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Deep Roots, Wild Branches: Revitalizing the Church in the Blended Ecology
What is the future of the church in North America? Churches are closing faster than new ones can be planted. Existing churches engaged in effective evangelism beyond the tired tactics of attractional approaches are increasingly rare. One of the major pitfalls of the past few decades is “either/or” thinking—either attractional or missional; traditional or contemporary; old or new. In Deep Roots, Wild Branches, missiologist and church planter Dr. Michael Beck contends we must cultivate what he calls a “blended ecology” of church that has both deep roots and wild branches. Beck introduces us to present-day models and examples that don’t leave traditional forms behind, but harness the power of “both/and.” It honors vintage models while blending fresh expressions of real evangelism.
- GenresTheology
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2019
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42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 31, 2024
When your denomination’s (mine is The Presbyterian Church in Canada) lead animateur of planting new worshiping and witnessing communities gets enthusiastic about a book that has changed his thinking, I pay attention.
When that book uses jazz as an image to suggest some of that new perspective in the field of church planting, then I pay even more attention. Here’s the way Beck draws on the wisdom and workings of jazz when talking about the kind of collegial leadership that works best:
…rather than envisioning this process [of leadership] as an orchestra, take on the posture of a jazz band. In an orchestra, the conductor stands on a pedestal before the musicians with pre-decided sheet music and a precise plan to be carried out under her leadership. This is an exercise in causal reasoning; a predetermined plan is carried out through a series of strategic goals, focused on an expected return.
A jazz leader operates a little differently. Sitting down with the other members, maybe she chooses a tempo and tone, but then they just start to play. They do the creative work together. It is spontaneous, leaving open different possible futures. It is improvisational – who knows where this may end up! It’s also more fun. There is still leadership, but each person emerges as a leader in different parts of the song – a non-linear dance of followership and leadership. It’s dispersed, polycentric leadership, rather than centered on the direction of an individual. This is an exercise in effective reasoning, starting with who and what you have and making something new. (pp.91-92)
Beck is a United Methodist co-pastor and church consultant in the Florida Conference of his denomination. He has been a leading contributor to the Fresh Expressions movement in the United States. Fresh Expressions began in the United Kingdom in 2004. It currently describes itself on its website as a movement, “a band of misfits, visionaries, prophets, evangelists and creative entrepreneurs from across all church traditions who can see what isn’t there and have the grit and faith to go out, listen, love, serve, tell people about Jesus and work with their new communities to create a new and authentic expression of church that makes sense to them.” Its focus has been on reaching beyond, at times to the point of denigrating, the traditional formulations of church and starting new communities gathered around entrepreneurial individuals.
Beck, in Deep Roots Wild Branches, is challenging that approach. His “blended ecology” of church missioning honours the roots provided for new endeavours by the more traditional forms of church. But he does want to encourage those involved in those traditional forms to see new possibilities for spreading the gospel through the wild branches that grow from those roots. There is a profound simplicity in his approach. It’s both/and rather than either/or. It’s both tradition and innovation, collaborating in a symbiotic relationship that focuses on how Jesus can revitalize the broken lives of both individuals and communities.
The “controlling image” of the book is “a tree thriving in the desert, and in its shade is the tapestry of colour, new flowers, and life forms thriving in the root-ball. These organisms of deep roots and wild branches are blending together.” (p.154) In the desert of our modern society, there is at work the power of new life in transformative ecosystems enlivened by a God who turns deserts into jungles and cemeteries into gardens, dilapidation into renovation, through resurrection. The fullest resurrection image in the Scriptures is Revelation 22, a remixed urban-garden scenario centered around the tree of life. Both traditional and innovative formulations of church draw their vitality from this same source though the all-encompassing ecosystem of God’s mercy and grace.
Beck still finds the Fresh Expressions flow of practices – listening, loving and serving, building community, exploring discipleship, church taking shape, and doing it again – instructive and inspirational for this blended ecology he is advocating. He also finds the image of grafting, related to Jesus’ parable of the vineyard in John 15:1-6, an illuminating concept to keep in mind. As he understands it, a new scion (fresh expressions) is grafted to the root stock (inherited congregations) and produces new possibilities for flourishing. For the church, this grafting happens through conversations where stories are shared, invitations extended, and both the traditional and the innovative are celebrated in ways that provide mutual nourishment.
As you can see, I have come to a deep appreciation for Beck’s approach and encouragements. I have long had deep reservations about the ways in which, to me at least, the advocates of new church plants have denigrated and dismissed existing congregations, ignoring the potential for new life arising from those roots. Let us pray the “both/and” turn in this movement spreads, and spreads rapidly.
