Recently a new friend asked if I knew about what Francis Chan was doing in California. My friend thought that our work here sounded similar to “We Are Church,” The ministry Francis Chan started a few years ago. So I visited their website and this is how they describe their “structure.” What do you think?
Now it’s one thing to identify these four values, but it’s certainly another thing to be part of a body that actually exhibits these qualities. In truth, these biblical values aren’t new at all, and many contemporary churches claim to pursue these values, but both the Bible and experience have shown that these qualities don’t just come about by accident. We pray that, by the Holy Spirit, God would guide the intentionality behind our church structure. Our structure isn’t perfect, and being part of a body like this isn’t easy at all, but we’ve already seen God do powerful works among us.
OVERALL STRUCTURE
- Each church meets in a home.
- Each church has two pastors, both of whom aren’t paid.
- Tithes and offerings are collected, but all are set aside to be used for missions locally and abroad.
Since there isn’t any rent to pay, no staff salaries, and the tithes and offerings aren’t used to run the church, this structure means that the church effectively costs no money to maintain. As such, the pastors are able to make significant ministry decisions without worrying about if they’ll run out of money, for the structure never depended on the money from the beginning.
HOUSE-CHURCH
Meeting in a home forces the size of the gathering to be small, which means that the members can actually get to know everyone in the church, and by the Holy Spirit, these members can become family. But as we all know, family is difficult, but if we really are going to exhibit this Christ-like love that is empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can’t shy away from people who are different from us. No, not only do we invite these different types of people into our church gatherings and into our homes, we’re inviting them into the body of Christ—a genuine family—with all of the ups and downs that go along with that.
In this same line of thought, meeting in homes also means we meet within the neighborhoods of some of the church members, and many of our leaders have chosen to live in more difficult communities. This means that when we do outreach, we’re reaching out to the folks in our very own neighborhoods. Further, the simple truth of the matter is that we can only spend a limited amount of time with the many people we know and love, and when it comes to our church family, this only gets more and more difficult as the size of the body gets larger and when people live farther away.
MULTIPLICATION
Nevertheless, we can’t settle with just being a “family” and not a “Christ-centered family.” As such, while we’ve seen amazing love bind our small church families together, we can’t forget that we were put on this earth to proclaim the name of Jesus. Therefore, for the sake of the Kingdom, once a church grows to a sufficient size and new leaders are equipped, it multiplies (think “splits”) into two churches. To help keep us focused on the mission, we aim for our churches to multiply in six months to a year.
Essential in these multiplications is the equipping of leaders. The current pastors of all the churches meet together to train and sharpen each other under the guidance of the elders. Within the individual churches, each church has two pastors, and these pastors prayerfully disciple its members in hopes that two are identified that could pastor a church one day. In God’s timing, when the time comes for a church to multiply, the two subsequent churches are each lead by one of the original pastors and one of the new pastors.
To maintain a sense of unity across the multiple churches, one Sunday out of the month all of the churches come and do church together, aptly named “Church Together.”
GATHERINGS
Bible Teaching
We all are on the same daily Bible reading plan (here) and come together to teach, learn, and discuss God’s Word on Sundays under the oversight of the pastors. This allows for questions and participation by every member.
Fellowship
This takes place before, during, and after our gatherings. In particular, we all share a meal after our gatherings. Also, since we meet in homes in our communities, our fellowship extends beyond Sunday mornings as well. (Heb. 10:25).
Communion
We take the Lord’s Supper in a reverent and biblical manner and keep the cross as central. This universal act connects us with believers of the past, and it proclaims the death of Jesus to those observing (1 Cor. 11:23-29).
Prayer
We strive to be praying churches. We lay hands on each other, praying for needs and more boldness, and we commission new leaders with prayer. Also, each of our churches has a prayer night during the week to encourage our commitment to God in prayer. We believe the Creator of the Universe hears our prayers (James 5:16).
I continue to be encouraged by how God is leading his people all across this country on a similar path with similar understanding. Is it just a fad or is God really doing a fresh work in North America?
Visit WeAreChurch.com for more details on their work and their training opportunities.
God’s People living God’s heart everyday in an atmosphere of community
“like”
Please contact me my sun just arrived in San Jose and his looking for a new church.
Thanks
feel free to reach out to me via simplechurchalliance@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to help you!
As former C&MA Associate Pastor now SB since 2013. God is speaking to me to start a new church plant in the area. We ant to follow the New Testament model. I have visited the We Are Church site where I have read some comments and continuing to pray for His leading and guidance.
Hey Joe! If i can help in any way, give me a call or email. I’d love to hear about where you are and what God is up! I think that we can’t have enough prayer support and encouragement when starting down this road! Blessings.
