How can Christians connect with the unchurched in our post-Christendom society? One important way is by creating what Dr. Timothy Keller calls “church porches.”
A “church porch” can take many forms. Like “Solomon’s Porch” (John 10:22-39; Acts 3:11-26; Acts 5:12-16), a “church porch” is a “half-way space between the ‘world’ and the holy place.” Examples of church porches include:
Christian study centers, such as L’Abri or the members of the Consortium of Christian Study Centers
Christian schools which incorporate non-Christian families, such as South City Community School
Mercy/service projects, programs, and organizations, such as Friendship House and LifeSpring Community Health
Pregnancy resource centers, such as Blue Ridge Women’s Center
Book clubs and Bible discussion groups where at least half of the participants are unchurched people, such as Christianity Explored, a Great Books discussion group, or a “current bestsellers” discussion group
Co-working spaces, perhaps with discounts or grants for gospel churches to host meetings for a free or at reduced rates; Faith-Driven Entrepreneur lists some examples
Church-run coffee shops such as Ebenezers Coffeehouse
Community life centers such as Bonsack Baptist Community Life Center or Cave Spring Baptist Family Life Center
Outdoor sports spaces, such as a basketball hoop in the parking lot, paired with occasional church-run tournaments, such as Christ the King Presbyterian Church is doing
The “Church Porch Incubator” is envisioned as a 12-week course which integrates theory and practice:
The theory component is to include selected readings from authors both ancient and modern, possibly to include Augustine of Hippo (City of God Book 19), Tim Keller (various selections), Abraham Kuyper (selections from Pro Rege), and Daniel Strange (“For Their Rock Is Not as Our Rock”).
The practice component is to incorporate tools such as the Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas, as well as resources from Praxis Labs, The Chalmers Center, etc.
The goal of the course is to launch a micro-venture (e.g., a mercy project or book discussion group) or generate a compelling “pitch” for a larger venture such as a study center, Christian school, or anything else that involves purchasing, building, or leasing additional real estate (e.g., a co-working space, coffee shop, community life center, etc.)
The “Church Porch Incubator” could be delivered in-person (e.g., open to all church leaders of gospel churches in a city), online (e.g., Zoom meetings), and various hybrid formats.
Daniel Vos
2 years ago
How can Christians connect with the unchurched in our post-Christendom society? One important way is by creating what Dr. Timothy Keller calls “church porches.”
A “church porch” can take many forms. Like “Solomon’s Porch” (John 10:22-39; Acts 3:11-26; Acts 5:12-16), a “church porch” is a “half-way space between the ‘world’ and the holy place.” Examples of church porches include:
Christian study centers, such as L’Abri or the members of the Consortium of Christian Study Centers
Christian schools which incorporate non-Christian families, such as South City Community School
Mercy/service projects, programs, and organizations, such as Friendship House and LifeSpring Community Health
Pregnancy resource centers, such as Blue Ridge Women’s Center
Book clubs and Bible discussion groups where at least half of the participants are unchurched people, such as Christianity Explored, a Great Books discussion group, or a “current bestsellers” discussion group
Co-working spaces, perhaps with discounts or grants for gospel churches to host meetings for a free or at reduced rates; Faith-Driven Entrepreneur lists some examples
Church-run coffee shops such as Ebenezers Coffeehouse
Community life centers such as Bonsack Baptist Community Life Center or Cave Spring Baptist Family Life Center
Outdoor sports spaces, such as a basketball hoop in the parking lot, paired with occasional church-run tournaments, such as Christ the King Presbyterian Church is doing
The “Church Porch Incubator” is envisioned as a 12-week course which integrates theory and practice:
The theory component is to include selected readings from authors both ancient and modern, possibly to include Augustine of Hippo (City of God Book 19), Tim Keller (various selections), Abraham Kuyper (selections from Pro Rege), and Daniel Strange (“For Their Rock Is Not as Our Rock”).
The practice component is to incorporate tools such as the Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas, as well as resources from Praxis Labs, The Chalmers Center, etc.
The goal of the course is to launch a micro-venture (e.g., a mercy project or book discussion group) or generate a compelling “pitch” for a larger venture such as a study center, Christian school, or anything else that involves purchasing, building, or leasing additional real estate (e.g., a co-working space, coffee shop, community life center, etc.)
The “Church Porch Incubator” could be delivered in-person (e.g., open to all church leaders of gospel churches in a city), online (e.g., Zoom meetings), and various hybrid formats.