Church 3.0 Summary

Neil Cole’s book on “Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church” summarizes church styles based on three version of the styles. Cole builds off the version 1.0 which is based on the church in the first-century and version 2.0 which is the modern day church to come up with version 3.0. This version 3.0 Cole states is the second major shift that is occurring now (Cole, 2010, p5-7). Cole’s supposed method is church structure and people focused; discussing issues on money, children, leadership, and teaching to make the church better if they utilizes the shifts that the author references in the book. Church 3.0 shifts the church from an institutionalized approach that is program-driven and clergy-led. This new approach looks at the

The Xers under the influence of their parents were exposed to computers, internet, and multimedia that caused an upswing in their children. The children view their parent’s failures to prosperity with spiritual peace with a critical and unsympathetic eye. The Xers found that the boomer church lacked the ability to unite emotional, spiritually, and globally. The Xers have a desire to remake a more authentic and structured emerging church to a post-Christian and post-modern world (Whitesel, 2006). Cole states in his book “Organic Church” his meaning of an Organic Church. Organic church is described as a “house church,” but the house is not the only place that they would meet (Cole, 2007, p23. Cole stated, “there are many people in the United States who want to hear and believe in the message of Jesus but are not interested in the institution of the church as it is” (Cole, 2007, p xxii). Cole approach to evangelism is new—it allows you to bring people to where God is, instead of bringing the people to church. Craig Gelder articulates his thoughts on the organic church. The author mentions two main types of organic churches, one being unintentional organic and the other intentionally organic. Churches that have a wherever it grows kind of attitude is recognized as unintentional. A church that builds structural framework and plants on gospel soil are

Reggie McNeal shares his example of a missional (organic) church in his book “The Missional Renaissance”. McNeal used Renaissance, which simply mean recovery or revival, so the author states that the missional renaissance is everywhere and churches are doing some “unchurchy” things. In Texas a church decided to build a more efficient community instead of building a better church. The pastor focus or “vision: was on launching new church initiatives. A church in Ohio passed up the opportunity purchase land that would house a multisite congregation to invest the money into community projects. Churches are emerging with a different spin on how the organization should be run. Other churches are setting up network of missional communities and community centers to serve as organic churches that shares space with other ministry operating. The social sector is being implemented into the organic churches. Homeless shelter are being shifted from food-and-counseling to coaching-and employment to establish life progress of the people they serve. Changing the way believers think about God and the world we live in is what a “missional” (organic) church looks like. Three elements were shared that is essential for churches and people to shift and engage the missional renaissance: (1) The emergence of the altruism economy, (2) The search for personal growth, and (3) The hunger for spiritual vitality. These are the starting