“The wonderful insights of Reformation and Pietism are largely smothered in the mire of unsuitable structures. In the third reformation we need to create structures which will be suitable vessels so that what the first two reformations demanded can be put into practice”. - Christian Schwartz, NCD

Christian Schwartz has gained some popularity in church circles of late because of his biotic ‘Natural Church Development’ approach to church growth.  The reasoning - that churches are a ‘living entity’, and as such if all the right elements are in balance, this church will naturally grow.  He also predicted what he calls a ‘third reformation’.

Today, this reformation is occurring around the world.  Not because any one person is deliberately making it happen but because it needs to happen, therefore God is causing it.  While many churches pride themselves on being contemporary and free of tradition, the truth is that much of the things we do in the modern church as a whole are done purely because of the way things have been done before.  In our attempts to form and shape the church and it’s people into our pre-conceived idea of what they should look like, we often push aside what God wants to do, and unintentionally alienate those who we are sincerely trying to reach and disciple.  This often leads to an unauthentic relationship with God and with others that many are simply not happy living with any more.

In his 1999 book ‘Turning Point’, prolific Australian sociologist, Hugh Mackay, writes

The message.. is that traditional, “one-product” church programs are inadequate in meeting the needs of increasingly sceptical society that doesn’t regard churchgoing as a natural, or even “normal”, thing to do.

There are no simple answers why the western modern church is declining in numbers as a whole, but my guess is that this dissatisfaction is a major factor. 

Our group, simply called “The Church” is not an aim to come up with yet another church model that can “relate” to the current generation.  It is quite the opposite.  It is our desire to facilitate communities who have a sincere desire to follow Christ and lead others to Him.  What a community (or, by definition, Church) will look like will depend entirely on whom it is made up of and how God leads it.  It will develop a character and expression of it’s own, as any living organism will do.

As a starting point, we are aiming to a) form a community in the inner southern suburbs of Melbourne (South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Albert Park, St Kilda) and b) create an online environment that will both host a community of it’s own and encourage the formation of other communities.

In our journey towards these results we are looking for input.  Not just from experts, but from you.  We want to hear of experiences, stories and ideas.  We are not about top-down ministry but about the ministry of every believer; that every person has a valuable contribution to make into the life of the church.

Please, make yourself known.  Share your thoughts, leave a comment below.  SMS me.  Make a time for coffee.  Connect.  If you are like many of the people that I have talked to, you are hungry for it.

Matt Tew
Church planter
Mobile: 0407 34 6336

(Originally written in January, 2006) 

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