Introduction

Over the last few months, while reading and listening to teachings about microchurches and Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), I took on an attitude against megachurches and their lack of individual intimacy, their lack of commitment to their local neighborhoods. It seemed to me they are not gatherings of ecclesias because of their size. However, this morning I listened to Bill Johnson, one of my favorite Kingdom teachers/apostles.

I pondered what he and his people have been building at the Bethel megachurch in Redding, CA. This includes week-long classes in living a prophetic lifestyle, healing ministry, and spiritual service out in the world. It also includes their Schools of Technology, Music, and the Arts. These bring in thousands of people, teach them to walk in the Spirit and Kingdom benefits, and send them back to their places in the world, able to expand the reign of King Jesus.

I also remembered the work of Oasis Church in Middletown, OH. I have the idea they are a large church, led by Tim Sheets, an apostle and prophet. He helps God’s people to look behind the curtain at the spiritual warfare King Jesus is waging against the enemies of this nation. Tim calls Oasis Church an ecclesia hub, the center of a network of smaller gatherings of God’s people.

These reflections led me to change my attitude about megachurches like these. There is a need for all sizes of church gatherings, all levels of ecclesia.

Three Minimal Activities of a Church

In his book, Microchurches: the Smaller Way, Brian Sanders explains the need for small groups of believers who gather in homes, bars, and other non-church places where people need to hear about God’s Kingdom. He makes the point that three activities are essential to being a church: worship, community, and mission. A bunch of people at a bus stop are not a church unless they habitually gather to 

• offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God
• share life with one another in meals, encouragement, and accountability
• and pursue a common work to bring the Kingdom to the world around them.

Some believers gather on Sundays at larger churches to sing songs, give offerings, listen to some teacher or other talk, and participate in programs to bring in more members. These are not real churches. They lack the “one another” activities of community, as described by Brian Sanders.

My Vision for Ecclesias of Increasing Sizes

I envision God’s people gathered together in ecclesias of all sizes from couples and prayer partners to megachurch ecclesia hubs.

Where Two or Three Are Gathered

Jesus said, “And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” (Matthew 18:20) So, prayer partners and couples 

• praying together
• offering their bodies to the Lord
• encouraging each other 
• and working for the Kingdom together 

constitutes church/ecclesia. Their emphasis will likely be on worship and encouragement. They can decide with the Lord how to bring His Kingdom into their small world and decree His will to the spiritual beings around them. They can work together on whatever mission the King assigns them.

Households

This couple or partnership can meet and do church with their family or with a household of single men or women or with a Bible study-size group. Their emphasis would likely be on community – sharing their lives intimately, as long as they also worship and work together on a mission.

At this level, most of the benefits of health, wealth, and well-being can be brought into their individual lives. Sickness and diseases can be healed. Poverty can be left behind for the Wilderness Experience and the Promised Land of Prosperity. Demons and traumas that cause mental illness can be expelled, wounds of the spirit healed. Mutual support and provision can help individuals through their journeys. At this level, the Christian Community Development Association‘s work of Reconciliation can operate.

Community Ecclesia

These households and families can then network and gather into intentional communities/neighborhood ecclesias. These households gather for worship and community fellowship into which future and new believers can be drawn. At this level, the emphasis moves from worship and community to mission.

Such a community can settle in one neighborhood to bring the Kingdom through ABCD. This follows the CCDA principles of Relocation and listening to the long-time members of the neighborhood. That neighborhood may have a need for some thing the church community has to offer, but they will not receive it until they are ready.

City-Wide Ecclesia Hubs

At this level, neighborhood communities can network and gather together to deal with the Seven Mountains of Society in their city. They can conduct spiritual warfare and oversee the workings of council and association chapters within the city, or other jurisdictions. (See my post: Rise Up, O Men of God!) If large enough, these cities can each host an ecclesia hub for their region of the country.

At this level, the people who meet in these hubs can deal with the principalities over their cities, states, and the nation. This is the work being done by the Oasis Church in Sunday and Wednesday services. It’s also the work being done by Bethel Church in Redding. The membership has joined their leaders in giving resources and service to the city in order to make Redding a city loyal to the King.

Application

Renew Your Mind about Church

I recommend a thorough mental overhaul (repentance) concerning what it means to be a Christian in a church. This list of Bible teachers have done this for me:

• Myles Munro – Kingdom vs religion, Heaven’s colonies on Earth
• Greg Simas – real meaning of ecclesia – not “church”
• Lance Wallnau – Seven Mountains of Society, signet ring, discipling nations
• Eric Metaxas – false doctrine of “no involvement in politics”
• Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton – God’s desire for cities and nations
• Tim and Dutch Sheets – God sending forth His mighty angels 
• Ralph Moore and Dave Ferguson – doing “church” outside of churches. 

I also recommend the Microchurches book by Brian Sanders.

Work Your Way into Ecclesias

Certainly, get the foundational truths established in your life: 

• surrender to King Jesus
• ritual burial in water
• immersion in Holy Spirit and use of His tools
• walking in Heaven’s health, wealth, and well-being. 

Be sure to find God’s purpose for creating you. Learn how to create value for people through that and exchange that value with them in the marketplace. 

Then join in prayer with your spouse or other prayer partners. Seek people in your neighborhood or workplace with whom to meet for prayer, worship, encouragement, and mission. Only then, network your group with others in a neighborhood ecclesia.

Questions

Can you let go of the old wineskins of twentieth-century churches for the new wineskins of what God is doing today?

Are twentieth-century churches ready for the billion-soul harvest soon to come in? Small ecclesias/microchurches can be made ready, can grow and multiply as the grain pours in.

Shalom