Some in God’s
family have relegated the realm of sexuality to a low place in life.
They have missed the biblical reality that one-flesh sexual intimacy
is a gift from their Creator.
When our sexual relationship is one that satisfies and our “foun-
tain” is blessed, it leads to captivating love. Christian couples who
make their sexual lives a priority discover that the emotional and
physical desires that God has placed deep in their souls are satisfied.
When we drink deeply from the fountain of marital intimacy, we
no longer need our waters to be scattered in the streets. When our
sex lives are healthy, growing, passionate, fulfilling, the need to look
elsewhere drops significantly.
This is not to say that Christian leaders who have rich and fulfill-
ing sexual relationships with their spouses won’t face temptation.
This is also not to say that those who enter into an inappropriate
sexual relationship can somehow blame their spouse for not meeting
their needs. But nurturing healthy sexual, romantic, and intimate
relationships with our spouses will meet many of the needs God has
placed inside of us. When we sense deep satisfaction and fulfillment
in our sexual lives, we are quicker to recognize the counterfeit offers
of the enemy and turn them down.
167
uilding
Network B
I t
Talk about o u se about your
roma ntic
sp
w it h yo u r s to get the
u a re m a rried, ta lk e o f th es e question
If yo . Use som
relationship
a nd sexua l
n started : se to
conversat io you feel clo
in g s I d o that ma ke d is ta nt
the th you feel
1. What are in g s I d o that ma ke
are th
me ? What tic
from me ? lt hy roma n
in n u rt u ring a hea
we doing
2. How a re ip ?
l relationsh ur sex ua l
a nd sexua t th e fr eq uenc y of o
o u
you feel ab
3. How do e are
intimac y? re when w
at b ri n g s you pleasu
I do th urse ?
4. What do ng interco
in ti m at e a nd duri a kes you fe
el
sexua ll y
is n o t p le asing o m r
e a n d
I do that inti mat
5. What do h en w e a re sex ua lly
able w
u ncomfort
te rcourse ? is broken
or
during in yo ur spouse
it h
ua l relatio
nship w o ca n o er
ff
If your sex p ro fe ssiona l wh
a lk w it h a echanic.
is te n t, get help. T a k s d o w n, we see a m
non ex a car bre recover
m a n d h elp. When n d so m eo ne who can
o don’t
w isd ashes, we fi roadblock,
computer cr ip has hit a
When our l re la ti o n sh
d ly le ad er you
your sexua lk w it h a go
the data. If ead a b o o k , ta
men to r yo u,
e you are. R ask them to
accept wher u resp ec t a n d
pa rt o u
f yo r
a couple yo ke sure this
trust, find ever yo u d o , m a
selor. What
see a coun ro ng .
hy a nd st
life is hea lt
168
leadership
You can serve God and his people for a lifetime and do it with passion and joy. You do not
have to become one of a growing number of leaders who have compromised their integrity,
character, and ministry because they failed to lead an examined and accountable life.
The road forward is clearly marked. Leaders must decide to humbly and consistently ex-
amine their inner lives and identify areas of needed change and growth. Also, wise leaders
commit to listen to the voices of those who will love them enough to speak the truth and from the
inside out
point out problems and potential pitfalls.
Kevin Harney writes, “The vision of this book is to assist leaders as they discover the
health, wisdom, and joy of living an examined life. It is also to give practical tools for self-
examination.” Sharing stories and wisdom from his years in ministry, Harney shows you
how to maintain the most powerful tool in your leadership toolbox: YOU.
er Life of a Heal
In a sea of leadership books, this one stands out because it addresses the critical nn th
I y
C
topic of the inner life of a leader. Kevin has been a friend and partner in ministry he
hu
t
for many years. I know his track record as a leader. I encourage church leaders to
ng
rc
hL
ini
read this book carefully and allow God to transform them on the inside so they can
Exam
ead
experience a lifetime of fruitful ministry on the outside.
er
– Lee Strobel, author of The Case for the Real Jesus
Kevin G. Harney is the Teaching Pastor and Evangelism Champion at Faith Church in
harney
Dyer, Indiana, and Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, Michigan. He is also on the teaching
team of the campus ministry at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. He is author
of Seismic Shifts and Finding a Church You Can Love and Loving the Church You’ve Found.
