At Third Day, we are trying to do something simple. But simply impossible. Actually, something that has not been done much at all for many years. As Trinity said to Neo , "But no one has ever done this before. And as Neo firmly resonded to Trinity: "That's why it's going to work."
I wasn't exactly sure when we launched if we were a "cell" (small group-based) church or a "celebration" (Sunday morning) church. It turns out the answer (as often in these days): "yes."
Though I have from the beginning envisioned leaning more towards the house/cell model (I still say "The fundamental relationship base at 3D is 3-12 people meeting weekly in homes."), my leaning has been more equilibrated of late to strengthening Sunday morning as well. We are well aware of the American church's default idolatry of Sunday mornings, and buildings..we want to way more organic that that...even on Sunday mornings. Free of the "edifice complex."
Dallas Elder, our apostolic leader, helped bring clarity to what I likely already knew in my heart. While teaching one day he casually used me as an illustratuion, saying "Some churches have a cell model, and some have a celebration model. The church I am standing in is an example of a celebration model. Other churches in our network are cell/house models. Dave's church is an example of doing both at the same time."
Which is impossible.
Hardly anyone else has done this before.
Which is why it's going to work.
So we draw from the best of both models. We will never be the fancy sanctuary, formal sermon, Sunday morning model. But there is a lot to learn from those who do Sunday well.
And there is a ton to learn from those who do house-church/cell church well. And one of the most amazing books of our lifetime, "Houses That Change The World," is loaded. The author, Wolfgang Simson, an unassuming (see his PR photo above!) former taxi driver now apostolic church planter, though he would be quick to deflect it, is an example of his own maxim: "You probably wouldn't recognize an apostle when they walk into the room."
Many have completely missed or dismissed the book without reading it, assuming from the title that it's only about house church. Far from it. It's about life; it's about prayer; it's about fivefold ministry: it's about doing church of any kind...even the sunday morning kind. It's about the shift in church and culture that he calls the Third Reformation. Heck, it might even be so wide-ranging as to have few brownie recipes and backmasked jokes embedded in it! . It is prophetic on many levels. Best of all: it's a free download!
Como?
That's impossible.
No one has done that before.
Which is why the download is going to work.
Here below, let me create a mega-Wolfgang portal for all interested. Here lieth the free book download, and all the articles and excerpts I am aware of online. So, enjoy, and let a Wolfgang blow your house down..or up, as the case may be.
"Houses That Change the World"..download entire book
15Theses for a New Reformation
Nobody recognizes apostles when they walk into the room
Look Again, Under the Heap
With Whom Shall We Work? Transitioning Leadership God's Way
How the Mosaics will change Christianity
The Top 10 Churches in the World
Spritual DNA and Biotics
Giving ministry away with five fingers
Church, Learn from Freemasons, Marshall plan
Disarming the Irregulars
Welcome to the 4th Industrial Revolution
A Wedding A Week?
fathering orphans
Advantages of house church over traditional church
Hi, well be sensible, well-all described
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