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The Vine Project
The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that Changes Everything
All Christian ministry is a mixture of trellis and vine.
There is vine work: the prayerful preaching and teaching of the word of God to see people converted and grow to maturity as disciples of Christ. Vine work is the Great Commission.
And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.
What’s the state of the trellis and the vine in your part of the world? Has trellis work taken over, as it has a habit of doing? Is the vine work being done by very few (perhaps only the pastor and only on Sundays)? And is the vine starting to wilt as a result?
The image of the trellis and the vine raises all the fundamental questions of Christian ministry:
* What is the vine for?
* How does the vine grow?
* How does the vine relate to my church?
* What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference?
* What part do different people play in growing the vine?
* How can we get more people involved in vine work?
In The Trellis and the Vine, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne answer these urgent questions afresh. They dig back into the Bible’s view of Christian ministry, and argue that a major mind-shift is required if we are to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, and see the vine flourish again.
There is vine work: the prayerful preaching and teaching of the word of God to see people converted and grow to maturity as disciples of Christ. Vine work is the Great Commission.
And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.
What’s the state of the trellis and the vine in your part of the world? Has trellis work taken over, as it has a habit of doing? Is the vine work being done by very few (perhaps only the pastor and only on Sundays)? And is the vine starting to wilt as a result?
The image of the trellis and the vine raises all the fundamental questions of Christian ministry:
* What is the vine for?
* How does the vine grow?
* How does the vine relate to my church?
* What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference?
* What part do different people play in growing the vine?
* How can we get more people involved in vine work?
In The Trellis and the Vine, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne answer these urgent questions afresh. They dig back into the Bible’s view of Christian ministry, and argue that a major mind-shift is required if we are to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, and see the vine flourish again.
196 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Colin Marshall
15 books15 followersColin is married to Jacquie and they have three adult children, Karyn, Deborah and Jonathon.
Together with Jacquie he has spent the past 30 years training men and women in the ministry of the gospel, both in university and local church contexts. He is a graduate of Moore Theological College, Sydney.
He is the author of The Trellis and the Vine, Growth Groups, a training course for small group leaders, and Passing the Baton, a handbook for ministry apprenticeship.
Until 2006 he directed The Ministry Training Strategy, a ministry apprenticeship movement.
Together with Jacquie he has spent the past 30 years training men and women in the ministry of the gospel, both in university and local church contexts. He is a graduate of Moore Theological College, Sydney.
He is the author of The Trellis and the Vine, Growth Groups, a training course for small group leaders, and Passing the Baton, a handbook for ministry apprenticeship.
Until 2006 he directed The Ministry Training Strategy, a ministry apprenticeship movement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
September 11, 2022
A really great book on how to do church ministry. The idea is that we should not focus on various programs, but instead on discipling people. This is the way that Jesus taught us to do ministry: make disciples of all nations. This book contains some practical guides for how to incorporate discipling into the life of a church.
This book will definitely be on my "read a second time" list. I'd love to revisit this book if I ever find myself in ministry.
UPDATE: September 2022. I read this one again. It's really got me thinking about how I can institute steps to train church members to be disciplers of one another.
This book will definitely be on my "read a second time" list. I'd love to revisit this book if I ever find myself in ministry.
UPDATE: September 2022. I read this one again. It's really got me thinking about how I can institute steps to train church members to be disciplers of one another.
August 14, 2017
This is a good book. A very, very good book. It says a lot without needing too many pages, and is encouraging and straight forward. And it does an amazing job reorienting the modern Christian mindset back into the proper focus of ministry: discipling people and training up others to do the same.
If you are a pastor or elder, this is a must read. If you're not, you'll find this book helps you better understand the leader's role, but that most of the chapters aren't practical for you.
That's not to say it detracts from the book, but I was surprised how pastor focused this book is. That means most of the practical advice wasn'tnt directly relevant for me. But what it did give me was a better understanding of my role as a disciple and disciple-maker.
In the end, I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to serve as a pastor or elder, but would point most non-pastors to something else.
If you are a pastor or elder, this is a must read. If you're not, you'll find this book helps you better understand the leader's role, but that most of the chapters aren't practical for you.
