I’m re-reading “The Shaping Of Things To Come” (Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost) for an essay for Tabor, and found this little gem of a model for sorting through what you keep and what you throw away in re-imagining church models:
| Sphere of Authority | Description | Degree of Flexibility |
|---|---|---|
| Christ’s Commands (The Core) |
Jesus is our ultimate authority. His commands are unquestioned. | No adaptation possible, non-negotiable |
| Biblical Principles The Substance |
These are cross-cultural principles drawn from biblical teaching | The essence is unchanging. Adapt only to maintain dynamic equivalent |
| Apostolic Patterns(The Application) | Behaviour, practices, lifestyles of the first century church | Interpret or contextualize to fit the culture |
| Church Practices (The Expression) |
Established ways of thinking about and doing church | Fully adaptable and flexible to the culture |
I loved it: I would be intrigued to hear anyone able to disagree with that as a way of thinking about church, I think it’s about as solid a framework as I’ve heard.