Christianity

Multi-Site Churches and Discipleship: A Contradiction?

April 4, 2013 By Daniel Im

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“Multi-site Churches Are from the Devil” was the headline of a blog post written by Thabiti Anyabwile on the Gospel Coalition website. In his blog post, he defends that statement by explaining how “video multi-site tends to idolatry, pride, and self-promotion – even where the ambition of spreading the gospel is genuine.” He also argues, amongst many other things, that “multi-site churches reduce the family, body, and flock to an anonymous assembly” and essentially changes the nature of the church into an assembly, rather than a group of disciples on mission.

There are many objections to multi-site, even by way of scrolling through the 250+ comments of Anyabwile’s blog post, we quickly discover that there are legitimate arguments on both sides.

According to A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip, the objections can be summed up into these five categories:

Preachers don’t know people personally
Churches are just following the latest fads and trends
Multi-sites make church into a show
There are going to be negative outcomes
Multi-sites fail to make disciples (this is the objection that is most relevant to this post)

Mid-Size Communities Part 3: FAQ

March 31, 2013 By Daniel Im

The following is not an exhaustive FAQ list, nor does it contain all information regarding mid-size communities (MSC). It is merely a brief snapshot of MSCs. The upcoming posts will reveal more information regarding MSCs. What are Mid-Size Communities?

Mid-Size Communities are a new way to think about community. They are a group of 20-50 people who journey together to celebrate, to grow, and to be a blessing to those they live, work, and play with.
A community that is formed around a common affinity, geography, or societal need – and this gathering point becomes the mission focus of the group.
A community, not just a scheduled meeting. So typically, every other week, there is a large group gathering, but smaller groups for study and get togethers happen in the off weeks.
- For example, I lead a Young Families MSC and we have formed around a common affinity – young families. This affinity then becomes our mission focus – so my MSC of young families exists to reach out to other young families in our city. So everything we do, from our every other week gathering to the things we do in the off weeks, all relate to young families and reaching other young families.
A group of people on mission with one another – they are the church.
A place where you belong before you believe.
A sign, instrument, and foretaste of the Kingdom of God.
Not a large small group nor a small weekend gathering.
Small enough to care, but large enough to dare.
Big enough that you won’t be the centre of attention when you’re new, but small enough that you’ll find someone you connect with.
An open, inclusive, and safe environment where friendships are formed and we can discover who we could potentially grow a “deeper” relationship with.

Mid-Size Communities Part 2: An Infographic

March 28, 2013 By Daniel Im

One of the best ways to describe a concept is through an infographic! So this infographic gives a good summary of what a mid-size community is.

Definition: Mid-Size Communities are a new way to think about community. They are a group of 20-50 people who journey together to celebrate, to grow, and to be a blessing to those they live, work, and play with.

In part 3, we will continue our exploration of mid-size communities by diving down and looking at some frequently asked questions regarding mid-size communities.

Here’s the infographic:

Mid-Size Communities Part 1: An Introduction

March 1, 2013 By Daniel Im

Over the next while, I’ll be revealing the research and work that I’ve done on mid-size communities. It’s been a two year journey and this weekend we are introducing the concept publicly at our services (www.beulah.ca).

Check out this in-house produced movie that will introduce some of the history around us engaging in this conversation.

This movie is part 1 of this series and the introduction to mid-size communities.

Check out part 2 for an infographic explaining mid-size communities.

Book Review: The Great Omission – Dallas Willard

January 19, 2013 By Daniel Im

In The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship, Dallas Willard magnificently preaches a simple and basic message on discipleship, of which is commonly missing and misunderstood in many churches today.

I love the way that he breaks down the misconception that there are different levels in being a Christian, since this is the exact problem that has made discipleship an option, rather than a baseline requirement for being Christian (i.e. this is the great omission that he is talking about). I appreciate the fact that he is not just calling Christians to change, but that he is actually expanding the scope and call to all people by emphasizing that following Christ is “the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities” (Location 312).

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