Our Paradigm
We believe that ministry has already entered the era of Church4 which we call the, “maker-centric Church.”
Church4 is known by the digital reality in which we live where people are already actively making their life. They are making meaning and making a difference. And, they have the means to do it already.
Therefore, the role of the Church in Church4 is to be an enabler of faith being the means by which people can make their life outside of the Church as an institution.
Church1 was the “Early Church”
These are the communities of disciples that formed soon after Jesus’ death.
A good way to describe Church1 is:
- The lack of a formal central authority or consolidated “orthodoxy”
- Discipleship through participation in relatively smaller groups of “believers”
Church2 was the “State-sponsored Church”
This is the Church as an institution (and even agent) of the civil authority of the time.
A good way to describe Church2 is:
- A formalized central authority and “orthodoxy”
- Support from (or enablement by) the civil or governmental authority
Church3 is the “Nonprofit Church”
This is currently the dominant model of “church,” which has a legal designation as 501c3.
A good way to describe Church3 is:
- An emphasis on the beliefs and practices as prescribed by the Church
- A heavy reliance on committee-based decision-making and volunteers
Church4 is the “Maker-centric Church”
This is church as a digital-first faith enablement and implementation platform.
A good way to describe Church4 is:
- Association through network, not necessarily affiliation through membership
- The ongoing construction of beliefs and practices by the individual
Specifically, Church4 is distinctly distanced from Church3 through:
- Replacing physical property with a digital platform and assets
- Reducing the need for a formal role of priest or pastor