Gospel Impact Networks

GUEST POST BY ADI P 

Summary 

Gospel Impact Networks are united and collaborative collectives of diverse Christians—such as individuals, city leaders, churches, ministries, and businesses— all working together toward a collective impact in a city or region. These gospel-rich networks model the Trinitarian spirit of mutual submission, love, and non-domination. These networks aim to embody the biblical vision of unity found in John 17:21-22, advancing shared missions — even sometimes despite slight differences in theology, perspective and methodology. An example of a Gospel Impact Network is the Gospel Transformation Network (GTN) in a major South Asian city, which, through phases of prayer, vision-setting, and strategy crystallization, champions both gospel proclamation and rich evangelism as well as gospel transformation and addressing societal issues.

Ultimately, gospel networks thrive on polycentric leadership, allowing Christians from varied backgrounds to receive inputs from one another and give inputs to one another — emphasizing intentional relationship and friendship as the source of thoughtful collaborative work.

What are Gospel Impact Networks?

Gospel impact networks are collaborative collectives that unite diverse entities, including individuals, city influencers, local communities, denominational networks, para-church ministries, para-church networks, businesses, and other culture-influencing networks, working together towards collective impact in a city or region. (While the language in this article focuses on cities, these principles can be applied across a range of contexts from rural to urban).

These gospel networks are by nature polycentric — leadership from everyone to everyone else in a Trinitarian spirit of mutual submission, non-domination, and love. They embody the spirit of John 17:21-22, in which Jesus prays: [I ask] that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

We believe that when many different people, professionals, churches and ministries in the Body of Christ come together to work together and to love together, our collective impact in the city will increase as more and more people come to know Jesus. There is no greater testimony of Christ’s love than when communities of faith show how well they love one another — even through difficulty and disagreement.

When operating in a place of gospel health, these polycentric gospel networks aim to bring formation, resonance, and alignment among Christians in their city to achieve a unified, transformative effect.

In his book, Impact Networks, David Ehrlichman writes:

“When you bring people together in an impact network, you’re inviting them into co-creation—into the collective discovery of what the network is and what it can become. Networks are not owned by anyone; they are shared by everyone. Established members and newcomers alike are free to self-organize to advance the network’s purpose in alignment with its principles. As new people contribute, new possibilities emerge.”

Networks can allow Christians from different denominations, backgrounds and professions in a city to understand their work in relation to others. At the heart of all of this is the genuine belief that we are formed more fully in ourselves only in the presence of other Christians. The members of a gospel impact networks are in a process of fostering deep resonance among its members.

While we can say that most Christians in a city share a deep belief in the gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected, differences in theology, perspectives, methodologies, and interpretations can pose challenges to shared work. Yet, when the network builds around a robust gospel theology centered around the non-negotiables of the faith and around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, they begin to advance a shared gospel mission together. By aligning various Christians across a city, networks multiply the efforts of individual participants for exponential impact. The more Christians from different backgrounds pray together, play together and work together for a city, the more their collective impact increases.

GTN: A South Asian Story

Established in the early 2000s, GTN^[1] (Gospel Transformation Network) is a gospel impact network in a major South Asian city that includes local pastors, city leaders, and various stakeholders, working together to address issues like human trafficking, air pollution, and economic disparity and to proclaim the gospel boldly.

In alignment with the biblical vision of unity and mutual submission found in John 17:21-22, GTN’s approach has from the beginning been rooted in a spirit of cooperation and collective impact. The network went through four development phases —