kevin
harney
RELIGION / Christian Church / Leadership
6
Contents
7
Sticky Church
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Appendixes
1. Writing Great Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
2. Sample Sermon Note Sheet and Study Questions. . . . . . . . . . . 153
3. Sample Growth Group Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
4. End of the Quarter Evaluation Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
5. Leader Training Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
6. Leader Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
7. Host Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
8. A List of the New Testament “One Anothers”. . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Study Guide: Follow-up Questions for Each Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
8
Chapter 4
29
The Sticky Church Advantage
First Visits
As we saw earlier, there is a fundamental difference between someone
whose first visit to a church is the result of a powerful marketing cam-
paign or a special outreach program and someone whose first trip is the
result of a friend’s invitation to a regular serv ice.
People who come because of special marketing or programming walk
in expecting (or hoping) to be wowed. And if they are, they come back
expecting more of the same.
But of course that’s not what they get, because special programs
are — well, special. They might attract a lot of people; they might deeply
touch everyone who comes. But in the end they fly in the face of one of
the most basic laws of retention: Whatever you do to reach people you have
to continue to do to keep them.
Let’s think through the experience of an unchurched neighbor who
decides to come to a special outreach event. Suppose he likes it well enough
to come back the next week. When he does, the exceptional music, the props,
the great speaker, or whatever else it was that duly impressed him will almost
surely be gone. If it’s the weekend after Christmas or Easter, it’s likely that the
senior pastor and all the folks who put it together will be gone also. After all,
they’ll need a break. It’s not easy to put on such an extravaganza.
Now compare that with the neighbor whose first visit is the result of
a word-of-mouth invitation to a typical weekend serv ice. While he might
not be as impressed or wowed by the initial show, he certainly won’t be as
disappointed when he shows up a second time. There’s no bait and switch
to overcome. If he liked the first visit well enough to come back a second
time, he’s likely to come back a third and forth time as well.
But that’s not all. A word-of-mouth church also has some significant
advantages when it comes to evangelism, follow-up, and assimilation.
30
Why Stickier Churches Are Healthier Churches
Natural Evangelism
Perhaps the most common form of natural evangelism is what I like to
call come-and-see evangelism. It takes place whenever someone shares a
spiritual need or interest and we respond by inviting him or her to come
to a Bible study, to attend a church serv ice, or just to hang out with some
of our Christian friends.
It gives that person an opportunity to see Christ ianity and Chris
tians up close and personal. It’s low-threat. There’s seldom any pressure.
It lets spiritual window-shoppers move toward Jesus at a Spirit-led pace.
It’s completely natural, not forced.
Let’s face it: Most Christians are pretty lame when it comes to closing
the deal evangelistically. Whether it’s aggressive confrontational witness-
ing or low-key friendship evangelism, lots of us don’t know what to say or
do when the questions get tough.
Even when someone is obviously ready to step over the line and follow
Jesus, many of us still stutter and stammer or shift into automatic pilot as
we spout off a poorly memorized and highly canned response.
I’m not saying that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I am saying that’s
the way it is. Even those of us who are extroverts with lots of training in
evangelism can get tongue-tied and sweaty palms.
But a sticky church offers the perfect environment for come-and-see
evangelism, because while every serv ice is designed to help Christ ians
become better Christians, it is always done in such a way that non-Chris
tians can understand everything that’s said and takes place.
That makes it much easier for even the most introverted and reserved
among us to say with confidence when a friend or coworker expresses a
spiritual interest or need, “Why don’t you just come and see?”
Contrast that with the way many of our front-door churches approach
evangelism. Though we might think that our special programs make it
easier for members to reach out to their not-yet-Christ ian friends, our
special outreach programs can actually put some obstacles in their way.
The first is timing. High-powered front-door programs can have the
unintended consequence of sending a message that some weekends and
programs are for bringing guests — and the rest aren’t.
Years ago my parents had some friends whom they hoped to reach
for Christ. After numerous dinner conversations and plenty of time to
watch how my folks lived and dealt with life’s thorny issues, the husband,
31
The Sticky Church Advantage
seemingly out of the blue, said that he and his wife would love to come
to church sometime.
Needless to say, my dad and mom were delighted. The Sunday ser
vice started out with a great worship set. Then the smiley guy got up to
give some commercials and take the offering right before the sermon,
which, judging by its title on the bulletin, looked like a great one. So far,
so good.
