Neil Cole, Organic Church, A Summary Pt 3

Part Three - From the Microscope to the Telescope

This follows from part 1 and part 2.

Chapter 8 - Mapping the DNA of Christ's Body

• In the early years the Gospel looks like an unstoppable chain reaction, what's different now?
• Wolf suggests Paul the Apostle had this strategy, the New Testament Discipleship Pattern (NTDP):
  
  
  
  1. There are three criteria seen in the pattern and which we must build into our patterns. The pattern must be: 1) Received personally; 2) Repeated Easily; 3) Reproduced Strategically
  2. It was incarnational (Phil 3:17)
  3. It was viral (easy to pass on) (1 Tim 2:2)
  4. It was transformational (Rom 6:17)
  5. It was universal 1 Cor 4:16-17
• The DNA of the church (from NTDP):
  
  
  
  1. Divine Truth
  2. Nurturing Relationships
  3. Apostolic Mission
• Jesus embodies, teaches and commands the DNA
• The DNA of the church applied:
  
  
  
  1. Divine Truth - Faith changes behaviours
  2. Nurturing Relationships - Love lets God reign in our relationships
  3. Apostolic Mission - Hope enables us to persevere in a mission against opposition
• DNA is in every part of a body, and defines the whole body, same is true of the Gospel DNA
• Don't mess with the DNA unless you want mutants: don't unravel it; don't remove bits; don't add bits

Chapter 9 - Epidemic Expansion Starts in the Genes

• DNA drives function from low level, no higher authority is required in a DNA controlled body
• "To the degree that you hold purpose and principles in common among you, you can dispense with command and control.  People will know how to behave in accordance with them, and they'll do it thousands of unimaginable, creative ways." Dee Hock, founder of VISA
• Structure should be supportive and not constraining, and able to grow with the body it supports. Only ever has as much structure as you need.
• Organic connections rather than hierarchical organizations.
• Avoid mutation by always referring to the original, rather than copying a copy - i.e.refer to Jesus more than to someone else, build dependence on Christ.
• Distributed, rather than delegated authority

Reflections: Most of the time we structure for growth, rather than letting growth happen and structure around it.  I've heard people talk countless times (and I've gone along with it) about not doing a mission without making sure we have the structure in place to 'cope with' new Christians afterwards.  Actually, I don't think I've ever been part of a mission that's given itself that problem to be honest! Cole advocates doing it the other way round, gain a problem first and then see if needs a solution.

Again Cole brings up the question of who we teach new Christians to rely on, is it Jesus, or the church leader?  Our fear of heresy leads us to a love of structure which protects us from 'wrong' answers, but doesn't that just betray insecurity, and a lack of faith in Jesus and the action of his Holy Spirit?  I'm reminded of the stories of underground Christians in China who didn't even own a whole Bible, and yet lived out the Gospel much better than anyone I've met.  Why do we not get new Christians to do the 'ministry'?