'Wiki Encyclopedia of CityReaching' is sponsored by the 'Center For Urban Innovation'... "Training Innovative Multicultural CityReachers."

'Geo-Church'... Thinking GEOGRAPHICALLY about the Church of Jesus Christ...

As we read through scripture, do we see ANY DIVISION of the Church other than geographic divisions?

And how about unity/harmony? According to scripture, Jesus used the analogy of the Trinity to illustrate what the Church is to be... "I and the Father are ONE. Now y'all be ONE." (loosely paraphrased). He calls us to unity & harmony. NO DIVISIONS among you! The diaconate was formed specifically to help get the Church off on the right foot, and SPECIALLY look out for the cultural divisions and the disadvantaged.

Does the American Church fit the biblical model? Let's hold the biblical standard up, and take a fresh look at the Church as seen typically in U.S. cities & neighborhoods. Do we fit the biblical model?

How's our American Church model working out, anyway? Would anyone conclude we've been effective, the way we've been doing Church? [Barna Research indicated that only 4% of American adults hold a biblical worldview. Dare we claim we've been effective in our culture, using our current models? Maybe our current model is severely flawed? Is anyone alarmed?]

What might be the benefits of geo-Church model? That is, what might be the Great Comission impact if we started becoming MORE BIBLICAL in the way we think of Church, and the way we DO Church?

We'd shock our onlooking neighbors, by looking less homogenous & self-serving.
We'd of necessity HAVE to focus on the most important elements of the Church, (Worship, Truth, LOVE, Faith, Fruits of the Spirit, etc.) and intentionally de-focus on the current 'church growth' strategies in play in the U.S.
Neighborhood Church(es) would start popping up... ie, humbly committed to the neighborhood -- and disavowing our goals to be megachurches?
Sharing life together becomes more practical. Our cafe is your cafe. Our kids attend the same schools, etc.
Accountability between each other will become more plausible.
Accountability for the Great Commission in the neighborhood becomes possible.
Evangelism & Discipleship would be ongoing in our neighborhoods.
Here's where we're starting to collect some Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Best Practices.
Think down to the HOUSEHOLD level of geography? That is, our closest 'neighbors' are the people inside our own homes. Does God not call for a special 'family' role for each of us?
And family life becomes more stable in the context of Christians together, neighborhood by neighborhood.

Model Church? Doesn't all this call into question the basic nature of the biblical model of clustering people into accountable team relationships called the local church?

How might the geo-Church be expedited?

Who's actually DOING IT... in their community? Can we find great examples to feature here and elsewhere?

Home churches are bound to have some examples of home-churches focused on their neighborhood, right? Links anyone?

Who's writing about the geo-church these days? Anyone? Good books anyone can suggest?

Randy Frazee is at least promoting organizing geographically within individual churches. That's a start, even if still seen as potentially self-serving.

Who's preaching about it? Can we highlight any brave leaders actually preaching it from the microphone?
Who's blogging about it? Where's the best discussion found on the net?
Who's at least PRAYING for neighborhood churches?
Read "Living In A Prayed-for Community".
Perhaps via individuals or ministries taking the initiative to geo-map their communities/neighborhoods (not unlike the Greater Indianapolis Google-Map, only perhaps on a more-local basis). [Now you can do it COLLABORATIVELY... see new Google Maps announcement on the Blews Network.]
What social networking sites are mapping its individuals (who participate voluntarily) ? It's at least a suggestion on the table at MyChurch.org. [In the meantime, at least MyChurch already maps its churches geographically. And its individuals by general zipcode. That's a start.]
Here's an SBC Data group in Facebook.
Other ideas, anyone???

Leadership? If this is all true, won't we necessarily have to revisit our definition of the model 'Urban Leader'?

Reviewing Biblical Passages about the Geo-Church... (discussion anyone?)...

Here's a guy's video clip, as a good place to start the discussion...

Disclaimer: We're not advocating for this group. Just using for discussion-sake.

Let's review some of these passages mentioned...

Acts 5:12-14 -- (They apparently sometimes met all together in the city... eg... Solomon's Porch.)
Acts 28:30 -- (doesn't really pertain to 'the church', does it?)
Acts 19:8--10 -- (When they couldn't meet in the synagogue, they met elsewhere...)

Keywords: geo-church geo church geochurch