{"id":802,"date":"2010-07-08T13:13:00","date_gmt":"2010-07-08T13:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.convergingzone.com\/ricciardelli\/from-mainframe-to-network-changes-in-the-church-by-terry-somerville\/"},"modified":"2010-07-08T13:13:00","modified_gmt":"2010-07-08T13:13:00","slug":"from-mainframe-to-network-changes-in-the-church-by-terry-somerville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/robertricciardelli\/ricciardelli\/from-mainframe-to-network-changes-in-the-church-by-terry-somerville\/","title":{"rendered":"From Mainframe to Network – Changes in the Church by Terry Somerville"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
A great transformation in how we do church has been under way for the last decade or so.\u00a0 It seems that as a culture changes, God leads His people into new wineskins, if they are willing to go. The church that doesn\u2019t have fresh wineskins soon looses the wine!\u00a0 Todays generation places high value on relationship and personal empowerment.\u00a0 The saints are looking for the ministry God has for them, and the centralized structures of the local church have not served this well. In fact, God means for every believer to be a minister and so He is moving\u00a0 ministry\u00a0 into the hands of every believer.\u00a0 \n

A good way to understand the transition is to think of moving from a \u201cMainframe Computer\u201d to a \u201cComputer Network\u201d.\u00a0 I remember seeing the mainframe computer at the University of Western Ontario when I was about ten. It occupied a room as large as a house. It was very large, very expensive, climate controlled, specialized, high maintenance, and if compared to todays PC\u2019s , it was very slow.\u00a0 It could only run a few programs at a time, and had to be run by qualified operators in a safe controlled atmosphere.\u00a0 Sound familiar?\u00a0 Bill gates was the radical thinker who began the PC revolution taking the computer into every mans hands. <\/p><\/span><\/div>\n


Today we are seeing a revolution in church wineskins not unlike the Personal Computer revolution.\n

THE MAINFRAME MODEL OF CHURCH<\/b><\/p><\/span><\/div>\n

The\u00a0 tradition church form is like a mainframe computer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Features \u2013<\/b> Large, expensive, operated by a few experts, focusing on a few tasks at a time, operates in one place in a highly controlled environment.<\/p>\n

Involvement \u2013<\/b> A few\u00a0 users (member)\u00a0 can have a dumb terminal (ministry), if one is available.\u00a0 They can only\u00a0 operate the program\u00a0 selected by the experts with supervision, after training .<\/p>\n

Focus \u2013<\/b> all focus is toward the mainframe. (church organization)\u00a0 It exists behind four walls. If it grows larger more terminals will be added, but theres never enough for everyone.\u00a0 Applications\u00a0 and programs tend to be specialized and not for the real world.\u00a0 The greatest vision of involvement is to be a programmer of the mainframe.<\/p>\n

THE COMPUTER NETWORK MODEL OF CHURCH <\/b>
The emerging church is like a network of PC\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Features \u2013<\/b>\u00a0 Small,\u00a0 affordable, ministries operated by anyone, flexible, mobile, and working in any environment. Ministry is worked in the relationships connecting Christians, not a single organization.<\/p>\n

Involvement \u2013<\/b> Each person has a fully operational computer (ministry), with software\u00a0 that fits the personal situation (an anointing from the Holy Spirit).\u00a0 Freedom not control is the norm!\u00a0 Each one is connected to many others in a network of relationships\u00a0 that help each other.\u00a0 Focus \u2013 Mainframes are still there, but not in control.\u00a0 The focus is on the application operated by each individual, not a central computer.\u00a0 Each\u00a0 computer (ministry) is significant and impacts the sphere each person is in (the world) and the network. (Body of Christ).<\/p>\n

THE NEW WINESKIN OF CHURCH<\/b>
This emerging \u201cNetwork Church\u201d (some call it a Third Day Church) is not based on an organization, but organized connections.\u00a0 Each \u201cPC\u201d\u00a0 could be an individual, a home church, itinerants, a marketplace minister running his business, a conventional church. It\u2019s a network of\u00a0 any believer or group walking in Jesus calling. The body actively interconnects because there is life! There is\u00a0 relationship, support, team ministry, leadership, and larger worship gatherings. <\/p>\n

Over the next few years the face of the church will change dramatically. While this illustration cannot completely illustrate the changes taking place, I hope it has been helpful.<\/p>\n

Terry Somerville
www.totalchange.org<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A great transformation in how we do church has been under way for the last decade or so.\u00a0 It seems that as a culture changes, God leads His people into new wineskins, if they are willing to go. 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