That's not to say it detracts from the book, but I was surprised how pastor focused this book is. That means most of the practical advice wasn'tnt directly relevant for me. But what it did give me was a better understanding of my role as a disciple and disciple-maker.
In the end, I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to serve as a pastor or elder, but would point most non-pastors to something else.
April 21, 2022
My second time through this. This book is a help in thinking about the relationship between church programming (the trellis) and discipleship/people(the vine). The thesis is that churches generally focus more on the trellis than the vine, and when we shift the focus to the vine and making vine-dressers, we fulfill the mission on the church, namely, to make disciples who make disciples. I appreciate how practical this book is. This book is required reading for pastors.
July 20, 2022
I've been taught this concept for a while, but it never fell into place as well as it did now that I've read this book. The basic premise is that every church's goal should be to grow the vine - the vine being the people, or disciples of Jesus Christ. This means making new ones and growing the ones that are already there, by meeting them where they are and by helping them to make it one step further by sharing the word of God with them. In this process, the pastor is a trainer whose main job is to focus on looking for a new generation of leaders and to train them in order to delegate much of what is traditionally thought of as pastor's responsibilities, thus gradually reducing a great deal of pastor's traditional work. These trainees in turn look for other people to share the word of God with, meet them where they are and take them one step further. This process continues down to the point that every church member is both a disciple maker and a disciple himself. In this process, the trellis is just a structure that helps grow the vine, and implies things like small groups, one-on-one meetings and so on. The existing trellis should never be the mold that you want to force your people into at all costs; rather, you should start with the kind of people you have and adjust the trellis accordingly.
A very very helpful book, well worth of my time. In fact, I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could. I will be thinking and learning more about these concepts and ideas. I recommend this especially to pastors in countries where there is very little existing structure and where the next generation of leaders is virtually neglected.
A very very helpful book, well worth of my time. In fact, I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could. I will be thinking and learning more about these concepts and ideas. I recommend this especially to pastors in countries where there is very little existing structure and where the next generation of leaders is virtually neglected.
June 6, 2023
A summary in three sentences: we care about the growth of the vine—God’s kingdom—through Spirit-backed, prayerful proclamation of the Bible. Everything we do to support that work is ‘trellis’, but must be updated to keep supporting the growth of ‘the vine’. Vine work is the work of every Christian, who should be equipped to partner in it.
From these three core convictions flow a whole book—and it’s well worth reading. To many its core message may seem obvious, but it certainly can’t be taken for granted, and despite having read it before (multiple times), it was definitely worth reading again. It’s so easy to shift my thinking onto the systems that are already in place, to get into the habit of ‘gap filling’, and to miss what we’re all about. Even the best trellis, a trellis designed to help the vine grow, needs tending to in order to help the vine grow in its current form.
This has been helpful for me to consider how I engage in the ministry God has given me to do—but it’s also enormously helpful for those I’m seeking to train in ministry. While there are elements of it that are starting to feel a little dated, it’s hard to overstate the usefulness of this book. For any inclined to doubt, you only need to consider the profound underlining of its key messages when its inadvertently-prophetic conclusion (“Imagine a pandemic…”) was realised a few years ago. When all else is stripped away, what are we trying to do?
From these three core convictions flow a whole book—and it’s well worth reading. To many its core message may seem obvious, but it certainly can’t be taken for granted, and despite having read it before (multiple times), it was definitely worth reading again. It’s so easy to shift my thinking onto the systems that are already in place, to get into the habit of ‘gap filling’, and to miss what we’re all about. Even the best trellis, a trellis designed to help the vine grow, needs tending to in order to help the vine grow in its current form.
This has been helpful for me to consider how I engage in the ministry God has given me to do—but it’s also enormously helpful for those I’m seeking to train in ministry. While there are elements of it that are starting to feel a little dated, it’s hard to overstate the usefulness of this book. For any inclined to doubt, you only need to consider the profound underlining of its key messages when its inadvertently-prophetic conclusion (“Imagine a pandemic…”) was realised a few years ago. When all else is stripped away, what are we trying to do?