Then it happened. Smiley guy began to wax eloquent about an
upcoming outreach event that would be the perfect opportunity to
bring an “unsaved” friend. Special flyers and brochures were available
in the back to pick up and hand out. He then encouraged everyone to
be sure they were praying for their lost friends. As he went on and on,
my dad and mom slowly died. So did their “unsaved” friends, who had
made the mistake of wanting to come to church a couple of weeks too
soon.
They never did come back.
My parents learned an important lesson: Never bring friends who
don’t know Jesus to the wrong serv ice.
Though my folks no longer go to that church, I observed it long
enough to see that lots of others got the same message. Special programs
always brought in a large crowd. But no one seemed to notice how few
returned or how well the entire congregation had been trained to hold
back their invitations until the next big event.
Now, here’s the irony. All this happened at a self-proclaimed “seeker
church.”
There is a second unintended obstacle that highly programmed front-
door churches can put in the way of natural evangelism. If most of the
people who come to Christ come as the result of a complex and high-
powered event, it sends a subtle message that it takes lots of time, plan-
ning, and money to lead someone to Christ. And that tells the average Joe
to hold off until we’ve scheduled the next great fishing party.
That’s not to say that special-event evangelism doesn’t work or that
those who come to Christ as a result never stick. But it seems to me that
spiritual birth is a lot like physical birth. It’s much easier when it’s natu-
ral. Artificial insemination and other medical marvels can produce real
children who grow up to have great lives, but it’s a rather inefficient way
to replenish the next generation.
32
Why Stickier Churches Are Healthier Churches
Natural Follow-Up
Another area where a sticky church has an advantage is in following up
on those who visit.
After a big event, it’s hard to follow up if you don’t know who came.
Most people who come as a result of an advertising campaign won’t read-
ily give out their name and contact information. We’ve come to value
privacy too much to do so.
Even at weekend serv ices, a front-door church can have a harder time
with follow-up. That’s because in any church with two or more serv ices,
it’s hard to tell who is a guest and who just changed serv ices for the week-
end. Since longtime members who switch serv ices don’t like to be asked
if they’re visiting (try it; you’ll enjoy the dirty looks), most of us learn to
treat anyone we don’t recognize as a regular we haven’t met or someone
whose face we can’t remember.
It’s different in a sticky church. Since it doesn’t place much emphasis
on big front-door events, most guests are brought on the arm of a friend.
Few come with only a postcard or brochure in hand.
That makes follow-up natural and more likely to occur. Friends don’t
need a follow-up program to remind them to ask, “How’d you like it?
Any questions I can answer? Do you want to come again?” That’s what
friends do.
At North Coast we didn’t have (or need) an organized follow-up pro-
cedure until we were well past three thousand in weekend attendance.
And we only needed it then because the small percentage of folks who
came alone at that point added up to a large enough number that some
were falling through the cracks.
Natural Assimilation
Sticky churches have still another advantage. Since they fill the front door
primarily with people who’ve come through word-of-mouth referrals,
assimilation takes place naturally. Friends don’t have to be reminded to
assimilate friends. They do so naturally — and enthusiastically.
It’s also easier to assimilate when there’s no need to build a bridge
between the bells and whistles of a big event and the more pedestrian pro-
gramming of a weekend serv ice. Even if there is an occasional measure
33
The Sticky Church Advantage
+
+ -
+ -
+
34
+ -
Why Stickier Churches Are Healthier Churches
As long as the front door is bigger than the
back door - a church will think it is growing.
+ -
+ -
+ -
+ -
T
HURCHES START OUT FAST AND THEN SUDDENLY FALL OUT)
USCRIPT SUBMISSION
35
Does it matter how many people are coming through
the front door if the back door is wide open?
There are plenty of ways to get people to come to church. Keeping them there
is another matter. Many of our churches seem more like teflon than velcro.
So what will it take to make your church sticky?
In Sticky Church, Larry Osborne shares proven strategies for closing the
back door and keeping it shut, including a unique approach to sermon-
based small groups. By using these groups to dig deeper into the weekend
message, Osborne’s multisite congregation has grown from a small group to
one of the larger churches in the country—all without any marketing.
Sticky Church tells the inspiring story of North Coast Church’s phenomenal
word-of-mouth growth and offers practical tips for launching your own
sermon-based small group ministry.
