Notes from Organic Church Planter’s Conference Greenhouse the first story- Neil Cole & Katie Driver

The Church should not be losing ground…but gaining (Matthew 16:13-18).

  1. The Church starts with life’s most important question: “Who is Jesus to you?”
  • The only thing keeping us from accomplishing the mission of Jesus is our own lack of faith

The Church is not supposed to be on defense but on offense! We should not be the threatened, but threatening!

“…the gates of Hell will not overcome it.” – Gates are a defensive structure not offensive we are to be on the offense and the gates of Hell will not prevail against us.

Reconsidering the idea of “church”

  • The Church is a living entity.
  • The Church begins in the fields, not in the barns (Prov. 24:27; 1Cor. 3:9).
  • Church is a “holy people” not a “holy place” or “holy program” (1 Cor. 3:16)
  • Just as God breathed life into the first man (Gen. 2:7), He also breathed life into His Church (John 20:21-23; Acts 2).
  • All living things are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28)– the Church is no exception (Acts 1:8)!
  • Almost every metaphor, description, or parable of the Kingdom and the Church has a natural, organic element to it.

The Word of God is God’s voice. His sheep hear His voice- our primary role is and should be to help people hear Jesus and do what He says. Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”

Biblical framework for planting churches organically (Mark 4:1-32).

The parable of where it all starts (Mark 4:1-20)

  • You have got to start with a sower in the field.
  • You have got to start with the right seed: the Word of God (v.14) There is no substitute for God’s Word! (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23)
  • You have got to start with the right soil. There are four options:
  1. Hard and unreceptive
  2. Shallow- short-lived; without depth of commitment (vv.16-17)
  3. Weed infested distracted by the worries of this life, wealth, & desire for other things (vv.18-19)
  4. Good- deep and receptive soil (v.20)

The Kingdom grows from the smallest and simplest entity to the fullest global expression. (The parable of how it all ends up Mark 4:30-32)

  • If you can’t reproduce disciples, you will never reproduce leaders.

  • Don’t plant churches- plant people

The DNA of the church is the Kingdom of God

All living this have a specific and unique DNA. We believe the following to be the DNA of a church in its simplest form:

  • Divine Truth
  • Nurturing relationship
  • Apostolic mission- we are called to be sent out- so we can represent Jesus to other people.
  1. The DNA is not something we add to our life; it is the code that dictates the makeup, health, and development of life.
  2. DNA unraveled is not DNA. The potency and potential are found in the component parts working together. You can not truly have one and not have the others.
  3. The DNA should be found in every living cell, or sphere of church life-disciples, leaders, families, churches, regional gatherings, and movements.