Ch1 - The vine and the trellis is a useful metaphor for seeing how maintaining structures and institutions can take our focus off Biblical priorities of growing a church full of maturing Christians. It is not that maintaining buildings and having committee meetings to organise programs and events is wrong. They are necessary activities up to a point. But what are they for? A big solid trellis may look impressive but its not alive and without a flourishing vine it has no point to it. Chapter 1 makes clear that in the Great Commission Jesus' has charged us all with disciple making as a central priority. This means both making new disciples and nurturing them. Personally I think that even with these two tasks there is a danger of concentrating on the nurturing, so we become inward looking and ignore the making of new disciples. This is especially so in our current secular society where so many seem antagonistic to the gospel. However I think that it is only by keeping the disciple making at the forefront that the other bits fall into place and the church is kept from stagnation, institutionalism and secularisation. Also, as the book points out, we need to be careful not to tie ourselves to traditions (a very Presbyterian temptation) or to trendsetting fads which constantly come and go.

Ch2. This chapter sets out basic ideas on the type of thinking which can help to grow people who are disciple-making disciples of Christ.

- Change the focus on programs to growing Christian maturity and getting people to make the most of their gifts and opportunities.

- Instead of using up large amounts of time with organising events and programs, which few outsiders will come to, we should focus on training people to be effective gospel communicators. Events and programs will then flow in various and chaotic ways out of this.

- Rather than burn people out in our focus on maintaining programs we should prioritise helping people to grow in their knowledge and love for Christ. Then their ministry will grow and flourish naturally.

- Rather than looking at who can fill a gap to keep a program running we should look at what ministry could this member of the congregation exercise? This can open up new ministries and is also valuable in finding potential candidates for ministry.

- Change the focus from dealing with people's problems to moving people forward in holy living and knowledge of God.

- Develop a team leadership approach which allows more people to develop their gifts such as preaching, teaching, evangelism and church planting. It also frees up time for the ordained minister/s to build up the team.

- As people are trained, be less concerned about defining their official position in the church political hierarchy and more concerned about encouraging people to be active vine-growers working in ministry partnerships.

- Encourage local church training as well as college and institutional training. Both can be integrated at times by using distance education.

- Keep the focus on long term expansion not on the immediate pressures of running programs.

- Minimise the minister's administrative workload (eg. in committees, property management, program organising and church business) so he has more time to train and teach.

- Be happy to be exporters of trained people, not hoarders. Our view of gospel work should be global, not just local.

Ouch

As I read these first two chapters I realised (again) that I am more involved in working on the trellis than on the vine (p8). I appreciate the vine work being done here in St Stephen's, and I do want to be more involved.

Vine work can be scary because it involves working with people who may not appreciate what you are doing. Yet it is the work of each person who says they are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Therefore, there is a job for everyone in the church, without the need for extra committees and teams.

We have a lot of relearning to do. Or, as is explained in Chapter 2, to experience a ministry mind-shift.  ".. most churches need to make a conscious shift - away from erecting and maintaining structures, and towards growing people who are disciple-making disciples of Christ." (p17)

May God help me, and us, in this.

In times passed

'Elders and leaders should be vine-growers themselves'p24

This was cause for me to reflect on my history as an elder at my home congregation. It seems to me that we (I) filled our (my) time with a lot of business. At times some of our meetings in reality looked more like BOM meetings rather than the shepherds of the flock meeting to grow the vine.

In my first 2 years here in Melb I have really changed my perspective of what 'ministry' looks like.

Reflecting on my past experience it seems retraining with a new mind set is required within our sessions. Should all the elders be reading this book together?

Welcome

This is the first post to Stephen's book club.

By way of introduction, we are a group from St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Surrey Hills, Victoria. We want to encourage each other in reading helpful books, and will use this blog to share our comments on what we have read. Other people may also comment on this book, or even on our comments, if they wish.

Our aim is to read two or three chapters each week and then comment on these. In some weeks people may be exceptionally busy, and we understand that. However, we do want to encourage each other with setting goals which we think are achievable.

Noel, one of the blog owners.