Sticky Church is an ideal book for church leaders who want to start or retool
their small group ministry—and velcro their congregation to the Bible
and each other. Includes samples of sermon notes, study questions, and
leadership training materials.
monkey
answers. I couldn’t put this book down until I had finished it all.
He writes about our global and cultural context, which most
Western Christians are oblivious to ... but not for long.”
the
monkey
— Bob Roberts, pastor, NorthWood Church,
author, The Multiplying Church
Looking at the global shifts rocking all of us, Dave Gibbons offers
a third-culture way to being the church. Gibbons offers creative
fish
fish
applications that can help any church of any kind anywhere make
a difference in the world. The Monkey and the Fish will help you live
out your mission in a bold, revolutionary way.
g ib b ons L I Q U I D L E A D E R S H I P
Dave Gibbons is the founding pastor of Newsong, a multisite, international
F O R A
third-culture church. He is an in-demand speaker, innovative strategist, and cultural
specialist with global experience in the arts, business, church, and community T H I R D - C U L T U R E C H U R C H
development. Dave is on the board of World Vision US. He’s
also founder and chief visionary officer of Xealot, a strategic
innovations group, creatively connecting resources
religion / Christian Church / Leadership
to leaders around the world.
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1: Liquid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2: Wardrobe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3: Neighbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
4: Liquid Bruce Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
5: Three Questions That Become the Answers 109
6: cWoWs: Everyone Plays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
7: Ripples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Becoming Third Culture: Practical Next Steps . . . . . . . . 189
Appendix: On the Verge: An Interview with David
Gibbons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
31
kisses his son over and over again. Most versions of the Bible
don’t translate these repeated kisses. The kisses of the father.
Kisses that entwine forgiveness, celebration, and blessing.
The world longs for such kisses from the Father.
No one should be in a better position to fulfill this long-
ing than the church. Who can give a better kiss than the
church? A kiss without strings attached. A supernatural kiss
that can set captives free. A kiss that inspires prodigals to
remember real love and to come back home.
I sometimes think how sweet it would be if that were the
reaction of every person, every family, every neighbor, every
community, even every country, whenever they come into
contact with those of us who follow Jesus, who make up the
church.
I think it could happen.
I believe that today God is calling us in the church to
become a different kind of movement, known for our kisses
of compassion rather than our condemnations.
I’m not sure there’s ever been a better opportunity for
those of us in the church to do so. A historic coming together
of many unusual forces are shaping today’s global village. Our
world is marked by unprecedented degrees of multicultural-
ism, social advocacy, international collaboration and inter-
dependence, and technology-driven outbreaks of freedom,
unity, and community. They provide an intersection, a kairos
moment, in which the church can shine.
From its first moments, the church has held the promise
of being an expression of God’s presence on this earth. No
other entity has greater potential to bring about real and
32
Altered States
Around the world, things are changing fast these days, and
in ways that seemed unthinkable only a few years ago. Just
ask any of the people who attended a recent World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This annual gathering draws
some of the most influential people in the world, including
people from all fields — religion, politics, media, business,
you name it. There was plenty of talk about novel business
strategies and potential political partnerships. But people
who are students of culture couldn’t help but notice that new
topics and questions are looming large in the most important
conversations taking place today. There are conversations
about how China is upending the world economy and cul-
ture, and about how China is eclipsing the United States in
so many ways. There are conversations about how grassroots
social change around the globe — which is being fueled by
the internet’s vast potential for helping people leap barriers
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
These barriers were just the beginning. But it’s the num-
ber and nature of the barriers, and the degree of unlikelihood
involved in this mission, that make Cue’s effort so remark-
able. Looking back at it now, it’s something that God himself
had to be part of for it to work.
Cue met the challenge by forming a partnership with
what is arguably the most troubled school in Los Angeles,
a community where the majority of the children come from
single-parent homes, where in one recent week seven stu-
dents were shot to death in suspected gang activity, where
the high school recently lost its accreditation.
Besides being committed to helping the high school
regain its accreditation, the initiative Cue leads today
employs sports, health education, the arts, wellness disci-
plines, mentoring, and whatever else might help to lift some
of the burdens of the young people he deals with, and maybe
even alter the trajectory of their lives.
Every day, Cue peers into the eyes of kids who are suffer-
ing in the same way he once did. And they see him as some-
one who doesn’t need an explanation, who understands, who
knows. The neighborhoods he spends his days in are busting
at the seams with fatherless boys ill-equipped to do more
than plant the seeds of another fatherless generation and
with emotionally crippled girls settling for the crumbs of
what passes for affection. Others drive through and around
this area, but against some tall odds, Cue and his brothers
and sisters in the Newsong community are living out what
Mother Teresa gently instructed all of us to do: “If you can-
not feed a hundred children, well then, feed one.”
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
monkey
answers. I couldn’t put this book down until I had finished it all.
He writes about our global and cultural context, which most
Western Christians are oblivious to ... but not for long.”
the
monkey
— Bob Roberts, pastor, NorthWood Church,
author, The Multiplying Church
Looking at the global shifts rocking all of us, Dave Gibbons offers
a third-culture way to being the church. Gibbons offers creative
fish
fish
applications that can help any church of any kind anywhere make
a difference in the world. The Monkey and the Fish will help you live
out your mission in a bold, revolutionary way.
g ib b ons L I Q U I D L E A D E R S H I P
Dave Gibbons is the founding pastor of Newsong, a multisite, international
F O R A
third-culture church. He is an in-demand speaker, innovative strategist, and cultural
specialist with global experience in the arts, business, church, and community T H I R D - C U L T U R E C H U R C H
development. Dave is on the board of World Vision US. He’s
also founder and chief visionary officer of Xealot, a strategic
innovations group, creatively connecting resources
religion / Christian Church / Leadership
to leaders around the world.
“Einstein noted once that any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more
complex, but that it takes a touch of genius ... to move in the opposite direction.
deliberate simplicit y
Drawing deeply from the living witness of Christ the King Community Church,
Dave ... gives us not only a highly informative text on a critical subject, but also
an inspiring one.”
— Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways
browning
DAVE BROWNING is the founding pastor of Christ the King Community Church,
International (CTK), a nondenominational multisite church with locations in twelve
How the Church Does More
states and seven countries. It is named among
Outreach magazine’s America’s Most Innovative Churches.
by Doing Less
Dave lives in Burlington, Washington, with his wife
RELIGION / Christian Church / Leadership
and three children.
USD $16.99/CAD $17.99
ISBN 978-0-310-28567-0
dave browning
Cover design: Rob Monacelli
Preface .....................................9
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Introduction to a New Equation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.Minimality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
2.Intentionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
3.Reality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
4.Multility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
5.Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
6.Scalability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Conclusion: It’s an Equation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Appendix 1: Seven Ways Less Can Be More . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Appendix 2: Twenty-five Reasons to Be Multisite . . . . . . . . . 207
Appendix 3: Organic Site Development Process . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Appendix 4: Short and Sweet: The One-Hour Service . . . . . . 229
Appendix 5: Differences: What Makes CTK Different . . . . . . 245
Author Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
<=–×+∞
A NEW EQUATION
Imagine with me for a minute . . . a church . . . but not your typ-
ical church. A church where the main thing is the main thing. A
church where people convene primarily in homes and secondarily
in public spaces for worship services. A church where the minis-
try is carried out by ordinary people, and it is the pastor’s job to
identify, deploy, train, and support these ministers. A church that
is warm and accepting of both the churched and the unchurched.
A church that sees hundreds of converts baptized each year. A
church that numbers tens of thousands but convenes in thousands
of small groups and scores of small worship centers. A church that
has no geographical limits but spreads from house to house, neigh-
borhood to neighborhood, town to town, county to county, state
to state, and country to country. A church that is not just multilo-
cation but also multiethnic and multinational.
What if this church were intentionally structured to reach an
unlimited number of people in an unlimited number of places?
What if this church were more like a movement than a ministry?
Do you have this picture in your mind? For me it’s not too
difficult to imagine. I’ve been living inside this picture for the last
few years.
15
16
the line, it’s a foul ball. If the ball is hit over the fence, it’s a home
run. If it lands short of the fence, it’s playable. What accounts for
these differences? The paradigm. A paradigm is a set of rules that
tell you how to play the game in order to be successful.
When I say that Deliberate Simplicity is a new paradigm for
the church, I’m saying the lines have been moved from where you
might expect to find them in a traditional church. “Traditional
church” may sound pejorative. Here we mean simply a church
defined by its locale, programs, facility, or denomination. If you
hear someone say,
• “I attend the (color or architecture) church at the corner of
Maple and Division”
• “My family has been members of the (Denomination)
Church for generations”
• “I really like the productions they do over at the (First
Something) Church”
• “Have you seen the new education wing the (big church in
town) built?”
