A flock of geese. A pod of whales. A litter of kittens. So far, so good. I know what a flock, a pod and a litter are. But what about a network of churches? It is a question I get asked a lot by members of churches in the Trinity Network, as well as people looking in from the outside. From one perspective, they understand that it captures the idea of several churches having a relationship with one another. But then there is a second layer of questions about the nature of the relationships. Often, the questions focus on structure, governance, resourcing or ministry cooperation. Is the network like a denomination, or is it more like a single church with several gatherings? Or are we the Christian equivalent of McDonald’s – a church franchising network?
The Trinity Network of Churches has emerged over the last twenty years. We are a family of 14 churches located around Adelaide and South Australia. But why have a Network? Most of us have a pretty good idea of what a local church is and what a healthy one looks like. Why not let each of the churches stand on their own? I thought I’d try to answer the question in two parts. In this article I want to think about some biblical principles that undergird our collaborative approach. Then, in a future article, I want to talk about the practical benefits of operating as a Network.
1. Network as partnership
While you won’t find the words ‘church network’ in the New Testament, there are some strong theological principles that gospel-centred Christians and churches share. Paul’s letter to the Philippians highlights some of these.
The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from prison, most likely in Rome. Even though Paul and the Philippians were geographically distant, their relationships were warm and deep. He says in Philippians 1, ‘I thank my God every time I remember you … I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now’ (Philippians 1:3-5). The ’partnership’ word has commercial overtones. It’s the idea of people straining together to get a deal over the line. That’s the sort of relationship Paul and the members of the church at Philippi had. But they weren’t transactional relationships grounded in activism. They were grounded in the grace and mercy of God. In Philippians 1:7, Paul says, ‘… all of you share (partner word again) in God’s grace with me.’ It’s not a partnership based on human effort but on the generous kindness of God calling them into His forever family.
Paul also shares a common gospel purpose with the Philippians to see the gospel proclaimed. Paul is doing this in Rome to advance the gospel. He urges the Philippians to also be ‘… striving together as one for the faith of the gospel’ (Philippians 1:27). This Christ-centred, gospel-proclaiming, God-glorifying partnership has a number of practical implications. Not only do Paul and the Philippians partner in grace (1:7), they partner in prayer (1:9-11; 19); they participate in the sufferings of Christ (3:10); and they partner together financially (4:14-15). They share human resources with one another (2:19-30). I don’t think the list is exhaustive. Rather, it illustrates how they shared deep conviction about the gospel and its proclamation, as well as bonds of affection, which meant they dug deep to care for and serve one another.
2. What does partnership look like in the Trinity Network of Churches?
The Trinity Network does have a structure, organisational charts and policies that regulate our life together. But these are not at the centre of our partnership in the gospel. What is at the centre?
- We share the gospel of God’s grace and mercy;
- A common like-minded commitment to see the gospel proclaimed for the glory of God across Adelaide, South Australia and further afield;
- A self-sacrificing willingness to work together across churches and para-church organisations to see more disciples made.
As I move around the Network, these convictions and values are being worked out in the lives of the people in our churches. It’s not just about ‘my’ local church. We understand we serve a wider gospel cause. People love belonging to their local church, but they’re not introspective and jealously guarding its resources. They generously give their time, energy and finances to see the gospel go out (whether it’s other churches in the Network or churches and ministries beyond it). When I visit churches, it’s so encouraging to see the healthy prayerfulness where God’s people call upon Him for our city, state, nation and world. People in our Network are keen to learn more about what God is doing in other churches in the Network. They are excited to hear about gospel progress wherever it is happening. These characteristics are at the heart of our Network of Churches.
In the Trinity Network, we are convinced that it is healthier for us to keep partnering together. We also believe that together, we can be more effective in gospel proclamation. That is why we also partner to plant disciple-making churches across our city and state for the glory of God. This is expressed in the Network purpose statement:
In response to God’s grace, we exist to plant a growing and healthy network of disciple-making churches and ministries across Adelaide and South Australia and to send disciples into the world for the glory of God.
Planting churches normally means a local church making sacrifices for the sake of a bigger gospel vision. But those sacrifices are worth it because we know that planting new churches is a very effective way to take the gospel to people who are yet to believe.
A lot more could be said about what this gospel-centred, like-minded, purposeful ministry looks like on the ground in the Network. But as I said at the start, we’ll save that for another day. First things first.