scottie reeve (who i visited when in new zealand) has written a lovely piece suggesting that all a church needs is a table, a kettle and a curtain. this is pitched at those starting new communities or planting churches. his point is keep it simple and suited to the size so don't burn yourself out!
"Many church-planters feel the pressure to become a “real church” as soon as possible. They become structure-heavy, volunteer-heavy, and bloated by brand and buzzwords before they have truly learned to be family. Their leaders are exhausted within a year because they are maintaining something built for 100, while there are only 10 of them. On these days we need to remember that, at its inception, the Church was founded in homes and houses - little rooms with not much more than a kettle and a table."
(thanks dave crampton for the tip off)
I well remember when alt.worship first reached the shores of the USA and became emerging church. The accepted standard for a new plant was to have USD50 000. Trusts and foundations regularly gave out this amount to new emerging church startups. Church couldn't start with anything less. Data projector and sound system were vital.
Posted by: Mark Pierson | July 04, 2023 at 10:36 AM