June 7, 2022
Helpful in many ways, this presentation of pastoral theology emphasizes a pastor-trainer model over either the preacher-service provider model or teacher-CEO model. The most significant takeaway for me was the three Cs of ministry/duplication: conviction, character, and competency. We must not overemphasize one at the expense of the others. The book’s use of Scripture is generally sound and insightful. This was a worthwhile read, even if a bit simplistic and redundant at points. Some weaknesses include a too-low view of the ordained ministry (for Presbyterians/Reformed readers, this includes Ruling Elders and Deacons), a lack of clear application (I was left wondering, “how does this work in real life?”), and a failure to handle/address the threat of truly destructive sin patterns which disrupt church life and complicate the ministry of every pastor/leader.
March 29, 2024
I wish I read this book a long time ago. I believe so many unhealthy churches would benefit from this. The philosophy of ministry that Marshall and Payne set forward in this book is one I will seek to emulate in my future life in ministry.
April 15, 2020
An excellent book. A book focusing on the importance of discipleship and building the church.
February 3, 2011
Marshall is a Christian teacher and Payne is a Christian author, and the two team up to write this book challenging churches to reconsider the effectiveness of their programs and goals; specifically they argue that churches need to focus more on growing its members spiritually (the “vine” in the title) and less on events and ministry structures (the trellises). They don’t argue that trellis-building is wrong as some believe, merely that our focus should be more on vine growth. Their arguments are well-grounded in Scriptural verses and lines of theology. Unfortunately, I had many issues with the book. First, the book does what many of the contemporary Christian books do when analyzing church effectiveness and behavior – they blame the church. If a congregation isn’t growing spiritually, it is 100% because of something the church is doing or is not doing, rather than because the individuals are making bad choices, or because modern society and culture have an effect. Second, the book makes statements claiming to be counter-intuitive to church culture, even though none of the churches I have ever encountered would ever argue that these truths weren’t completely intuitive (e.g. statements like “Everyone is called to be evangelistic” – that’s commonly preached in sermons everywhere). Thirdly, they classify churches or ministries or pastors into categories, without recognizing the blurred lines between their categories. For instance, they classify pastors as clergymen, CEOs, or trainers, and express that the third classification is the best – as if most pastors aren’t a mix of all three categories. Fourthly, the book is long on arguing a position, but shallow on practical applications. Three-quarters of the book is setting up their position, with the last quarter a FAQ and some examples. This book is a prime example of why even though I’m a Christian, I avoid reading Christian-specific books. Not recommended.
December 7, 2019
Possibly the single best book on ministry I’ve ever read. It’s a hidden gem: recommended by so many popular ministry leaders I respect (Chandler, Dever, Duncan, Mohler, etc.), but because it is printed by their own publisher (Matthias Media), I think it gets less publicity. But when you research it, I’m not the only one who has come to think this is an astounding book on ministry.
What makes it so great? A handful of things. First, it properly distinguishes the difference between trellis work (structure, programs, etc.) and vine-work (gospel growth in people), with the emphasis clearly being on the vine—the trellis only exists to support the vine. Second, it’s emphasis on disciple-based ministry is spot on. It both aims at growing Christians, and also evangelism—depth and width. Moreover, third, this view of ministry finds the biblical model where the church isn’t supposed to be so attractional (just doing whatever it takes to get people in the door) nor dead and routine (just doing what is traditional).
Fourth, the book also gives pastoral ministry its proper place. It gives supremacy to the word, but then also to pastors applying that word to people who then apply the word to other people—“equipping the saints [not just the pastors] to do the work of the ministry.”
Finally—and I could write more, but I just encourage you to read the book—the book is very practical. My fear with it, after reading the first six chapters, was that it was going to be spot on biblically and philosophically, but then vague in how to implement. That wasn’t the case at all. Not only do they have training books and curriculum, but more importantly, the last two chapters are extremely practical and give examples of what this might look like.
So, overall, one of (if not the) best ministry books I’ve read. Very thankful for the book, and very thankful that they wrote a follow up, *The Vine Project*, to make it even more understandable and attainable! I’ll be reading that in the future.
