"Consider that in the New Testament of Jesus’ 132 public appearances, 122 were in the marketplace. Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Of 40 miracles in the book of Acts, 39 were in the marketplace. Jesus spent his adult life as a carpenter until age 30 before he went into a preaching ministry in the workplace. And, 54% of Jesus’ reported teaching ministry arose out of issues posed by others in the scope of daily life experience" Source.
The implications of the marketplace are 1) neutrality 2) publicity 3) accessibility 4) availability 5) approachability just to name a few.
The most exciting church plant we have participated in met in a movie theater @oceanpointeri. This is the marketplace! A common place where the community gathers (Church) throughout the week for the breaking of bread (eating popcorn) and fellowship with one another (sharing interests). The Church would benefit from the movie theater model (i.e. regularly gather throughout the week to hear the message of the Gospel depicted in various ways through various talents and casts!).
The “come-and-grow-with-us” model might be most inherent in a Church planted in a community commonplace such as the market.
I sense that in the next years to come we will see more Churches planted in the marketplace. I sense with the renewal movement and the “return” to gospel-centrality and the joining of denominations for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ that more Churches will be planted where its members work in fulfillment of the great commission.
The workplace is uncharted territory, and it is a given that there is not only a stark separation but a need to separate them. I hope and pray that those mindsets fade away. Why don’t we have more churches that meet in the shopping malls and grocery squares!? That is genius. The large brick and mortar building with a steeple is intimidating in my opinion. Let’s move into the marketplace and spread the good news, “come and grow with us.”
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