I’ve written extensively on organic church life (see the links below this post). Reimagining Church and Finding Organic Church are theological and practical treatments of the subject. Yet the term “organic church” continues to be used for any group of believers that meets in a home. (This is a misnomer as we’ve previously discussed.) The concept of authentic organic church life is very hard to get over to a person who has never seen it firsthand.
What follows is a report from a person who visited one of the organic churches that my co-workers and I planted and are working with presently. I’m deliberately not giving the city where this church exists as this is not an advertisement, and it will detract from the point.
I hope the report will give you a better handle on what organic church life looks like in living color. Similar testimonies of those who live in organic church life appear in the links below. Note that “organic church” is nothing other than the church that the New Testament envisions.
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It was in my first year of college at Asbury, living in a pretty close community with several brothers on my dorm hall, that I REALLY started acknowledging the Lord’s…well…Lordship…over my life. As in, I began giving everything to Him…my mindsets, plans, dreams, and lifestyle.
I was done with making Him out as one of the dishes on my life’s buffet line. A little bit of school, a little bit of family, a little bit of friends, a little bit of fun, a little bit of God. No, Jesus Christ is all and in all. I would not have worded it like that back then, but I can see that that’s the place to which He was bringing me in that season. That He would become in and over every part of my life.
Well, when you really, truly invite the Lord to start transforming your mindset, He will oblige. It’s a dangerous thing, to be honest. It’s a lifelong process, I suppose, but some of that initial transformation was pretty earth-shattering for me.
I won’t go into all the ways in which He began changing me, but merely the one that is particularly relevant to the topic: my mindset concerning the church.
I began reading the scriptures with new eyes. It seemed to me that there was a world of difference between the church I read about in Acts/the epistles and the church I had known my whole life.
There were many questions that I asked over the course of the next few years. Why do Christians not have the same kind of community life that they shared in the early church? Why does it seem that pastors and programs drive churches instead of the Holy Spirit? Why are buildings called churches instead of the people? Why do we meet for a “service” every Sunday morning? And Sunday and Wednesday evenings too, if we’re committed?
(That last part was a joke, friends)
There were many other questions, but you get the idea.
During this period of time, someone recommended a rather subversive piece of literature to me: the book Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna. It resonated with me deeply, and made me realize that the questions I had been asking were actually legitimate.
At first, what I mostly had on my mind was just trying to do the “right” thing…”well, if this is what’s biblical, then let’s do it!” But it’s so much more than that. It’s about fulfilling the purpose of God that He’s had for us in Christ since before the foundation of the world was laid…before our souls were ever even in need of saving (A post for another time, perhaps). It’s about KNOWING Christ in a way that I never have been able to before. The Lord’s chosen way of revealing Himself is primarily through a body of believers who share an intimate life together in the unity of the Spirit.
I have attended an event in Orlando for the past two summers that they (Frank Viola, Milt Rodriguez, & Alan Levine) have led, for the purpose of connecting like-minded believers and equipping them to begin to live/meet in such a way. At the last event (in July) I got connected with a few of the brothers and sisters from a church that was planted by Frank, Milt, and Alan. And I was blown away. I experienced a love for Christ and others that I had yet to experience in my lifetime, and felt an inexplicable bond with them. The Lord revealed Himself in a completely fresh and new way.
Needless to say, I soon made plans to go down and visit this body.
Now, let me go ahead and preface this with a statement: I know that there is no perfect church. The Fall marks all of us. So I’m not elevating what I’ve seen to some heavenly standard (at least, in a comparative sense).
That being said, the week I spent in this church was phenomenal. Spiritually speaking, it was the most real experience of the kingdom of heaven, the community of God, and the Lordship of Christ I’ve ever encountered. The church meets as a whole on Saturday evenings, where they gather together and express Christ in the ways I mentioned earlier (song, poetry, etc.). The meetings are spontaneous … there’s no order of worship, and no “worship leader” (except the Holy Spirit). They are full of light, life, and love.