What makes it so great? A handful of things. First, it properly distinguishes the difference between trellis work (structure, programs, etc.) and vine-work (gospel growth in people), with the emphasis clearly being on the vine—the trellis only exists to support the vine. Second, it’s emphasis on disciple-based ministry is spot on. It both aims at growing Christians, and also evangelism—depth and width. Moreover, third, this view of ministry finds the biblical model where the church isn’t supposed to be so attractional (just doing whatever it takes to get people in the door) nor dead and routine (just doing what is traditional).
Fourth, the book also gives pastoral ministry its proper place. It gives supremacy to the word, but then also to pastors applying that word to people who then apply the word to other people—“equipping the saints [not just the pastors] to do the work of the ministry.”
Finally—and I could write more, but I just encourage you to read the book—the book is very practical. My fear with it, after reading the first six chapters, was that it was going to be spot on biblically and philosophically, but then vague in how to implement. That wasn’t the case at all. Not only do they have training books and curriculum, but more importantly, the last two chapters are extremely practical and give examples of what this might look like.
So, overall, one of (if not the) best ministry books I’ve read. Very thankful for the book, and very thankful that they wrote a follow up, *The Vine Project*, to make it even more understandable and attainable! I’ll be reading that in the future.
May 30, 2022
This book changed my mindset to think more about how I can be more focused on discipleship and the growth of people in my church and small group. Not just focused on event planning and organising, which my church does a lot. Even though the call to be a disciple-making-disciple is a slow, unpredictable and sometimes frustrating process, I see now how it is a joyful task. The book puts much focus on one-to-one discipleship, with the belief that learning by close imitation will create gospel spreading Christians who live out what they believe. You cannot pass on what you have first experienced and learned first-hand. It provides different training approaches, graphs and methods to prioritize people to grow spiritually and skillfully.
September 21, 2021
A simple but radical vision for equipping believers to be gospel ministers. If our church structures are the trellis, and gospel growth is the vine, then this book reminds us that vine work is key. We must focus our attention on training vine-workers.
April 24, 2024
Excellent resource for a philosophy of ministry. It wasn’t ground breaking like the title suggests, but it did help strengthen some convictions I already had. The three C’s will forever be a part of how I think of the qualifications for ministry. My one critique is that the idea of a pastor as trainer might be a bit simplistic. I wish they would have used a word like discipler or theologian or both. Trainer might convey a more pragmatic approach to ministry, though that isn’t Marshall or Payne’s intent. Regardless, this was a helpful book that I would highly recommend. I think many pastors would greatly benefit from this book.
November 15, 2022
The metaphor is right. It just takes a page to explain, not a book.
I’ve also seen the ways the focus on “people worth watching (PWWs)” is not only cringeworthy but just creates a new class division in place of the clergy/lay distinction Marshall and Payne are so concerned with.
Join your parish, worship Christ, love people. Don’t buy this book.
I’ve also seen the ways the focus on “people worth watching (PWWs)” is not only cringeworthy but just creates a new class division in place of the clergy/lay distinction Marshall and Payne are so concerned with.
Join your parish, worship Christ, love people. Don’t buy this book.
October 8, 2022
Essential outline for ministry that is people-centred and focused on growing disciple-making disciples, rather than creating and propagating structures that look good on paper but do not inherently produce fruit. A short and helpful practical read that identifies the pastoral staff's role in training leaders to go forth and train future leaders, who in turn will "entrust [the gospel] to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Tim 2:2)
October 25, 2018
All the elders in our church read and discussed this a number of years ago. The central images of the book are really helpful, and the book contains a lot of good information. Definitely recommended.
May 3, 2019
Provocador e direto. Livro compara de modo interessante o investimento pastoral na estrutura que pode promover o crescimento dos discípulos que congregam com ele ao investimento no crescimento dos discípulos com ou sem estruturas específicas. Uma leitura agradável apesar de confrontadora e desafiadora.
December 28, 2021
Ministry is much more simple than you think, but much harder. Ministry is essentially discipleship, and discipleship requires relationships, and relationships require time, patience, intentionality, and love.
August 20, 2022
Helpful read. If your looking for a basic overview of what it means to make disciples of all nations this book is a good place to start. Enjoy.
