Organic Church

Written by Brian Hofmeister

Neil Cole has opened a vision from which small groups become a beachhead for evangelism and church planting. This book is sure to raise the bar of responsibility in your small group leadership. Read on for my summary of the book...

Organic Church – Book Summary

Neil Cole, Organic Church, Growing Faith where Life Happens, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint, 2005.

PART ONE: ROOTS OF THE ORGANIC CHURCH

Chapter 1

“I believe that the enemy divides all people into two categories: those he can ignore and those he has to fight. I want to be one of those he has to fight.” – Robert Logan and Tom Clegg, Releasing your Church’s Potential

Chapter 2

Go to where lost people are rather than create a more attractive venue for them. For example: go to coffee shops where people already are rather than start a new one. Conventional church has become so complicated that it requires professionals to run it while the masses passively watch. One of Cole’s organizations (CMA) articulated their mission as: “We want to lower the bar of how church is done and raise the bar of what it means to be a disciple.”

Chapter 3

“The gospel says, ‘Go,’ but or church buildings say, ‘Stay.’ The gospel says, ‘Seek the lost,’ but our churches say, ‘Let the lost seek the church.’” – Howard Snyder, The Problem of Wineskins “The church starts in the fields, not in the barns,” (35). Do not stand in the doorway of your decked out barn and call for the crops to come in. The great commission and spreading of the early church via persecution shows how God intends to keep us on the move. “Where?” is the wrong question, only ask “Who?” Chapter 4,Cole’s advice to a young church planter: “I recommend you put yourself in a precarious place where if God doesn’t show up and deliver you, you’re dead,” (50-51). Despite night and day training by Jesus for three years, the disciples where told not to do anything until the Holy Spirit showed up! Treat church as something done by Jesus, not for him. Cole maintains prayer for the lost by name in his gatherings, even amongst lost participants – showing dependence and hearing the powerful testimonies will mean more than the scripture study.

PART TWO: THE ORGANIC NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Chapter 5

The parable of the soils leads us to expect unfruitfulness in 2/3 of those who accept Christ. Do not baby-sit unfruitful soil. Jesus left the 99 to save 1 lost; yet he never persisted with the unresponsive. Non-mutual persistence is not a Biblical value; it is poor stewardship. Bad people make good soil – they have tons of fertilizer. Cole lists several passages on why more receptive soil is usually found amongst the bad, poor, young, searching, uneducated, powerless, and discriminated as opposed to the intellectual, moral, and wealthy (72-73). It is great if God has called you to the affluent, but expect a harder harvest. Tips for finding fertilized soil:

1) go for a ride with a local sheriff
2) call those under bankruptcy/foreclosure in the news paper
3) visit 12-step groups – if this is your background
4) be available at a crisis pregnancy center.

Chapter 6

Growing seeds isn’t tuff – one parable shows that you can pull this off with cluelessness and sleeping on the job! Invest resources in planting seeds over growing seeds. Resist dependency on money, programs, and professionals. Spontaneous growth requires releasing control.

Chapter 7

“The Southern Baptists have said that only 4 percent of the churches in America will plant a daughter church,” (91). Natural Church Development, by Christian Swartz lists seven important characteristics of a healthy church. He says that small churches are statistically 1,600 percent more effective that mega churches. Large size was the third most negative factor behind liberation theology and traditionalism (94). Multiplication happens with disciples, then leaders, then churches, then movements – in that order. Focus on the micro unit and the rest will come with it – we are told to make disciples, not churches. The gathering of 2-3 is most basic unit of church.

PART THREE: FROM THE MICROSCOPE TO THE TELESCOPE

Chapter 8

George Patterson’s Church Multiplication Guide lists seven commands that a disciple must obey (chart on 114 – not that great though).

Chapter 9

You can organize a decentralized, rapid reproduction movement. In The Birth of the Chaordic Age, Hock says, “To the degree that you hold purpose and principles in common among you, you can dispense with command and control. People will know how to behave in accordance with them, and they’ll do it in thousands of unimaginable, creative ways. Structure is only good when it supports the life that already exists. Never praise the structure as though it is the source of life. Order, but not control. Distribute authority, don’t delegate it. PART FOUR: THE EPEDIMIC KINGDOM AND HOW IT SPREADS

Chapter 10

Do not distinguish converts and workers. Converts must be put to work immediately – particularly for their effectiveness in reaching the lost.

Chapter 11 & 12

Jesus’ evangelism was not based on creative turns in ordinary conversations, it was based in relationship. Look to enter a social network as your basis for evangelism. One covert could be to door to a whole new community for Christ – look for a “person of peace” to bring you into their network. A “Person of Peace” is:
1) receptive
2) relationally connect to many
3) has a noticeable reputation – good or bad

It can be as simple as asking anyone in a neighborhood or workplace, “Who around here needs to hear about God the most?” – they will point you to the bad ones. Beg God for more workers – Cole sites his daily 10:02 begging of God for workers as the source of the rapid plants around him.

PART FIVE: THE CALL TO ORGANIC CHURCH

Chapter 13

“Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again.” – Henry FordFear inaction, not failure. Don’t recruit leaders if they do not share the same values – this is the mistake of many planters.