But while the meetings were great, the highlight of the trip was something that lasted all week long: the community life.
These brothers and sisters really do share their lives together. They’re family. Rather than just seeing each other once a week, they’re intimately involved in one another’s lives throughout the whole week. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t fellowship with some of the brothers and sisters (even outside of the two brothers I was staying with). And one of the coolest things is that they already feel like family to me … like I’ve known them for years and years. I felt so welcome…the Lord’s hospitality there was powerful. Everyone’s lives were a great blessing and encouragement to me. While I was there, the Lord impressed upon me that I would become like a child again with these people and re-learn Him in a new way.
Five Mistakes I’ve Made in Writing
Frank,
Please share some examples how the Spirit developes leaders in the organic church and how that is expressed vs. the institutional model.
Only have a second. I give examples in “Finding Organic Church” https://www.frankviola.org/foc
I have been dreaming for Christ to reveal Himself in that way. My heart is deeply convinced of this reality of Christ. At times I speak about organic church, though not yet experienced, my friends wonder. Some are even lost because they don’t understand and even doubt it could be possible in our days. But very soon, I will a testimony from West Africa about organic church. I mean testimony about Christ with us, among us and manifested through us.
This is exactly what I praying for my country Croatia-Europe.
I wanna see and be a part of REAL christianity!!
Jesus is Lord!
Yes, you need to be busy with your friend who needs you right now. We hope, in Christ, that it goes well and that truth and mercy prevail in his or her struggle. It is a struggle I had many years ago.
In all fairness, you can’t just lump timid/passive/non-talkative into one category. They all mean completely different things. Talkative men can certainly be timid. Talkative men can be passive. Non-talkative men can be aggressive. I think Laura has a valid question and you’ve not given an adequate, carefully thought out response.
Alice, you are right. I was using the word “passive” very generally to refer to non-talkative in the context of organic church life. I’m presently trying to help a friend who is suicidal so I’m afraid I don’t have time for more. Did the best I could in giving my answer, but perhaps I didn’t fully understand the question. Maybe someone else can fill in the gaps and give a better and more nuanced answer.
Must run. Have a blessed weekend.
Christ is ALL.
fv
Psalm 115:1
I’m not talking about timid or even passive, but not talkative. They are leaders of their families, in the business world, and thought highly of by all who know them. When they do talk everyone listens, because they always have something of value to say, but a high frequency of group activity is a strain, unnatural to them.
When I say “timid/passive” I’m including non-talkative. What you are talking about IS a common problem in “house churches” today. Some dominate while others are passive and quiet. But this isn’t the case in my experience in authentic organic churches that have been properly equipped. It’s amazing to see the transformation in everyone. Unfortunately, real organic church life (the way I’ve used the term) is fairly rare today. We hope that changes.
One thing that bothers me about all the descriptions of community is that they don’t seem to have a place for the (mostly male) personalities that are quiet and less social by God’s design. I am married to one. I have one for a father. A close friend is married to one. They are strong, they are men of God, but they just feel smothered by the frequency of community that is spoken of by the more vocal males among us. Is there anyone who is willing to admit that community looks different for different personalities?
Laura: After experiencing authentic organic church for over 20 years, I’ve seen naturally timid and passive brothers function beautifully. A lot of this comes down to being equipped by someone who can show them how to function and share the riches of Christ with others, as well as a healthy organic church that has been equipped to function and encourage. I discuss this in “Finding Organic Church.”
@Arlene, I know that central Washington is very similar in culture to where we live. See my other response to this post for our story. I will add something my wife and I just talked about after I posted that comment: After seven years of drought and finally having our thirst quenched, we now realize that if we couldn’t find the community we’re looking for, we would move.
Seriously, do we place this Kingdom Life at top priority? What would be be willing to give up in order to pursue Christ and his Body on earth? I think this dilemma is precisely the kind of situation Jesus is speaking of when he said (recorded in Luke), “14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him.”