April 13, 2023
This was fascinating to read. I'm planning to reread it soon with others, and work through how to apply the principles in our own contexts.
November 20, 2022
Bemoaning that we taught Australians how to use metaphors
(p.s. this book is yet another attempt to 'redefine' the ministry—as if they are the first people to have ever thought about it. it's shameful that this book was assigned in a seminary. it's a book written to guilt a pastor into purchasing their ministry scheme which 'conveniently' resembles a watered-down seminary.)
(p.s. this book is yet another attempt to 'redefine' the ministry—as if they are the first people to have ever thought about it. it's shameful that this book was assigned in a seminary. it's a book written to guilt a pastor into purchasing their ministry scheme which 'conveniently' resembles a watered-down seminary.)
May 18, 2020
An excellent book to get you thinking about the culture of your church. The authors write in a readable way and do a good job of drawing our attention to what should be core in our ministries. As they articulate in the book, much of the activity that takes place in the American church is centered on structural support and institutional development (what they call "trellis work") instead of practical discipleship and spiritual growth ("vine work"). While they recognize that both are essential (and indeed, are overlapping and interdependent) a church with little to no vine-work is falling short of the call of Christ.
For some this book will be "the ministry mind-shift that changes everything" (as the publisher somewhat grandiosely puts it) while for others it will be a convicting reminder of the biblical priorities which should shape our churches. But for all readers, the Trellis and the Vine offers a refreshing opportunity to refocus on what really matters in ministry. The authors write as Gospel-Coalition style Anglicans (hailing from the evangelical and Reformed diocese of Sydney, Australia) and so some issue of polity and practice will be done differently if you are a Baptist or Presbyterian Pastor. But for Western church leaders, this book can be a welcome influence to push us back to the Bible as we think about what we do and why we do it as a church.
For some this book will be "the ministry mind-shift that changes everything" (as the publisher somewhat grandiosely puts it) while for others it will be a convicting reminder of the biblical priorities which should shape our churches. But for all readers, the Trellis and the Vine offers a refreshing opportunity to refocus on what really matters in ministry. The authors write as Gospel-Coalition style Anglicans (hailing from the evangelical and Reformed diocese of Sydney, Australia) and so some issue of polity and practice will be done differently if you are a Baptist or Presbyterian Pastor. But for Western church leaders, this book can be a welcome influence to push us back to the Bible as we think about what we do and why we do it as a church.
October 26, 2023
This is a good introduction to the importance of training lay-people for the work of the ministry. Nothing fancy here. But quality thought on disciple making.
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Just re-read this one. It’s still so helpful. Simply but faithful.
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Just re-read this one. It’s still so helpful. Simply but faithful.
Read
November 26, 2011Though churches need systems and structures in order to be healthy (the trellis), we need to learn how to invest our love, ministry, and resources primarily in people (the vine).
May 30, 2018
Llegué a este libro con un poco de temor. Soy consciente de que he fallado muchísimas veces cuando pensé en programas para la iglesia. Pero este libro me orientó a lo que la Biblia nos dirige: Las personas y no los programas. Una y otra vez este es el punto a destacar. De todos los ángulos que quieras verlo, este libro te anima a promover las Convicciones, el Carácter y las Capacidades de los creyentes, en ese orden. No importa qué clase de personas sean, si son personas cambiadas por el evangelio, entonces estas tres áreas pueden ser orientadas y edificadas bíblicamente. Capacitar a los creyentes no es otra cosa que cumplir la gran comisión dada por Jesús en Mateo 28. Y la gran comisión se ve cumplida cuando continua su curso y se repite una y otra vez y siempre con las personas y no los programas en primer lugar. Es el claro reflejo del título del libro: Trabajar en la vid más que el enrejado. El libro sugiere que tendrás que deshacerte de tradiciones obsoletas y prácticas que no tienen objeto que se sigan realizando en tu iglesia. En pocas palabras, este es un libro para líderes valientes (si es que se puede pensar en los líderes de otra manera). Queremos transmitir enseñanzas que reflejen el evangelio y la santidad en la vida de otros. No hay secretos, no hay imitaciones a esto más allá del pecado y la desobediencia sin tratar bíblicamente. La iglesia local es el lugar donde todo esto comienza, no los Seminarios o Institutos Bíblicos. Quizá, a mi parecer, el libro carece de una conclusión más concreta, pero no afecta en nada a los principios que ha querido comunicar. De hecho, la conversación entre el autor y Phillip Jensen en el apéndice final me resultó sumamente valiosa y práctica. Creo que refleja claramente la intención del autor al colocarla al final, mostrando así que también hay otros batallando en las mismas áreas y con los mismos dilemas, pero que han encontrado en la Escritura todo lo necesario para hacer la voluntad de Dios en este área del discipulado. Quiera Dios seguir usando este libro, y espero que así lo haga en mi vida para su gloria.
