Podcast : City strategy : Multiple church commitment

First- don’t forget a night of vision and power with Jeff Garvin from the Lakeland, Florida Outpouring THIS SUNDAY at 6pm.  Check out the info at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com.

I regularly consider how we are going to see the massive reformation in the church come to pass.  The way we see church today will become a distant memory as the entire structure changes.

We’ll need to take intentional steps toward a city church structure, which means the face of the local church is going to morph considerably.

Some preliminary steps:

• Multiple church commitment: We will begin to see people primarily commit to one church and also commit (truly commit, no hopping allowed!) at a lesser, yet still significant level at other churches.  When this happens, every church won’t have to be focused broadly on everything, but they will focus intently on the few areas they are called and gifted to facilitate.  When the body is expected to connect at only one church, they in turn have no other option but to expect that church to have a broad focus.  The current system works against itself.  When the reformation comes, a family will connect in one church where they will serve and sit under apostolic leadership that’s running with strength in a streamlined ministry, and on other days and nights of the week they may serve at another church’s youth ministry, Bible study or small group.  An important element here is that the various leaders of the churches in the city take on the role of associate leaders of the city church.  So instead of thinking of it like people frequenting multiple local churches, they are actually strategically connecting in multiple departments of the city church.  So, for example, those involved at a core level at Revival Church are expected to commit to a corporate prayer meeting every week.  This can be done at Revival Church, at the International House of Prayer East Detroit, or any other church they are connected with.  In fact, for the current season, we have our primary services on Sunday evenings which opens my schedule up to minister at other churches in the area (booking info here) while also connecting with committed members of other churches who want to contend with us in prayer and teaching on Sunday or Wednesday nights.
• Prayer as a primary ministry: We must start where the first church started in Acts 2- in the prayer room.  It’s shocking how absent prayer is in the church, and it’s terrifying how few Christians are intimately connected with Jesus in the place of prayer.  I propose we cancel most everything we’re doing in the church and hit our face night and day and pray, and soak, and intercede and declare as a corporate body.
• Connecting with apostolic and prophetic leaders: Someone at the Revival Church prayer meeting last night saw a powerful vision of four massive eagles flying into Detroit, one from each of the four corners of the world.  We need to pray in, invite in and partner with apostolic and prophetic leaders who God is preparing right now.  In fact, many including Rick Joyner, Jeff Garvin (who will be at Revival Church this Sunday evening) and others are already strategically thinking about the coming Detroit Outpouring.

I have a new podcast player on the sidebar of our blog and on our main site at www.praytherevolution.com/media.  I’d encourage you to listen to the three most recent podcasts as I discuss this issue in depth.