@Debby G, we lived in one of the two largest population centers in the US at the time, the Los Angeles area. Perhaps it was the creativity of the surrounding culture, Perhaps it was an awareness of how Christians are truly different, due to the decadence of Hollywood and materialism. Perhaps it was the constant reminder of how disconnected we were from one another in our long commutes each day.
When daily surrounded by tens of millions of strangers, in our experience Christians seemed to know instinctively that we need to assemble in small groups for there to be any meaningful community. Those groups we were part of weren’t fully “organic” by the definition here, but they had a lot of organic qualities that satisfied our thirst for ekklesia at the time, and that we could not find again for years in a less urban environment. Perhaps the ultimate irony is that those groups were most often linked to the mega-churches that could not even begin to satisfy the need for ekklesia at the macro level. In that context, we all knew explicitly that we needed to gather spontaneously with other believers to survive spiritually. Every member functioning was a necessity.
Interesting that you mention urban centers, Jeff. You would think that would be the case. But I live in what’s reported to be the 14th largest city in the U.S., and I haven’t been able to find a single organic community that meets in this way.
Thanks Frank. My wife and I recognize this Kingdom Life dynamic from three or four different communities we were part of in another state. Some of those communities were semi-institutional — that is, they were associated with institutions like a cell church or an innovative church plant, but not controlled by them — yet they understood how to meet together under the leading of Christ.
Once we experienced even a small taste of genuine ekklesia, we were ruined for anything less. For years we wondered if there was something wrong with us because we felt like Bono singing, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” We felt like fish out of water; eventually we learned the problem wasn’t that we’re fish, it’s that we needed water!
Thank God we met some like minded people where we now live. We’re now reading through Finding Organic Church together, and trusting God to take our embryonic organic church that meets once a week (with a few relational connections in between) in this same direction toward “life in Christ together”. This is a long process, as the reliance on institutionalism rather than “every member functioning” runs much deeper in the culture where we live now than where we came from. Some of us were so burned by institutionalism that we’re almost afraid of planning or leadership in any form, and we’re still trying to figure that out in a more organic way.
Part of the dynamic we face now is that we live in a less urban environment than before. It was mentioned at a conference where Frank spoke last year that organic church is far easier in urban centers, which we totally can see from our experience. I think it’s no accident Apostle Paul’s epistles are named after cities, and the Bride in Revelation is depicted as a city coming down from Heaven.
Thanks Frank. My wife and I recognize this Kingdom Life dynamic from three or four different communities we were part of in another state. Some of those communities were semi-institutional — that is, they were associated with institutions like a cell church or an innovative church plant, but not controlled by them — yet they understood how to meet together under the leading of Christ. Here’s one example that got some things right: http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2009/09/remembering-brian-ollman.html
Once we experienced even a small taste of genuine ekklesia, we were ruined for anything less. For years we wondered if there was something wrong with us because we felt like Bono singing, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” We felt like fish out of water; eventually we learned the problem wasn’t that we’re fish, it’s that we needed water!
Thank God we met some like minded people where we now live. We’re now reading through Finding Organic Church together, and trusting God to take our embryonic organic church that meets once a week (with a few relational connections in between) in this same direction toward “life in Christ together”. This is a long process, as the reliance on institutionalism rather than “every member functioning” runs much deeper in the culture where we live now than where we came from. Some of us were so burned by institutionalism that we’re almost afraid of planning or leadership in any form, and we’re still trying to figure that out in a more organic way.
Part of the dynamic we face now is that we live in a less urban environment than before. It was mentioned at a conference where Frank spoke last year that organic church is far easier in urban centers, which we totally can see from our experience. I think it’s no accident Apostle Paul’s epistles are named after cities, and the Bride in Revelation is depicted as a city coming down from Heaven.
Mr. Viola, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate “Pagan Christianity”. For the majority of my life, I had battled with thinking that there was something terribly wrong with me because I could not conform to the institutional church. I even had ‘pastors’ tell me that I had various spirits oppressing me which prevented me from conforming! Since reading your book, I’ve been set free from all that bondage, and I just wanted to thank you for your help.
I also want to tell you how much I appreciate that you actually correspond with your readers on here, it really makes me feel like you practice what you preach and do not regard yourself as being “above” the rest of us. That helps me to trust you – and after what I’ve been through, it is REALLY hard to trust anything that person who claims to be doing the Lords work says.
Thanks again 🙂
Thank you, Donna. I am humbled by your comment. The Lord be praised. Not sure if you’re new to the blog or not, but welcome and we hope you stick around. 🙂
BEAUTIFUL!
P.S. I’ve discussed the problem of mental filters here: http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/the-problem-with-mental-filters/ – and I actually refer to the Quakers. 😉
Huh. From the description of the gathering it sounds as though you’re a Quaker. That’s cool.
Michael: it’s interesting how folks who have never seen what this person was describing will “filter” it through what they know. But nope, it’s NOTHING like a Quaker church. Far from it actually.
I am another whose heart aches for this authentic organic community. I have read all of Frank’s books and my heart just hungers and yearns for this. After decades in the institutional church and years as a pastor, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for in the respect of genuine Organic Christian Community. I continue to look to Jesus, the author, perfector and finisher of my faith, to bring living stones together.
Love it, Frank!!! esp… “the Lord impressed upon me that I would become like a child again with these people ….” Slow that down a bit and think about what that’s saying, and you have
a pearl of wisdom.
Ron: True. This person is quite wise and spiritual discerning. All who come into real church life discover that it’s about learning Christ all over again in a new, deeper, richer way.
A.K.A Detoxing! Like you say in Eternity Frank 😉
What a powerful testimony of how God is at work in His people. The statement that resonated most in my heart was the following: “Why do Christians not have the same kind of community life that they shared in the early church? Why does it seem that pastors and programs drive churches instead of the Holy Spirit? Why are buildings called churches instead of the people? Why do we meet for a “service” every Sunday morning? And Sunday and Wednesday evenings too, if we’re committed?” I have had the same heart cry for years, but must say that I’m still frustrated in this regard since my husband and I simply can’t find others in our area (central Washington State) who are of like mind or open to such ideas, and relocation isn’t an option for us. I rejoice with this brother and those who have found such fellowship.
I second Nathan’s response. I’ve only been in Organic church for about 7 months or so, and I can say without a doubt that it’s a Christian’s true habitat. I used to read that in books and sort-of shrugg it off as, “Sure, yeah…maybe.”
But now, from experience (that is, very little experience), I can say, “Yes, organic community like we see in the New Testament is a Christian’s true habitat. There, a Christian is free to grow and blossom as a mustard seed without the thorns of religion and control choking it out.
Sure, things aren’t always how I think they are “supposed” to look like, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The cost we pay at the cross, far outweighs the lonliness and self-striving to be a “better Christian” any day.
That’s my two cents 🙂
I have never found family until I joined an organic community. And it’s exactly that no striving. The relationships grow organically when your serious about the Lord. It’s really hard to even have the right words for the brothers and sisters that I share life with. There’s no coporate taste in my mouth that I have experienced in my past. It’s amazing how you can’t run from yourself and by all of us being wounded we get healed. I have been healed in ways I never thought possible. By his wounds we are healed and if we are his body then there you have it. The beautiful thing about the family life of organic church I have experienced is that I have seen christ for the first time in my life through people. Not a mask, not a sermon, not a movement, or what he wants us to do, but actually seen Christ. The head and the body are one – they can’t be separated.
I loved reading this post. I have experienced bits of this here and there in my life but have been longing to find a community that is interested in being intimately connected throughout the week. Having recently been a part of a couple house churches that were only interested in the once a week connection, my heart aches for authentic community in Him.
What a wonderful testimony! I agree that the greatest testimony of Jesus Christ through the agency of man is when His Church dwells in unity of fellowship and preferential love.
Thank you for faithful work that continues to propel us forward in love for Christ and His church.
My heart aches for this type of community
As does mine. Can you imagine the reality of Christ there?