I have one major disagreement with Beck, however. He imagines the tree and the seeds that fall from its wild branches as oases in a desert. His analysis of the desert draws on social criticism of the economy, family life, religion, technology, neighbourhoods, and church institutions. There is little, if any, sense that the Spirit of our Creator’s Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, is active in the life forms that populated the desert. I beg to differ. I am convinced by, among others, Jurgen Moltmann in positing a panentheism that recognizes the Creator’s activity throughout the creation. It is not for the church to take the gospel to the desert and establish outposts of the new creation there. It is, rather, for the church to discover the Spirit at work there and ally with it in enhancing and expanding the influence of our Creator’s forgiving and reconciling love in every network with which we engage. Nourishing people to flourish in these alliances one conversation after another may bring them to accept Christian formulations of their life’s purpose and they may not. The Spirit generates the harvest. We sow the seeds.
Our denomination’s lead animateur in church planting did me a big favour in recommending that I engage with this book. Even in my disagreements with Beck, I have been provoked. I’m confident you will be as well.
When that book uses jazz as an image to suggest some of that new perspective in the field of church planting, then I pay even more attention. Here’s the way Beck draws on the wisdom and workings of jazz when talking about the kind of collegial leadership that works best:
…rather than envisioning this process [of leadership] as an orchestra, take on the posture of a jazz band. In an orchestra, the conductor stands on a pedestal before the musicians with pre-decided sheet music and a precise plan to be carried out under her leadership. This is an exercise in causal reasoning; a predetermined plan is carried out through a series of strategic goals, focused on an expected return.
A jazz leader operates a little differently. Sitting down with the other members, maybe she chooses a tempo and tone, but then they just start to play. They do the creative work together. It is spontaneous, leaving open different possible futures. It is improvisational – who knows where this may end up! It’s also more fun. There is still leadership, but each person emerges as a leader in different parts of the song – a non-linear dance of followership and leadership. It’s dispersed, polycentric leadership, rather than centered on the direction of an individual. This is an exercise in effective reasoning, starting with who and what you have and making something new. (pp.91-92)
Beck is a United Methodist co-pastor and church consultant in the Florida Conference of his denomination. He has been a leading contributor to the Fresh Expressions movement in the United States. Fresh Expressions began in the United Kingdom in 2004. It currently describes itself on its website as a movement, “a band of misfits, visionaries, prophets, evangelists and creative entrepreneurs from across all church traditions who can see what isn’t there and have the grit and faith to go out, listen, love, serve, tell people about Jesus and work with their new communities to create a new and authentic expression of church that makes sense to them.” Its focus has been on reaching beyond, at times to the point of denigrating, the traditional formulations of church and starting new communities gathered around entrepreneurial individuals.
Beck, in Deep Roots Wild Branches, is challenging that approach. His “blended ecology” of church missioning honours the roots provided for new endeavours by the more traditional forms of church. But he does want to encourage those involved in those traditional forms to see new possibilities for spreading the gospel through the wild branches that grow from those roots. There is a profound simplicity in his approach. It’s both/and rather than either/or. It’s both tradition and innovation, collaborating in a symbiotic relationship that focuses on how Jesus can revitalize the broken lives of both individuals and communities.
The “controlling image” of the book is “a tree thriving in the desert, and in its shade is the tapestry of colour, new flowers, and life forms thriving in the root-ball. These organisms of deep roots and wild branches are blending together.” (p.154) In the desert of our modern society, there is at work the power of new life in transformative ecosystems enlivened by a God who turns deserts into jungles and cemeteries into gardens, dilapidation into renovation, through resurrection. The fullest resurrection image in the Scriptures is Revelation 22, a remixed urban-garden scenario centered around the tree of life. Both traditional and innovative formulations of church draw their vitality from this same source though the all-encompassing ecosystem of God’s mercy and grace.
Beck still finds the Fresh Expressions flow of practices – listening, loving and serving, building community, exploring discipleship, church taking shape, and doing it again – instructive and inspirational for this blended ecology he is advocating. He also finds the image of grafting, related to Jesus’ parable of the vineyard in John 15:1-6, an illuminating concept to keep in mind. As he understands it, a new scion (fresh expressions) is grafted to the root stock (inherited congregations) and produces new possibilities for flourishing. For the church, this grafting happens through conversations where stories are shared, invitations extended, and both the traditional and the innovative are celebrated in ways that provide mutual nourishment.
As you can see, I have come to a deep appreciation for Beck’s approach and encouragements. I have long had deep reservations about the ways in which, to me at least, the advocates of new church plants have denigrated and dismissed existing congregations, ignoring the potential for new life arising from those roots. Let us pray the “both/and” turn in this movement spreads, and spreads rapidly.
