This document outlines 17 characteristics of an ideal church or type of church that the author dreams of belonging to. Some of the key characteristics mentioned include a church where Christ is central, people live as the church outside its walls, signs and wonders occur in the marketplace, worship is extravagant, leadership is shared and non-hierarchical, and the church boldly confronts society with God's viewpoint.

1. Monday 30 August 2010

2. “I have a
Dream...”
Martin Luther
King
Monday 30 August 2010

3. “I have a dream of
a church”
Monday 30 August 2010

4. Acts 11:19-30
13:1-3
Monday 30 August 2010

5. What church do you
dream of ?
What sort of church do
you want to belong to?
Monday 30 August 2010

6. This presentation was inspired by
an original idea of Barney Coombs
from Salt and Light Ministries
Monday 30 August 2010

7. 1. Where Christ is central
Php 1:21, 3:7-11, Matt 16:16, Col 1:18
Monday 30 August 2010

8. 2. Where people don’t go to
church but live in the
revelation that they are the
church, wherever they live
and work
1 Cor 12:27
Monday 30 August 2010

9. 3. Where signs and wonders
are done in the marketplace
rather than in the church
Acts 5:15, 19:11-12
Monday 30 August 2010

10. 4. Which is strong
in the Lord and
spiritual warfare
Jn 15:5, Php 4:13,
Eph 6:10-12
Monday 30 August 2010

11. 5. Which is
washed clean
from religious
bondage and
spiritual heresy
Matt 23:3-7, 15,
23-25
Monday 30 August 2010

12. 6. Where salvation is free but
to follow Jesus costs
everything
Lk 14:26, Matt 19:23, Lk 9:23
Monday 30 August 2010

13. “The old cross is a symbol of
death. It stands for the abrupt,
violent end of a human being. In
Roman times, the man who took
up his cross and started down the
read was not coming back. He was
not going out to have his life re-
directed. He was going out to have
it ended.”
A.W. Tozer
Monday 30 August 2010

14. 7. Which is vibrant and
extravagant in praise and
worship
Ps 100:1-5, Col. 3:17
Monday 30 August 2010

15. 8. Where each
part is working
properly with
ligaments of
sacrificial love
1 Cor 12:12-31, Gal
6:2, Rom 15:1, 2
Monday 30 August 2010

16. 9. Where
backbiting and
gossip are
regarded as
wicked crimes
Matt 12:36, Luke
12:3, James 3:6
Monday 30 August 2010

17. 10. Where
leadership is
vulnerable to
one another
Monday 30 August 2010

18. 11. Where the leadership is
not monopolised by the
pastor and teacher, but we
understand the biblical
grounds of cutting edge
revelation
Eph 2:20
Monday 30 August 2010

19. 12. Which is strongly
theological and where the
saints are taught the full
counsel of God
Are you Pentecostal, Baptist, charismatic
- or a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Matt 22:29, 2 Tim 3:5, Jn 8:31-32
Monday 30 August 2010

20. 13. Where the eldership is
male but the ministry is male
and female
Gal 3:28, Joel 2:29 - Acts 2
Monday 30 August 2010

21. 14. Which is neither afraid nor
ashamed to confront society
with God’s viewpoint about its
own ungodliness
Matthew 5:13-16
Monday 30 August 2010

22. 15. Where the
leaders are
more
dangerous than
conservative
Taking RISKS
Acts 10, Acts 13
Monday 30 August 2010

23. 15. Where the
leaders are
more
dangerous than
conservative
Taking RISKS
Acts 10, Acts 13
Monday 30 August 2010

24. 16. Which has the nation and
the nations at its heart
Matt 24:14, 28:19, Psalm 2:8
Monday 30 August 2010

25. 17. Which is
letting its light
shine in such a
way that kings
will come to its
brightness
Isaiah 60:1-3
Monday 30 August 2010