One of the important transitions over the last 30 years in the church in the West are the three shifts mentioned in the title of this blog (Mega-Multi-Micro) which is based on a recent webinar hosted by the Multiply PDX Third Thursday series. Their special guest was Ralph Moore and the theme was “Embedding Multiplication DNA in your Church Culture”. Following is a critique of what has happened that has forced the transition with a reflection question for you and your church to continue to make the shift from Mega-Multi-Micro.
Mega: When I was in my early years of ministry (1980s) I served as an intern at my home church. Skyline Wesleyan Church was one of the most innovative churches in the US at the time (see Elmer Townes book: “10 of Today’s Most Innovative Churches: What They’re Doing, How They’re Doing it & How You Can Apply Their Ideas in Your Church”). Mega churches (1,000 members and above) have obvious benefits and certain limitations. Most of all, because multiplication is not commonly built-into the DNA, mega churches will inevitably hit ceilings like: when their members outgrow facilities, when finances become a limiting factor or when the vision is not big enough. At some stage, every mega-church hits a ceiling.
Reflection Question: How can we grow bigger by getting smaller?
Multi: In 2008, InFocus was hired to coach the 22 campus pastors of the NorthPoint Partnership Group. For the next 3 years I learned a lot about the multi-site model. Mega churches that continue to grow and eventually outgrow their home campus have gone multi. When a church reaches maximum seating capacity AND enough people drive more than 20 miles to reach the campus, new sites or campuses are launched to create more space for new church members. The critical mass needed to support the launch plus the 20 mile drive existing members make to the main campus informs the decision to launch a new campus.
Reflection Question: How can we mobilize more leaders to start more campuses?
Micro: This model is not new but it is not the type of church that catches the attention of mainstream Christianity in the West. Two distinctions mark the micro-church . First, micro-churches prioritize multiplication, leadership development and church planting. Pastor’s of micro-churches tend to be co-vocational, learn from on-the-job-training and are entrepreneurial. Second, because micro-churches meet in homes or neutral spaces, they have low overhead. Facilities do not play a prominent role as in the Mega and Multi.
Ralph Moore shared two observations that are unique to this time in our history that present a special opportunity for the micro-church.
This last year has changed the way American culture perceives the church. At best, the culture has ignored the church. But this last year has heightened the hostility towards the church and that trend, according to Moore, will only increase over time. Micro-churches allow churches to operate under the radar. Imagine a church that meets in your home to gather your neighbors.
Mega and Multi churches tend to reach homogenous groups. This presents a special opportunity for the micro-church. Flexibility, focus and intentionality of reaching affinity groups are traits of the micro-church.
Reflection Question: How can we reach affinity groups that are ignored by the existing churches in our community?
Will the Mega and Multi-site church cease to exist?
This is a hard question to answer. Here is my critique on what will continue to happen with the church in the West. From the work of Ralph Neighbors and others, the church of the future will be bigger AND smaller. In the US though we have not hit the scale that other countries have experienced. Larger churches on the global scale are in the 100s of thousands – see Global Megachuches by Leadership Network. AND churches will get smaller. Cell churches, micro-churches, and house churches are examples of how the church will continue to get smaller. A better question in my estimation is the place of the mid-size church and how it fits into the landscape of the church in the West in the future? That in my opinion, is the challenge for the future.
If you would like to view the webinar in it’s entirety – CLICK HERE.
Check-out Ralph Moore’s book on a modern-day church multiplication movement in the West!
One of the cool things with advances in technology is that you can leverage data to get better and better. Take Strava, the exercise app used by runners, cyclists and swimmers. I have discovered the power of tracking data while mountain biking. I have refined my riding over the last couple of years by comparing times on the same trails (called “segments”). One trail I am challenging myself with this year is a technical downhill that has boulders of all sizes with steep drops and sharp turns. Large boulders, stacked, rounded, sharp, gnarly – you name it, “Overdrive” has a bit of everything. I am improving my times little by little. Getting better and better with each ride. I know this because I have the data to support my times.
How does this apply to ministry?
We all measure what matters. Whether we do this formally or informally, we have some internal or external mechanisms to assess whether we are progressing, plateauing or in decline. We can probably agree on a few universal measures that most church leaders track like quantifying the disciples your church is making, leaders being developed and churches planted to name a few. In a related topic I wrote a blog entitled: WHAT DOES IT COST YOUR MINISTRY TO MAKE A NEW DISCIPLE?
My colleague in Australia, Colin Noyes expanded on the topic in a recent blog with some helpful insights and process questions to arrive at an ROI for making disciples in your church. You can read more by CLICKING HERE.
This may or may not be a helpful question for you to be asking right now. It is easy to criticize the church for what it is not doing well but it is also important to remind ourselves what we are doing well. If you want to focus on a particular area right now where you can improve and get better and better, here are a couple of questions to help you arrive at the measures that matters most to you and your ministry in this season:
What is the most important indicator to assess the quality of relationships occurring in your church right now?
How will you track the quality of relationships?
What is the most important indicator to assess the quality of disciples being made?
How will you track the quality of disciples being made?
What is the most important indicator to assess the quality of leaders being trained?
How will you track the quality of leaders being trained?
Bottom line – this stuff matters!
Embrace what matters.
Assess your starting point.
Get better and better!
If you are interested in exploring our Leadership Collective and want to learn from a regional perspective the impact this can have on your churches – CLICK HERE. We will launch our next cohort on March 8. Please contact me direct – CLICK HERE.
Right now, you and I must be creative in our efforts to discover inspiration.
If you listen to the typical news report, read the latest updates on what is going on in the world and allow your mind to focus on reasons to be fearful – those messages can be less than motivational. It can be downright depressing. Or in my darker moments, they just feel evil.
Today I want to ask this question: Where do you find inspiration?
You might be in the throws of finding the right path to navigate complex issues of ministry. For instance, now that you have “righted” the ship and are discovering how to conduct a hybrid ministry; you might be asking yourself how long will this last. Of course, no one knows the answer to this question. Theologically you hold to the inspiration found in Jesus’s ministry, the Psalms and the writing’s of the Apostle Paul. In the moments when all odds stand against you, your leadership and even your family – the Word is our source of inspiration.
AND in the midst of challenges it is essential that you grab onto sources of inspiration that force you to see God in a new ways. One way I find inspiration is through mountain biking. It provides a needed distraction, forcing me to consider life and ministry from a fresh perspective. I enjoy riding with my wife. Mountain biking provides companionship with Gina, breathing life into my weary soul and tired body. Afterwards, I see things differently. It puts events into it’s proper perspective. Inevitably, I discover a new insight I did not have before the ride. Most important is the gratitude I feel when I realize how big God is and how small our world is and my place in it!
Where do you find inspiration?
In the next month we are launching three Leadership Collectives. One of the take-aways for leaders that experience the Leadership Collectives is the inspiration they receive throughout the process. Please look there over and if you have anyone in your network that might benefit – share it!
This third question is important! In a very pragmatic way, this question will determine your true intent. Let’s review those questions again:
What is your “why”?
How will you create a culture of diversity?
What is your leadership development strategy?
Let me explain the statement I made above – this question will determine your true intent.
If you are serious about having leaders who are from diverse ethnic backgrounds:
you will make disciples who navigate the challenges associated with crossing ethnic boundaries in your community
you will attract emerging leaders of diverse ethnic backgrounds
you will plant multi-ethnic churches
Each of these deserves an entire blog series. However, if you are curious and interested in taking the next step to either plant or develop multi-ethnic ministry in an established church, I would like to invite you to an upcoming event. Let me reiterate – my intent is to challenge church leaders to consider a the strategic missiological teaching on the phrase – make disciples of all the nations (panta ta ethne). I am expanding on this strategy and contextualizing it to the church in the West.
FB LIVE Event: Leadership Makeover for Multi-Ethnic Church Leaders – Tuesday January 19 @ 9am PST/Noon EST
I am collaborating with Russ Siders to discuss some of his learnings from 20+ years of multi-ethnic ministry in a FaceBook LIVE event on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 @ 9am PST/noon EST. We will build on some of the information shared here. Hope you can join us!
To go to the InFocus Ministries Facebook page – CLICK HERE.
For Christmas my two young-adult children gifted me with some mountain biking gear (see image above). Little did I know how dramatic the goggles would improve my technique. I have been riding for 25+ years. Over that time, I’ve sharpened my skills trying new approaches. But when I wore my goggles something fundamentally changed. One of the habits I’ve had is the tendency to look down at every nook and crevice that I ride over! With the new goggles (my first pair ever – to be exact) the frame on the lower edge does not allow me to look down; I am forced to look ahead. Guess what? My “Strava” (GPS app) times on some segments of technical trail have improved up to 30 seconds. This was a major advancement in my riding speed and enjoyment on trails that I have ridden hundreds of times over the last 12+ years. I want to challenge you with this idea today:
What adjustment can you make to enhance the effectiveness of your ministry; especially as it relates to crossing socio, economic and ethnic barriers?
There are a number of ways to accomplish the vision to plant a multi-ethnic church or for an established church to create a culture of diversity. You might already be doing a number of things to bridge the cultural divides that separate groups of people but if you can fine-tune what you are already doing or introduce something innovative, the fruit could be amazing.
Instead of outlining best practices, which have already been written about by practitioners in books like Ethnic Blends by Mark Deymaz, I will share three sure fire practices to AVOID! Hang on tight – here we go:
Don’t think short-term: envision what the church can become in 3-5-7 years!
Last week I referenced Martin Mora who is the Worship Arts Director at Sunrise Community Church (SCC). The founder of SCC is Russ Siders. His vision for a multi-ethnic church was instilled in the DNA of the leadership team and congregation from it’s inception in 1998. Today, the surrounding community is reflected in the congregation:
40% Anglo
45% Hispanic (both English and Spanish speakers)
15% African American and other ethnicities
Reflection Question: How close does the make-up of your church reflect the demographic of your community?
Don’t be so focused on diversity that you lose sight of the mission: be fruitful & multiply!
One of the challenges I have seen is when leaders become over-focused on an issue to the detriment of making disciples, developing leaders and planting churches. Russ Siders lived in the tension of becoming a multi-ethnic church and the mission of Jesus. Living in that tension, Sunrise “daughtered” a multi-ethnic church. Imago Church, located in Visalia, is a gospel-centered ministry seeking to reach out in both English and Spanish so that people can find hope through a relationship with Jesus.
I will be collaborating with Russ to discuss some of his learnings from 20+ years of multi-ethnic ministry in a FaceBook LIVE event on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 @ 9am PST/noon EST. We will build on some of the information shared here. Hope you can join us!
Reflection Question: How do you measure the fruit of your ministry?
Don’t just talk about multi-ethnic ministry: do something!
When Gina and I moved downtown into the inner city of Phoenix in 1995, I quickly realized that there were a lot of things I knew,I didn’t know! That led me to invite three pastors from distinct communities to participate on an advisory board. I asked them to educate and advise me how to navigate the unique challenges and opportunities of our city. I remember how rich and enjoyable our quarterly meetings were. William Hogans, Gayle Parker and Pablo Contreras gave me the gift of sharing their life and ministry experience.
My point is, you might not be able to hire a pastoral staff person right now of another ethnicity, but you can certainly begin to learn from other people who have a different ethnic or social or economic background. For all of our married life, some of our best friends have come from different backgrounds than ours. Gina (my wife) is a “third culture” citizen of the world and my culture is American-European. The best advise I received from one of our dearest friends is to – invest in the relationship, treat each other with love and respect, and remain curious. Just this one simple act establishes bonds that will overcome many of the obstacles that get in the way of multi-ethnic ministry.
Reflection Question:Who are you engaging with that is from a different ethnic or social or economic background?
Next week we will address the third and final question: What is your leadership development strategy?
Being clear on your “WHY” is imperative when your vision is to cultivate a multi-ethnic ministry! For almost a decade I’ve worked with Russ Siders as his coach as he has led Sunrise Community Church, a multi-ethnic church. Today the ethnic breakdown is as follows:
40% Anglo
45% Hispanic (both English and Spanish speakers)
15% African American and other ethnicities
Here is what he shared about his “Why.”
…the call to foster multicultural communities is rooted in something deeper than current social trends. For me, the story of the Antioch Church in Acts 11 is instructive and inspiring. You have a community of disciples started by Greek speaking Jews, but reaching into every stratus of the society, to Jews and Gentiles, to free and slave, to those with power and those with none. And it is there, as the gospel is lived out in this context, that Acts 11:26 says the disciples were first called Christians, “little Christ-ones.” This name supposedly came from outside the movement, and while it may at first have been a pejorative term, it was, if nothing else, a recognition that something unique was happening, something that could only be accomplished by the power of Jesus, the one whom Ephesians 2 says is our peace, destroying the dividing wall of hostility.
Russ Siders – Lead Pastor, Sunrise Community Church
I am collaborating with Russ to discuss some of his learnings from 20+ years of multi-ethnic ministry in a FaceBook LIVE event on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 @ 9am PST/noon EST. We will build on some of the information shared here. Hope you can join us!
Finally, I asked Martin Mora, who serves alongside Russ Siders as the Worship Arts Director at Sunrise Community Church in Tulare, CA – why he believes multi-ethnic ministry is vital to the work he does at Sunrise and the broader region in his denomination. Martin is an exceptional leader who seamlessly crosses cultures and has years of experience in multi-ethnic ministry. Watch and listen to Martin as he explains his “Why” – CLICK HERE.
Next week we will address the second question: How will you create a culture of diversity?
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
Imagine a world that has a local church in every community where apprentices of Jesus are living out their faith in every aspect of their lives. More than ever we need the Church to be the Church! I love the following quote by Timothy Keller that encompasses the reason why InFocus exists:
New church planting is the only way that we can be sure we are going to increase the number of believers in a city and one of the best ways to renew the whole Body of Christ.
I have the absolute privilege to work with amazing leaders who are striving to make the world a better place. May this Christmas season be a reminder of the baby that was born in a manger to transform humanity. May the Prince of Peace rule our world, our communities and our hearts!
One of the best experiences of my life was our decision to move out of our apartment and into a townhouse in a multi-ethnic community in the downtown area of Phoenix, AZ. That’s our humble abode above with the arched windows on the second floor. Our neighbors were from South America, Europe and Asia. It was not the safest neighborhood but we called it home from 1996-2008. We created some amazing memories. We started our family there, we built deep relationships with our neighbors and we saw God do some pretty cool things.
We did not do this to be trendy, popular or politically correct. We lived in a multi-ethnic community for 12 years because we believed God cares for the disenfranchised!
I remember one night when an explosion rocked our townhouse, lit up the sky and rumbled through our home like an earthquake. Gina and I grabbed our two children who were fast asleep in their bedrooms in the front of the house and quickly brought them into our room until the firetrucks arrived with the other support vehicles. Apparently someone had triggered an explosion in a car that was sitting on the curb within a football field’s distance of our townhouse. Once we were safe I went out to explore the wreckage under the moon-lit sky and glow of the street-lights. Bits of metal, plastic and assorted car parts were scattered everywhere Nothing gets your attention quite like a car bomb!
We re-evaluated our purpose for moving into the community.
We assessed our motives again after a break-in and attempted rape of our neighbor at gun-point, 2 doors down to the left of our home. And again when we discovered the proliferation of sex offenders, drug activity and suspicious behavior from people we would observe as they made their way through our complex.
Despite that, we built high-trust relationships with people living on the fringes of society, one-step away from moving up in society or falling through the cracks. Fact is, most of our neighbors still live in that place.
Over the next three blogs I will do a deep dive into each of the following questions with the intent to give context to the discourse around multi-ethnic ministry. I will be the first to admit that I am not an expert. Just a person with a heart for people far from God, experience building authentic relationship with our neighbors and perhaps some lessons learned that I can pass-on.
Here are the 3 questions I will address related to multi-ethnic church planting and ministry:
What is your “why”?
How will you create a culture of diversity?
What is your leadership development strategy?
I do hope you will participate in the conversation below. Let me ask you that first question another way: Why is it important to break down the walls in your community that separate you ethnically, socially and economically?
Look forward to reading your response to continue the conversation.
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