• In 2003, GTN had its first Prayer Summit. During this season, several key city fathers and city mothers from different denominations and backgrounds came together to love one another and pray with one another. These leaders, who each had a great degree of influence in the city, came together in a spirit of mutual love and friendship. While there was obviously some slight disagreements in theology and ministry expression, their love for the gospel and for one another was larger than their differences. And they learned to receive input from one another and give input to one another. It was a picture of polycentric leadership. These initial leaders would eventually become the GTN Core Team — committed to facilitating and supporting churches and Christians across this South Asian city.
  • During this season, the communities of faith in this South Asian city looked for opportunities to collaborate on creating shared spaces for prayer, evangelism and the arts — and much more. These would each ultimately become key strategic areas in a few years.
• In the second phase, from 2015-2016, GTN began to define its vision, values and core pillars. They named deep relationship, united prayer, inclusiveness of all and city vision as a core patterns by which they seek to help support and strengthen Neighbourhood Zone Networks (Zones) and Cultural Stream Networks (Streams; like Arts, Faith and Work, Youth etc.)
• In the third phase, from 2018-2023, GTN has begun to crystallize its strategy. It has activated 13 neighbourhood zones in the city and 14 cultural streams. The zones and streams have been assigned their own core teams that facilitate polycentric leadership at the Zone and Stream level as well.
• In this current fourth phase, GTN’s previous core team is in the process of handing over the leadership of GTN to a new core team composed of 12-14 men and women from very different backgrounds, ages, professions. GTN has also scaled up, helping other cities catalyze gospel networks and polycentric leadership in their own cities.

Moreover, the development of in-house curriculum and frameworks has allowed a concerted effort to align diverse perspectives and methodologies towards a shared vision. By facilitating access to resources and providing scaffolding for various streams, GTN ensures that Christians within the network, despite their varied focuses, remain aligned in their mission to promote justice, environmental stewardship, and holistic family support, thus amplifying their collective impact.

The network’s polycentric nature also involves ongoing adaptation and renewal. As GTN scales its efforts, including training new core teams and deploying mentor-coaches across regional and national levels, it reflects the dynamic, evolving nature of polycentric networks. This flexibility allows GTN to respond to emerging needs and opportunities while maintaining a cohesive vision. By integrating feedback and continuously refining its strategies, GTN exemplifies how gospel impact networks can sustain movement and growth.

In summary, GTN’s approach illustrates the power of polycentric leadership in transforming difficult urban environments. Through ongoing prayer, shared leadership, strategic alignment, and dynamic adaptability, GTN effectively addresses the complex challenges facing Mumbai. Its model serves as a testament to the potential of networks to foster unity and collective impact, advancing the mission of the gospel and embodying the transformative power of God’s shalom in a multifaceted and interdependent city.

A Biblical Perspective of Networks

Creation: Made in the Image of a Trinitarian God

The use of the word “networks” might make some of us cautious, especially since it might come across to many of us that the idea of “networks” is a man-made idea. However, even if the word “networks” is not mentioned in Scripture, the idea of networks is very deeply embedded in the Bible. The Trinity, the “Godhead-Three-in-One” is essentially a networked being. Take a minute to take that in. God Himself is a “network.” That is to say, we affirm the statement “the Lord our God is one” but he is “one-in-three” or “three-in-one.”

The Father is distinct from the Son and so on — but within the Trinity, God relates to God relates to God. God from God to God. In one sense, God is a highly interdependent, mutually interpenetrating network of Persons who cannot be reduced to “sheer relation” on the one hand or “three gods” on the other. We are made in the image of a networked being, and it is therefore fair to say that humans were brought forth from the Trinity into a world of networks.

In creation, God creates a highly interdependent world. Humans are in close relation with God, with one another, with creation and with themselves. They are most fully themselves in the presence of the other; Adam is most fully Adam in the presence of Eve and vice versa. In their oneness, they reflect Godhead-Three-in-One. They are distinct, one and equal. Most importantly, this interdependent network is meant to move and grow as humans expand Eden to the ends of the earth. When God, Adam, and Eve are in resonance, they experience a movement of Eden.

(Of course, it should go without saying that humans are created by the Triune God, and though creatures made in the image of the Trinity, humans are not in-and-of themselves members of the Trinity. We can enter into the presence of the Trinity only by virtue of our position in Jesus Christ.)

Fall: Breakdown of Networks into Rigid Institution or Extreme Disintegration

In the fall, the network begins to break apart and disintegrate. There is now a fracture between God and humanity, between Adam and Eve, and between humanity and the creation. Distrust, discord and division have caused networks to break apart. At best, scattered fragments are still doing some good work on their own individual turfs but working together for collective impact is incredibly difficult.