I have one major disagreement with Beck, however. He imagines the tree and the seeds that fall from its wild branches as oases in a desert. His analysis of the desert draws on social criticism of the economy, family life, religion, technology, neighbourhoods, and church institutions. There is little, if any, sense that the Spirit of our Creator’s Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, is active in the life forms that populated the desert. I beg to differ. I am convinced by, among others, Jurgen Moltmann in positing a panentheism that recognizes the Creator’s activity throughout the creation. It is not for the church to take the gospel to the desert and establish outposts of the new creation there. It is, rather, for the church to discover the Spirit at work there and ally with it in enhancing and expanding the influence of our Creator’s forgiving and reconciling love in every network with which we engage. Nourishing people to flourish in these alliances one conversation after another may bring them to accept Christian formulations of their life’s purpose and they may not. The Spirit generates the harvest. We sow the seeds.
Our denomination’s lead animateur in church planting did me a big favour in recommending that I engage with this book. Even in my disagreements with Beck, I have been provoked. I’m confident you will be as well.
August 3, 2019
This is a practical approach for honoring yet blending an established church (deep roots) into first century pioneers who model meeting new people in new places ... like private homes, pubs, tattoo parlors and dog parks. (wild branches)
I actually heard the author present many points of this quick read in a recent seminar. He opens this book with “it is frustrating to me when people write books on things they’ve never actually done.” Pastor Beck has taken time out of his leading “fresh expressions of church” to share what he has done, and for many of us, it is worth our pause.
The first century church stories/examples are what I liked best, scriptures included. I also resonated with his ethos emphasis of Matthew 1:23 and the phrase “God with us” more emphasis on ‘with-ness’ than exclusive ‘us-ness.’ He’s right ... “no where did Jesus instruct his disciples to build buildings and stick a sign in the ground saying, ‘meet us here on Sunday morning for an hour so we can teach you about the kingdom of God ... Jesus sends us out to be the church, a living organism in the world, not to attract people to a church compound.” p 89
I actually heard the author present many points of this quick read in a recent seminar. He opens this book with “it is frustrating to me when people write books on things they’ve never actually done.” Pastor Beck has taken time out of his leading “fresh expressions of church” to share what he has done, and for many of us, it is worth our pause.
The first century church stories/examples are what I liked best, scriptures included. I also resonated with his ethos emphasis of Matthew 1:23 and the phrase “God with us” more emphasis on ‘with-ness’ than exclusive ‘us-ness.’ He’s right ... “no where did Jesus instruct his disciples to build buildings and stick a sign in the ground saying, ‘meet us here on Sunday morning for an hour so we can teach you about the kingdom of God ... Jesus sends us out to be the church, a living organism in the world, not to attract people to a church compound.” p 89
November 2, 2020
This is an excellent, inspiring book for someone who is tired of just doing church the way it has always been done, and is wanting to find a new plan for reaching those not currently in the church. The book only gets 4 stars for two reasons: first, it contains nothing that a Fresh Expressions US vision day doesn’t give you, and second, because I think it would be so much more helpful to not only get this picture, but also a more practical look at how you can actually live this model out in a congregation. While there are some illustrations, they are more to help inspire and get you thinking about the possibilities your context presents, not what it will actually look like in your context. With these limitations, this is still a great, inspiring book that can help people rethink church.
February 21, 2020
A fine introduction to a revelatory model for many church leaders: blending ministry to a conventional congregation and small, light-footprint, unincorporated churches among the dones and nones in the community. Beck is a bit light on practicality in the practical part of the book, but his vision is compelling—even revolutionary—and especially relevant to leaders of small congregations in advanced decline.
November 18, 2019
What I appreciate about this book is that it respects the traditional, inherited church while calling for the sending of people to create church where people are doing life. Beck stretches our thinking from either traditional or emerging to both traditional and emerging. He provides food for thought and workable action plans.
July 9, 2020
Michael Adam Beck has given us an immensely practical and helpful guide to developing fresh expressions of the church in North America. The book is especially timely with Covid-19 disrupting traditional patterns of church life. Beck encourages us to lean into what the Spirit is saying to the churches and seek new ways of being the church in our communities.
January 22, 2022
When I chose this book I misunderstood it premise, and that does not really connect with where I am and what I am doing. There are some great ideas and thoughts here for existing churches (deep roots) to reorient themselves in creating fresh expressions outside of their existing framework (wild branches). For anyone with a desire to revitalize and existing church I recommend this book.
February 5, 2024
The importance of blended ecology
Very helpful book on how the inherited church and fresh expressions work together and is essential for the church to thrive in a post Christendom world
Very helpful book on how the inherited church and fresh expressions work together and is essential for the church to thrive in a post Christendom world
June 30, 2021
Great read- see video review https://youtu.be/T1Tivy3irkY
January 13, 2023
A little repetitive for such a small book, but truly inspired ideas and joys of ministries... I'm excited to see what kind of wild branches we can grow. :)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews