Acts20.com

...a paradigm shift is an understatement. Long story short.....Chan felt the current American church model of church focused on a small number of people up front and the rest spectators. When I read some of his stuff, I got it. His model is focused on people and being the church.He left his very successful ministry and church and began building small groups in homes instead of church in buildings. Apparently, he is successful at it now. However, when my wife and I read his approach....here is what we see.....1) They still tithe/give in their small groups and send some of the money up the chain2) They meet as a whole in a public facility once a month3) There is a select passage or chapters each attender is to read before they come to their groups and they discuss.4) The focus is on individuals as opposed to servicesIt seems the model pretty much adheres to simple small groups but there is structure and a hierarchy. I don't like 1 in that it reminds me of a denomination. There is structure to it.

What's wrong with structure?

By the way...NAR? Which fringe types?

The structure part I understand. But it still has the sense of

Re: By the way...NAR? Which fringe types?

Bill Johnson, Todd Bentley, Lou Engle, Todd White, Heidi Baker, etc.kingdom.events/blog/event/the-send/

He has disavowed that "direction' and his net worth

Francis Chan

devoted the proceeds from Crazy Love to the development of benevolent activities in Africa.He left the mega church because he believed the church had become dependent upon one person.In general he has taught the church is more driven by consumerism than evangelism - people shop for churches based upon what they can offer to meet their perceived needs - children's church, youth group, etc.He has taught many are drawn to church services not because they want to seek God, hear His word, and prayer, but because of a dynamic speaker, trending singing group or singing artist, etc.He and his wife sold their belongings and moved to a simple dwelling to follow what they believe God was directing them to do; they subsequently, as a family, went to SE Asia and spent time with the underground church in China, visiting churches in Thailand and India.They returned to the U.S. and started working through house churches (for a insightful view of this development in the U.S. see George Barna's Revolution.)Their chief focus is upon developing believers in their gifts and using those gifts in outreach, are reaching many who have left prison and become believers and excited about house church development. They seek to pattern themselves much like the Church found in the Book of Acts and are being very successful, deflecting away from a strong charismatic person to an inclusive, trained leadership.They have a strong sense of mission to the poor and plant house churches among the poorer sections of San Francisco.The House Churches do come together periodically for worship and training and prayer.To walk away from what Chan saw as a flawed mega-church, consumeristic, popular labor to embrace a more simplistic, enthusiastic, and effective outreach among many who would never darken the doors of most institutionalized churches who single mission is to preserve the status quo, and thereby by seeking to save their life they will lose it, takes vision and dedication many lack because they are caught up in a system of perpetuating humanistic driven programs, worldly methodologies, and idolatrous admiration of charismatic personalities rather than the Charismata of the Holy Spirit.This, and for other reasons stated in Barna's book (referenced above), there are 20 million who have ditched conventional church for alternative expressions of faith.While there are others, Chan and David Platt are on the forefront of a much needed reformation challenging the stereotypes that fail to inspire, equip, empowered and release the laity of the church. They have atrophied in the pews because they are fed fluff and are not encouraged to exercise their gifts in effective service to the body of Christ God-HonoringChrist-CenteredBible-BasedSpirit-Led