Who We Hook Up With (And Why)

No, not THAT kind of hook up! (Gee whiz, guys)...

That's a topic for another sermon series.

Anyway...

Every now and then I am asked "What kind of church is Next Level?" which usually means "Do you belong to a denomination of some kind?".

Since our earliest days W-A-Y back oh four years or so, we have identified ourselves as an "interdenominational" church. This means that we locate ourselves in the broad stream of biblical Christianity but do not choose to overidentify with any one expression of that tradition.

But while we are not a "denominational" church we have chosen to have certain key strategic alliances. By this we mean that we will partner, work with, and affiliate with groups who are united by mission and a common heartbeat.

We have two main alliances.

One is with the Growing Healthy Churches Network, an association of churches who are committed to one main thing - starting new churches (or "church planting"). We take advantage of the training and resources of the GHCN, we host GHCN events for church planters, and we pick the brains of other church leaders who are committed to starting and growing new churches.

We are also affiliated with the Missionary Church. While the Missionary Church is more of a traditional denomination, our affiliation with them also revolves around church planting efforts.

Every two months (including today) we host a gathering called the Next Level Network, which brings together pastors and church leaders from both GHCN, the Missionary Church, and any other folks who share our passion to see disconnected people become connected to Christ and his church and to see new churches started in healthy, growing ways.

Those are the sort of folks we hook up with, and Next Level is stronger for it!