• Rigid institutionalism arises when networks or organizations become overly centralized, bureaucratic, and inward-focused. This state often emerges as a response to a desire for control or stability but can lead to stagnation and a lack of responsiveness to changing needs or contexts. In this environment, decision-making becomes overtly hierarchical and resistant to innovation or adaptation. Power tends to concentrate in a few individuals or entities, stifling the initiative and creativity of others within the network. The focus shifts from mission and impact to maintaining and perpetuating monuments, often at the expense of the broader community or the original goals of the network. This rigid structure can alienate members who feel marginalized or disenfranchised, leading to a loss of collective purpose and vitality.
• Extreme disintegration occurs when networks or organizations experience a complete breakdown of structure, coherence, and collective purpose. This state is characterized by rampant unchecked decentralization, chaos, and fragmentation, where there is little to no coordination or unified direction. Rather than being overly centralized and bureaucratic, extreme disintegration sees power and decision-making distributed chaotically or not at all, resulting in confusion and inconsistency. Innovation may be rampant, but it lacks cohesion and often leads to conflicting efforts that undermine each other rather than building synergies. Without a clear focus on mission or impact, the organization becomes adrift, with members pursuing individual or conflicting agendas. The lack of institutional stability and coherence erodes trust and diminishes the ability to achieve meaningful collective goals, leaving members feeling disconnected and alienated. In this environment, the organization struggles to maintain any semblance of purpose or effectiveness, ultimately resulting in a loss of identity and relevance within its broader community or context.

In Scripture, Babylon symbolizes not only rigid institutionalism, but also deeply corrupted structures opposed to the gospel message. Babylon epitomizes a network that consolidates totalitarian power, promoting systems that oppress and exploit rather than uplift and unify. Babylon’s ethos of control and domination fragments goodness itself, aiming to disrupt God’s intended order and sow discord among His people. The Babylonian paradigm thrives on maintaining centralized authority at the expense of individual liberties and communal harmony, fostering an environment where corruption flourishes and moral decay spreads. Its anti-gospel nature lies in its distortion of God’s principles of justice, mercy, and love, substituting them with self-serving agendas that perpetuate inequality and spiritual alienation.

In the Book of Judges, extreme disintegration within the tribes of Israel illustrates a stark contrast to Babylon’s centralized oppression. Here, the breakdown occurs due to a lack of cohesive leadership and a failure to uphold God’s covenantal unity among His people. The period is marked by disintegrated alignment and fragmented authority, where each tribe operates independently, often pursuing their own interests and agendas. This disintegration leads to cycles of chaos, moral decline, and internal strife as the tribes struggle to maintain order and defend themselves against external threats. Without a central scaffolding structure or cohesive vision, Israel experiences periods of anarchy and vulnerability, where individual judges emerge sporadically to provide temporary relief but fail to restore lasting unity or spiritual coherence among the tribes. The disintegration depicted in Judges underscores the consequences of forsaking God’s covenant and the challenges inherent in maintaining collective purpose and integrity without centralized alignment.

Redemption: Reorientation of Gospel Impact Networks around Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, we see a tendency with the disciples to want to create rigid structures around the life and teachings of Jesus. We see this, for instance, when James and John seek power to be sitting at the left and right hand of Jesus. However, Jesus resists creating rigid structures around Himself or His apostles. Rather, he creates a highly interdependent, highly attuned network of disciples that are radically attuned to Jesus and to one another through the power of the Holy Spirit. This highly empowered gospel impact network of apostles goes on to multiply the church network and gospel movement.

Ultimately, the gospel is good news for networks. On the cross, Jesus died for the disunity we often find ourselves in and that we often perpetuate. Jesus sought to make all of us holy, righteous and justified not only for ourselves — but for each other. More than that, through the cross, the Trinity shows us what is of absolute importance: through His death, Jesus broke down every dividing wall of hostility within the church and made us one with one another. In the presence of the other, we are made more fully ourselves. We are distinct-but-one-and-equal.