Keep it
Minimality < What
simple.
17
Keep it
Multility × Where
cellular.
Keep it
Velocity + When
moving.
Keep it
Scalability ∞ How Far
expanding.
18
19
Deliberately
Traditional
Simple
Goal Improvement Redefinition
20
21
22
ing God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving
your neighbor as yourself. It was that simple. Deliberate Simplicity
inquires, “Can’t we go back to that?”
23
the programming memorized for the entire week. Those days are
long gone. Today there are so many channels, so many programs,
so many publications, so many websites, that we will all feel hope-
lessly behind unless we are deliberate about our simplicity. Absorb-
ing all the data is impossible. The sooner we filter the channels,
the better.
People are growing to not just desire simplicity but demand it.
An anonymous email comes to Google (a leading search engine
on the internet) on an ongoing basis. Every time, the email con-
tains only a two-digit number. It took the folks at Google a while
to figure out what the author was communicating. He was giving
them feedback on the number of words on Google’s homepage.
When the number started to go up, say to fifty, he would get agi-
tated and send them an email. Now Google finds his emails help-
ful, because his feedback has disciplined them to not introduce
too much complexity on their homepage. The email is like a scale
for words.
In contrast, rival web portal Yahoo! has over five hundred
words on its homepage. Its model of “ministry” is more akin to the
modern megachurch — providing a multitude of links and options
for its users.
24
25
26
Eric Bende spent eighteen months off the power grid with the
Minimites — a group who decided to go without telephones, run-
ning water, refrigeration, or electricity. He wrote about his experi-
ences in Better Off: Pulling the Plug on Technology. His conclusion
was not that technology is a problem but that letting technology
dominate our lives is. Bende advises, “When in doubt, use less
technology.”
One of the questions that takes the church back to basics is,
how would we do church if we didn’t have electricity? Your answer
will undoubtedly push you back to the essence of the church and
27
28
29
30
31
SIMPLE DELIBERATELY
Complexity causes people to yearn for simple, profound ideas
that can be readily related to diverse situations. Deliberate Sim-
plicity delivers these ideas to the church.
We are not espousing simplicity because we haven’t yet figured
out how to be complicated. We are simple by design. We believe
that simplicity is a preferable way to go about things. That’s not to
say that simplicity is necessarily an easier way to go about things.
Simplicity requires a lot of prayer, thought, hard work, and disci-
pline. The paradox of simplicity has been called Meyer’s Law: It is
a simple task to make things complex, but a complex task to make
them simple.
Think about the things in your life that you enjoy because
of their simplicity. I think of my Honda Civic, for instance. Why
isn’t everything designed to be this simple? The answer is, because
it’s easier to be complicated than it is to be simple. Simple takes
much more time and attention. Anybody can be complicated, but
simplicity is a gift.
’Tis a gift to be simple.
’Tis a gift to be free.
’Tis a gift to come down where we ought
to be.
— Shaker Hymn
Bob Buford has achieved success in business and ministry.
When he mentors young leaders, he often asks, “What is it that
you intentionally do not do that fuels your success?” The con-
cept is pretty simple but by no means obvious. As Jim Collins
points out in his book Good to Great, “Most of us lead busy but
undisciplined lives. We have ever-expanding ‘to do’ lists, trying to
build momentum by doing, doing, doing — and doing more. And it
32
33
34
“Einstein noted once that any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more
complex, but that it takes a touch of genius ... to move in the opposite direction.
deliberate simplicit y
Drawing deeply from the living witness of Christ the King Community Church,
Dave ... gives us not only a highly informative text on a critical subject, but also
an inspiring one.”
— Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways
browning
DAVE BROWNING is the founding pastor of Christ the King Community Church,
International (CTK), a nondenominational multisite church with locations in twelve
How the Church Does More
states and seven countries. It is named among
Outreach magazine’s America’s Most Innovative Churches.
by Doing Less
Dave lives in Burlington, Washington, with his wife
RELIGION / Christian Church / Leadership
and three children.
USD $16.99/CAD $17.99
ISBN 978-0-310-28567-0
dave browning
Cover design: Rob Monacelli