Winning the World

192 Wi nn i ng the Wor l d: Fac i l i tat i ng Urban Chur ch P l ant i ng Movement s

The Concept of the Locale Church, continued

A. No church can be fully autonomous (i.e., a law to itself; we are all connected to apostolic witness, to the communion of saints, and to our common head and source, the Lord Jesus Christ), Eph. 4.4-6. B. Likewise, no church can be expected to meet its own needs entirely ; the apostles defined self-support in ways that ignored Hodge’s element of complete indigenous support (e.g., the Jerusalem famine and the Macedonian offering, cf. Acts 15, 2 Cor. 8-9). C. The early Church was a network of congregations and their leaders bound together by their common parentage by the Holy Spirit and their shared oversight by the apostles, along with their shared persecution and opposition from both Jewish and Roman sources, e.g., 1 Cor. 12.13; 2 Cor. 11.9. D. Urban churches today desperately require the benefits of ongoing connection, oversight, partnership, and support from one another. 1. Scattered, alienated, and disconnected flocks : the importance of the unity of the Church in our witness to Christ, John 17.21-23 2. Under-supported, financially strapped congregations : need for interconnected livelihood and growth of urban congregations, 2 Cor. 8.1-4; Acts 11.27-30 3. Poorly coordinated outreach and mission : the need for coordinated efforts at outreach, evangelism, social service, and mission, Acts 15.22

E. Principles and practice of the locale church relationships

1. Recognize the truth that all pastors need to be pastored.

2. Further acknowledge that, in spite of the “self-” principles of church governance, all churches need relationships with other churches if they are to mature.