January 3, 2024
I read this book as part of staff development for my job. Think of it as a resource for ministry effectiveness. It’s not the sort of captivating storyline that will make you not want to put it down. However, it does have lots of wisdom about the mission and vision of ministry. Colin Marshall and Tony Payne cast vision for the difference between the “trellis” - the structures of ministry, the committees, the programs, the logistics, etc. and the “vine” - the actual gospel growth, the life changes, the disciple-making disciples, etc. they build an argument for the importance of vine work over trellis work. not to say that Trey’s work isn’t important or a means to which vine work happens, but their goal is to shift our focus back to the reason for ministry, the vine work, the growth of the vine, the growth of the kingdom. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to any church leader or full-time ministry leader.
October 11, 2019
A refreshing look at ministry.
The beauty of this book definitely lies in its simplicity.
A healthy ministry focus is on making disciples who will be trained to make other disciples. That emphasis prompts immediate agreement, but as we look at ourselves or our churches we can easily spot where this emphasis on disciple-making has taken a backseat. This is the call of this book, to view growth in people as gospel growth. Speaking truth to one another prayerfully and in the power of the Spirit.
All Christians should be involved in the work of ministry and we need to be careful not to just get people involved in the structures of church life, but rather in the kind of discipleship that encourages gospel growth. In this way our people will grow in their conviction, character and competency.
An important book for church leaders, but also for laypeople seeking to support their leaders in the work of ministry.
The beauty of this book definitely lies in its simplicity.
A healthy ministry focus is on making disciples who will be trained to make other disciples. That emphasis prompts immediate agreement, but as we look at ourselves or our churches we can easily spot where this emphasis on disciple-making has taken a backseat. This is the call of this book, to view growth in people as gospel growth. Speaking truth to one another prayerfully and in the power of the Spirit.
All Christians should be involved in the work of ministry and we need to be careful not to just get people involved in the structures of church life, but rather in the kind of discipleship that encourages gospel growth. In this way our people will grow in their conviction, character and competency.
An important book for church leaders, but also for laypeople seeking to support their leaders in the work of ministry.
April 22, 2024
Marshall and Payne offer a transformative vision for church ministry in their Trellis and the Vine, and it is a vision that should be considered by all. Church ministry is not about numbers, programs, nor image, but about making disciple-makers. This is a simple call with a complex execution. But, this goal stays far from abstract as Marshall and Payne offer plenty of practical steps to ministers and congregants alike. This book will rock anyone's vision of what biblical discipleship is meant to be in all the right ways. Equal parts challenging, convicting, and encouraging, Marshall and Payne'a Trellis and the Vine can be considered the quintessential handbook for church ministry to and for all people.
December 12, 2012
Synopsis
In The Trellis and the Vine, Marshall and Payne present a simple picture—a trellis (structure) supporting a growing vine (individual growth)—from which they build a case for a different kind of ministry philosophy. This image provides the central concept for their philosophy of ministry. The authors reject the prevalent philosophy that people should be used to build programs and instead promote a philosophy in which ministries and programs are used to build people.
