 How is the difference between a network and a denomination? A DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING Today, God is raising up many apostolic-minded churches to network together so they can help bring in the end-time harvest. In order to do this effectively, we have to begin thinking differently than we did in the past. Most of us came out of various denominational backgrounds. While we appreciate any way this contributed to our growth and development, we were always looking for something more. I believe we were looking for a new approach to working together to get the great harvest in. Which, by the way, will be so great, that God will use anything to get it in, including the denominations we have left. My concern was that the system we were in needed so much time, energy, and finances to maintain, yet it produced so little. My personal experience could be described as walking beside a large combine that was crawling across the field, with all the steam and noise, belts, pulleys, and tracks moving, yet out the back end came a just little bale of hay and a big puff of smoke. I wanted to spend my time being part of something that accomplished more than this. I noticed that during this same time-frame, that the brothers who were working with me in mission, were all like-minded. We could accomplish so much, and it has stood the test of time. That is when I began to make a distinction between apostolic thinking and denominational thinking. A POSTOLIC THINKING Apostles tend to bring people together for a common work, strengthen local churches, plant new works, raise up leaders, and do mission work at home and overseas. In many cases, an apostle will also pastor a local church. The life and liberty of that church will attract other like-minded ministries and churches so they can join together to reach their area.Apostolic movements have five basic things in common: 1. They gather churches and people around specific purposes, not just around specific doctrinal distinctives. 2. They realize that the form and function of most present day denominations is not sufficient alone to get the harvest in. 3. They encourage leadership to function with a higher level of authority than what would be allowed in most denominations, who tend to reserve most of their authority to a board function. 4. They tend to have a higher expectation of what a local church can do to impact the world. 5. Apostolic-minded churches are usually connected with other churches out of mutual respect and have common goals. DENOMINATIONAL THINKING Denominations are usually made up of those who hold the same doctrine, the same system of government or the same historical roots. Networks can be made up of people who come from many different backgrounds, but are like-minded, which comes out of sharing the same values and vision. Denominations usually place people into fellowship together because they share the same geographic location, whereas Networks tend to link people together because of relationships, in spite of the geography involved. Denominations tend to control things from a central government, whereas Networks want to give as much local autonomy to churches as possible. Denominations tend to require exclusive relationship of their ministers, whereas Networks will work with anyone who is interested in building the Kingdom of God. Denominations tend to invite people into positions of influence based on rank, tenure, or political influence, whereas Networks tend to focus more on a person’s calling, gifts, and the health of their relationships with others.
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