In the little book by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne entitled, “The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-shift that Changes Eeverything,” the authors assert that all Christian ministry is a mixture of trellis and vine. 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. And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth. Trellis work would be programs, budget, staff, and buildings. Vine work would be sharing the Good News and starting new groups. So the question is — upon which are you majoring? And 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 only a very few? And is the vine starting to wither as a result? In this book, the authors 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 in our region or lifetimes. It’s a book worth reading. Find it at…

 

https://www.amazon.com/Trellis-Vine-Ministry-Mind-Shift-Everything/dp/1921441585

 

(Note: We received no payment or gift as a result of writing this review. In this case, we even had to buy our own book!)