Renewal: Strengthening Networks for Movement Scaffolding

Ultimately, it is God and God alone who sparks true gospel movement. Movement only happens through the direction and power of the Holy Spirit — and not through human strategies and planning. However, this is not to say that humans sit passively by; God wants us to participate with Him in nurturing and scaling movements. However, we can only truly participate with God in scaling movements when we work together and respond together as a network. In this sense, networks identify areas of potential alignment, catalyze relationship between Christians, support collaborative work between Christians and figure out ways to support multiple alignments between many Christians at different layers and scales.

Restoration: A Fully Perfected Network

In the new heavens and the new earth, we will finally see a fully realized and fully networked church. This means every person and community in the new heavens and new earth is perfectly aligned with and perfectly resonant with every other person and community in the new heavens and new earth. Tribes, tongues and nations do not lose their distinctiveness — rather they become perfectly united; one-in-distinction in the image of their Trinitarian God. There is no discord, distrust and division. There is only perfect harmony, trust and resonance.

Of course, while we might experience that perfect unity only in the new heavens and the new earth, we work together to actualize that reality now. We contend for that reality in the here and now as we follow Jesus together.

What Networks Are Not

In the process of building polycentric gospel impact networks in the service of gospel movements, leaders can make two equal and opposite mistakes in their understanding of networks that might hinder good co-creation and collaboration.

Possible Error 1: Networks are ultimately rigid. They stifle movements.

• The first possible error is largely to think of networks as that which stifles movements. It’s not uncommon to think of networks are largely man-made structures that create too many rigid boundaries for a movement of God. Of course, there are no doubt examples of networks that have become rigid and over-institutionalized, succumbing to what Tim Keller calls ‘institution-itis.’ However, networks are not resistant to movements, and in the right conditions with the right structuring, networks support, scaffold and increase movemental thinking.

Possible Error 2: Networks are ultimately spontaneous. They cannot be structured. 

• The second error is to think of networks as purely spontaneous phenomena. There is no doubt a healthy amount of randomness and spontaneity that allows networks to grow and blossom. Spontaneity and risk-taking are needed for networks to embrace others and embrace heterogeneity. However, networks are not unstructured realities. There is an intentionality with which we are called to design networks. Intentional network design can support movement growth rather than stifle it.

Possible Error 3: Networks are ONLY multi-congregational church models or denominational in nature. 

• The third error is to think of networks as multi-congregational churches or primarily denominational. In other words, in some of our minds, “network” and “denomination” are virtually synonymous which might cloud our understanding of the term “network” as that which is ultimately and primarily exclusive. Of course, while the term “network” can certainly be used to refer to a denomination, we also acknowledge that it can be used much more widely than that as well.

While networks can indeed become overly institutionalized or lack necessary spontaneity, they serve as vital skeletons for the broader superstructure of gospel movements. Without networks, there would be a risk of extreme disintegration and fragmentation within efforts to spread the gospel and foster collective impact. Therefore, understanding networks as the foundational support for gospel movements emphasizes their role in enabling collaboration, innovation, and collective purpose across diverse contexts and communities.

Conclusion

Christian leaders are uniquely positioned to harness the power of gospel impact networks and polycentric leadership to foster transformative change in their contexts. By embracing a collaborative, decentralized approach, leaders can unite diverse stakeholders—churches, businesses, non-profits, and individuals—around a shared vision of gospel-centered impact. This approach not only strengthens the collective voice and influence of the Christian community but also promotes innovative solutions to complex challenges. As we navigate an increasingly interconnected world, adopting a polycentric leadership model allows us to reflect the unity and diversity of the Trinity, enhancing our ability to serve our context effectively. We encourage Christian leaders to explore the potential of gospel impact networks to drive meaningful, lasting change and to cultivate a culture of collaboration, love, and mutual support that resonates throughout their contexts.

Adi P – Leader within a Gospel Impact Network