#Exponential // Handy churches
What could you learn from an illiterate Indian woman half a world away?
At the recent Exponential Conference, (the world’s America’s largest gathering of church planters) we heard David Garrison author of Church Planting Movements and global research maven talk about something he picked up from Indian church planters. Â He did by simply showing us his hand, and I don’t mean deck of cards.
Holding up his hand, he gave us a simple acronym used to help Indian leaders reproduce leaders among the hundreds of thousands of churches being planted right now across that nation. Â He learned it from others, and now I’ll pass it along to you. Â (Who will you pass this on to?)
Hold up your hand, and starting with your thumb, spell out the word P-O-U-C-H. Â Imagine a little pouch in the palm of your hand. Â This is the descriptive (not necessarily prescriptive) list of elements seen in viral house churches spreading like wildfire among the persecuted peoples of India:
P- Participative Gatherings.
We let the Holy Spirit lead, and we all contribute.  No one person sucks up all the oxygen when we gather.  Everyone has a moment to offer what they’re learning from God.  1 Cor 14:26 says, “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.”
O - Obedience to Christ, radically
There must be a serious, all-in commitment from each person in the group to commit their full lives to Jesus, and to each other. Â Nothing short of that will be sustainable, or reproducible for long. Â Francis Chan told a story of how he went to China, and spoke with some of the persecuted church there, and when he described what we call church in America (1 hour a week event, many creature comforts, apathy, etc) at first they LAUGHED OUT LOUD – then they asked, “How did you get that picture of church, from this?” (as they held up their Bible) For them, it would be impossible to conceive of apathy in the Chinese church – why give up everything including your safety for nominal beliefs?
U – Unpaid Multiple Leaders
Tithes do go to pay for one leader (1 Cor 9:11), or maybe two, but the goal is to ask the leader not to feel responsible for all the teaching, all the evangelism, all the leadership of the larger church. Â This leads to burnout. Â Instead, segment the tasks and pass them out to multiple, unpaid leaders – this also gives more people a chance a leadership development. Â These are not a bunch of volunteers passing out bulletins, these are tomorrow’s church leaders, today!
C – Cells of 20 Members or less
Groups made up of 20 adults or less allow the group size to live in that space where everyone knows they’re a part of something bigger, but that it is small enough to ask each person to contribute, thus developing an active, rather than passive church. Â This is not your typical “small group” (read Neil Cole’s recent post for more on this). Â This is a place where growing disciples come to celebrate and encourage, not to be transformed by a flashy worship service.
H – Home-centered
This is more than just a strategy to save your church money on rent. Â It drives your church to be the family it already is! Â When you meet in homes, it will ruin the segmentation you have created between your church life and your family life – and transformation will happen! Â Another way to say this is that the home is the family. Â These Cells (MESOs as we call them) can meet anywhere – but its never about the event; its about the family. Â There is the hospitality of the home wherever they go. Â It is the family metaphors that the Biblical writers used throughout Scripture that make the most sense – a King and a Kingdom, a Father and his children… this is what God is giving birth to here on earth!
Watching churches in India multiply like rabbits is a joy and it leads me to worship God, who is declaring his glory through these simple and ephemeral families of faith.
peter lambert 2:30 pm on March 31, 2011 Permalink
are you suggesting we actually follow Jesus instead of the institution? You Heretic. Lol. Some very serious food for thought in your post
Mark W 4:24 pm on March 31, 2011 Permalink
If we explode the image in our minds of what church is – if we let down our guard and our expectations – if we set aside our own visions of success and look instead for what God might want to do; even as strange and unique as it might seem to the prevailing “church planting” world – for God’s glory – let’s give it a shot and see if it sticks! I think a little “bio-diversity” in God’s garden might do us some good.
Jon 'JB' Butler 4:08 pm on April 3, 2011 Permalink
Good thought provoking post.
I think we can sometimes forget that maybe our lives and expression of faith in the living God, should be as living as him.
Mark W 4:22 pm on April 3, 2011 Permalink
Jesus presented with us a “way” meaning he didn’t ask us to “admit he existed” or “attend a specific gathering on a specific day” – This Way is what 1 John 2 means when it says, “we are to live as Jesus lived.” That’s what discipleship is about – as much as we’d prefer it to simply be a series of worship songs and prayers, etc.
Jon – thanks for your thoughts – how does our lives provide an “expression of faith in the living God” as you suggest?