Just read in the House To House (H2H)newsletter that Neil Cole and Tony Dale will be part of a 50-person think tank in December at Campus Crusade's HQ in Orlando. The focus is to be upon how the church can/should function to reach those currently unchurched.

It sounds as if Cole and Dale will be the voices for the simple/organic church way. I don't surmise that they'll be the lone voices, but they are amongst "very well
known leaders of denominations or para-church ministries." I'm not sure what that means really, namely in terms of what Crusade (or anyone else for that matter) expects from this gathering.

Props to Cole and Dale......but why are we still calling think tanks together as if we need to discuss how the church can/should function to reach those currently unchurched?

Okay........I essentially and formally understand why, but what are the implications for simplicity and organicity in disciple-making for monolithic structures that already function well within a framework deeply entrenched and well esteemed? Are we just talking/comparing paradigmatic preferences here, seeing which can fit or not? Simplicity and organicity are not easy paths nor are they mere options to include for the sake of pragmatism. What we should be talking about are relationships....how to form, nurture and keep them. And then we should talk about the cost for befriending lost people in the currency of our time, energy and creativity investitures and the impact on revered structures. Maybe then we can talk structure. Perhaps that will happen.

Yes, Cole and Dale are practitioners, but they are also invitees (with a required reading list with 3/4 of the books simple-church-friendly). Based on the Who's Who list, it would seem Crusade wants their think tank to have implications
far beyond the campus, but then again, what will the implications for the campus- Crusade or otherwise? Are lost people going to be any less lost once we settle on a structure? Are they going to really care whether we are for simplicity or hierarchical organization?

I don't know if we still think the biggest hurdle is pulling off the think tank or actually just getting out there and doing it.

Perhaps I can be blamed for being envious that some can toot their shofar and summon the influential and BANG!......we have a think tank. Still yet, I remain unimpressed.

There is something greater at stake that exceeds whether or not we are Neil Cole, Tony Dale, Campus Crusade or a pastor at Veritas. I'm not dissing the think tank per se and I believe God can bless such a thing. Nevetheless, a tank is and always has been something that keeps that which is inside from getting out (and vice-versa.