When I look at a city, I don’t focus on neighborhoods or individuals or even centers of power.

Instead, I look for circles.

Each circle I find is unique.
Sometimes a circle is a family, sometimes it is a group of friends, sometimes it is a group that works together, and other times it is a group that plays together.
Here is why these circles are important: with one exception, circles are just like a local church.

• Circles have a leadership structure and a decision making process
• Circles have a sense of history, identity, purpose and future
• Circles have members who care for one another

The only thing that circles are missing is Christ.

When Christ becomes the center of a given circle, that circle becomes a church.

That is why Jesus sends his disciples to existing circles (Luke 10:5-7), which Luke calls households. The results of Jesus’ strategy emerge throughout the book of Acts:

• Cornelius and his household are saved (Acts 10, 11:1-18)
• Lydia and her household are saved (Acts 16:11-15)
• The Philippian jailer and his household are saved (Acts 16:22-34)
• Crispus and his household are saved (Acts 18:1-8)

And that is why I look for circles, too.
Your turn:

1. What do you focus on when you look at your city?
2. What are the advantages of transforming an existing circle into a church?
3. How does your disciple making strategy incorporate the importance of circles?

Share your thoughts and make it a conversation!

Kirk Anderson

• I inspire disciple makers through training, coaching and writing to think and act strategically to reach their cities with the Gospel.
• Inspiring disciple makers to think and act strategically.

http://udmms.com/about/simple-church