The Trellis and the Vine

The Trellis and the Vine

All Christian ministry is a mixture of trellis and vine.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />The image of the trellis and the vine raises all the fundamental questions of Christian ministry:<br /><br /> * What is the vine for?<br /> * How does the vine grow?<br /> * How does the vine relate to my church?<br /> * What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference?<br /> * What part do different people play in growing the vine?<br /> * How can we get more people involved in vine work? <br /><br /><br />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.