The authors contend that in modern churches, the institutionalized view of Christianity has causes trellis work to receive too much emphasis. Essentially, the modern (western) church's infatuation with structure and program mean they are focusing on (metaphorically speaking) painting the trellis, mending the trellis, and fashioning the trellis into the most efficient and beautiful trellis imaginable—all while forgetting to water the vine. After all, the trellis exists for the vine, not the vine for the trellis. The job of the believer is to make disciples, or grow the vine, and the trellis is only the necessary structure built to assist the vine in its growth. Great lengths are taken to draw the necessary distinctions between "vine work" and "trellis work."
"We will be arguing that structures don’t grow ministry any more than trellises grow vines, and that most churches need to make a conscious shift—away from erecting and maintaining structures, and towards growing people who are disciple-making disciples of Christ." (Kindle Locations 169-170).
This shift in mindset would mean that the primary goal of the church leaders is not to institute a list of approved programs, but rather to observe the people given to them by God and form ministries that would grow these people. Naturally, because each church is made of different people, each church's programs would look different from the others. In this process of analyzing people and ministries, programs will undoubtedly be dropped because they are no longer useful. Abandoning programs does not mean one is abandoning the work of God. In fact, abandoning a worthless program may be the best first step to actually doing the work of God.
This paradigm shift among an established congregation will take time to develop. Programs familiar from the past may or may not be useful. Time is needed to know the volunteers in the church. But the benefits of doing this kind of ministry are profound: the jobs are never all taken, there is always work to be done, and the results are spiritually invigorating. Programs are not the ultimate reason for the church's existence. It is important that we realize people are what we should grow—not programs or numbers:
"But it’s interesting how little the New Testament talks about church growth, and how often it talks about ‘gospel growth’ or the increase of the ‘word’. The focus is on the progress of the Spirit-backed word of God as it makes its way in the world, according to God’s plan." (Kindle Locations 445-447).
Strengths
One of the major strengths of The Trellis and the Vine is the emphasis put on the people in the church doing the work of the ministry. This is a welcome antidote to combat the thinking that professional pastors and deacons should be the only ones doing the "work of the ministry." All Christians are vine workers! Christianity has no room for second-class Christians:
"The gospel itself demands that we stand with our leaders and preachers in profound unity, teamwork and solidarity—not because of their personalities or gifts, but because of our common partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There aren’t two classes of Christians—the partners and the spectators. We’re all in it together." (Kindle Locations 817-819).
Weaknesses
There are two very minor issues I had with this book. First, the authors de-emphasize programs to the point where the Sunday morning worship service might possibly be a negotiable aspect of church ministry. I did not get the impression that the church should have non-negotiable programs—everything not well attended or shunned was open to being cut. Similar to Simple Church, the concept of simplifying a church ministry is appealing to many overworked and under-producing church laborers, but we must be careful to not let the frustrations swing back like a pendulum.
Second, the picture painted of church work often seemed optimistic to the point of being unrealistic. The patter in the book seems to indicate that people, exposed to time with the pastor and "vine work" (not always clearly defined), will grow. How the church can help its members grow in sanctification remains vague. Further, because of man's sin nature, people—if given the chance—may not always take the high road (or spiritual road) in the battle for growth. Much depends on the congregation with whom a pastor is ministering, but there are certainly some aspects of church structure that are vitally important that immature church members may not believe to be important to the point that it ends up on the chopping block. The book fails to take into account the spiritual growth of sanctification that affords believers a better perspective of church ministry.
Conclusion
The Trellis and the Vine remains a great standard bearer for church ministries who are looking to escape the rat race of program driven churches to focus on the needs of individuals and their Christian growth. Although the book tends to speak in broadly evangelical terms and may not be specific enough for full-scale implementation without adaptation, the central image provides a convincing visual aid for streamlining and realigning your ministry with God's Word.
In The Trellis and the Vine, Marshall and Payne present a simple picture—a trellis (structure) supporting a growing vine (individual growth)—from which they build a case for a different kind of ministry philosophy. This image provides the central concept for their philosophy of ministry. The authors reject the prevalent philosophy that people should be used to build programs and instead promote a philosophy in which ministries and programs are used to build people.
The authors contend that in modern churches, the institutionalized view of Christianity has causes trellis work to receive too much emphasis. Essentially, the modern (western) church's infatuation with structure and program mean they are focusing on (metaphorically speaking) painting the trellis, mending the trellis, and fashioning the trellis into the most efficient and beautiful trellis imaginable—all while forgetting to water the vine. After all, the trellis exists for the vine, not the vine for the trellis. The job of the believer is to make disciples, or grow the vine, and the trellis is only the necessary structure built to assist the vine in its growth. Great lengths are taken to draw the necessary distinctions between "vine work" and "trellis work."
"We will be arguing that structures don’t grow ministry any more than trellises grow vines, and that most churches need to make a conscious shift—away from erecting and maintaining structures, and towards growing people who are disciple-making disciples of Christ." (Kindle Locations 169-170).
This shift in mindset would mean that the primary goal of the church leaders is not to institute a list of approved programs, but rather to observe the people given to them by God and form ministries that would grow these people. Naturally, because each church is made of different people, each church's programs would look different from the others. In this process of analyzing people and ministries, programs will undoubtedly be dropped because they are no longer useful. Abandoning programs does not mean one is abandoning the work of God. In fact, abandoning a worthless program may be the best first step to actually doing the work of God.
This paradigm shift among an established congregation will take time to develop. Programs familiar from the past may or may not be useful. Time is needed to know the volunteers in the church. But the benefits of doing this kind of ministry are profound: the jobs are never all taken, there is always work to be done, and the results are spiritually invigorating. Programs are not the ultimate reason for the church's existence. It is important that we realize people are what we should grow—not programs or numbers:
"But it’s interesting how little the New Testament talks about church growth, and how often it talks about ‘gospel growth’ or the increase of the ‘word’. The focus is on the progress of the Spirit-backed word of God as it makes its way in the world, according to God’s plan." (Kindle Locations 445-447).
Strengths
One of the major strengths of The Trellis and the Vine is the emphasis put on the people in the church doing the work of the ministry. This is a welcome antidote to combat the thinking that professional pastors and deacons should be the only ones doing the "work of the ministry." All Christians are vine workers! Christianity has no room for second-class Christians:
"The gospel itself demands that we stand with our leaders and preachers in profound unity, teamwork and solidarity—not because of their personalities or gifts, but because of our common partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There aren’t two classes of Christians—the partners and the spectators. We’re all in it together." (Kindle Locations 817-819).
Weaknesses
There are two very minor issues I had with this book. First, the authors de-emphasize programs to the point where the Sunday morning worship service might possibly be a negotiable aspect of church ministry. I did not get the impression that the church should have non-negotiable programs—everything not well attended or shunned was open to being cut. Similar to Simple Church, the concept of simplifying a church ministry is appealing to many overworked and under-producing church laborers, but we must be careful to not let the frustrations swing back like a pendulum.
Second, the picture painted of church work often seemed optimistic to the point of being unrealistic. The patter in the book seems to indicate that people, exposed to time with the pastor and "vine work" (not always clearly defined), will grow. How the church can help its members grow in sanctification remains vague. Further, because of man's sin nature, people—if given the chance—may not always take the high road (or spiritual road) in the battle for growth. Much depends on the congregation with whom a pastor is ministering, but there are certainly some aspects of church structure that are vitally important that immature church members may not believe to be important to the point that it ends up on the chopping block. The book fails to take into account the spiritual growth of sanctification that affords believers a better perspective of church ministry.
Conclusion
The Trellis and the Vine remains a great standard bearer for church ministries who are looking to escape the rat race of program driven churches to focus on the needs of individuals and their Christian growth. Although the book tends to speak in broadly evangelical terms and may not be specific enough for full-scale implementation without adaptation, the central image provides a convincing visual aid for streamlining and realigning your ministry with God's Word.
March 2, 2018
Disciples of Jesus make disciples of Jesus, who in turn make disciples of Jesus. I think you see where this is going. What is a church? A church is a called out assembly of disciples joined together in making other disciples. More could be said, but this is vital. Pastors make disciples but are also tasked with training disciples to make other disciples, and so on. This is the Gospel work churches are called to do. It's so easy to get off point and begin to be about many other things.
I wish I had read this book years ago. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. This is what pastors and church members are to be about.
I wish I had read this book years ago. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. This is what pastors and church members are to be about.
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