I love Francis Chan’s ministry. Have listened to oodles of sermons. Just please advice him to cool it on the word “ I”. It deflects from Him, “God”. Much love and sheer joy listening to the sermons. Mary Pat.
You repeatedly state there is nothing in the bible regarding pastors…and then you reveal the scripture for a Pastor-
Ephesians 4:11
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
I think your point is the Pastor position is one that should not be known as a ruler who makes alot of money. Can a pastor prepare and preach to the church for $1000 a week with Living expenses paid for? $2000 a week $3000? $10,000…. Yes.. the point is when money becomes the focus…the energy will follow it. We have plenty of examples of the propsperity gospel and even more pastors making $100,000 plus per year (if not millions).
The church is dying…because the Pastor is willing to change the message to “fit” the feelings of the new members and society. The 501C3 effect is just beginning to be the thorn in the side of the modern church. God help us!
Daniel,
You are trying to answer this with the corrupted bible translations that adhere to the same edict. “Translate Ekklesia to church instead of Assembly or Congregation” The minority texts “Older manuscripts in the Greek clearly state “Elders” not Pastors. Please check our this website when you have the chance.
https://wearethechurch.faith/relationship_with_god_instead_of_religion/christianity_without_churchanity/
The Ekklesia displayed in the Book of Acts is the model of the assembly by which we are to follow. It remained intact for the the first Century AD until the enemy of our souls infiltrated the body of Christ with indifference and discord. There were multiple forces seeking to divide and conquer the followers of Jesus Christ and they understood that this powerful following would not be quelled and suppressed by force. That seemed to just empower their cause instead of diminish their drive and determination. The institutionalization of the Ekklesia into what we know today as “The Church” was accomplished easily due to the weary and tired followers seeking respite from the persecution and the determination of their foes to overtake their enemy.
Religion is what man does for man, not what God has done for man nor what man does for God. Jesus Christ did not come preaching religion. He preached the Kingdom of God and the principals of the Kingdom which were foundational on the Holy Scriptures. Jesus focused on this Spiritual Kingdom with a coming eternity, not the temporal carnal life that we live here on earth. This is the very reason that the Israelites denounced Jesus as their Messiah because their focus was on the things of the flesh and they wanted another David to come and throw off the tyrannical rulership of the Roman Empire and return to the days of world power and domination. Jesus Christ spoke of Spiritual Kingdom Dynamics that the Israelites had no interest in. That is so ironic as we look at “The Christian Church” of today and how it does not resemble the Ekklesia of the 1st Century AD at all. In fact, today’s church more so resembles the Jewish temple system than it does the Family of God template that the Apostles and the early followers of Christ established. The church hierarchy and its focus on the worldly integration with current society instead of coming out from the world and being separate and set aside to God. Instead of being a salt and a light to a dark world that is lost and dying, we see “The Church” assimilating and adapting to worldliness to attract more attendees.
Francis Chan has heard from God and the holy Spirit has a hold of this man! He has started a new movement toward returning to our first love and I pray that this concept becomes a highlighted topic in every Christian circle. The more exposure it gets, the better chances we have to see the majority of “The Church” being exposed to it’s truths. We need another or a New Reformation in the Ekklesia today and home churching with a family of God approach is the essence of the formation that is so needed.
This is good. It’s certainly a lot, lot, LOT closer to the structure of the New Testament church, which is the true model handed down to us. (The tithes are silly, though–if you’re going to tithe to the Levite / Aaronic national priesthood, then be consistent and pay the other three OT tithes). Yes, Scripture gives us a more sure Word / model to follow than the one we so begrudgingly hold to. It doesn’t help that our modern culture subscribes to a kind of token-ism: church attendance equals salvation; material possessions equal happiness and success. Is it any wonder, that, as our nation moved from small, tightly-knit communities of faith, over the decades and centuries, our method of fellowship mirrored the dark proclivities of our so-called “independence” as Americans? And that we commoditized our faith along the way? Thankfully, Jesus and the early believers didn’t capitulate on account of the godless society around them. The Bible holds keys to why the NT church was structured this way, how staying tight-knit and intentional blew-up the world for the Gospel, and how it can help us again today… if we so humble and incline ourselves to do so, and walk away from our man-made traditions for Christian living and fellowship. Did you know the NT proclaims this model; that the Book of Acts and the letters of Paul were all about and addressed to believers in house churches? We’re taking part in this house church movement, out of the auditorium, and back to the basics of early Christianity with small, intentional fellowship in home churches. Check us out, add your independent or house church network information, and meet believers of the same faith, hunger, and thirst for Godly living.