Sally Hinzie is an avid reader and a practical thinker. She condenses selected key points of a book into a quick, easy-to-read set of “Book Notes” to offer you the opportunity to determine if this is a topic that you’d like to study further.

The Trellis and the Vine (Marshall & Payne, 2009) is a book that came recommended by my coworker, Keelan Cook. I read the entire book and was shocked to find this paragraph near the end of the last chapter.

As we write, the first worrying signs of a swine flu pandemic are making headlines around the world. Imagine that the pandemic swept through your part of the world, and that all public assemblies of more than three people were banned by the government for reasons of health and safety…If you were a pastor, what would you do?

Healthy Growth and Support

The Trellis and the Vine definitely helps us evaluate how we do church and might encourage some of us to reevaluate our priorities and systems. Marshall and Payne describe the vine as “the basic work of any Christian ministry. To preach the gospel and to see people converted, changed, and grow to maturity in that gospel.” This is the work of tending the vine—planting, watering, and feeding. 

The book points out that a vine needs some sort of framework on which to grow, hence the need for a trellis to support the vine. The trellis is defined as the structure and support Christian ministry needs to thrive. That support system might include a place to meet for Bible study and Bibles to read from. The larger the vine grows, the bigger a trellis it will need for support. Trellis work is more impressive as it becomes more tangible.  

Moving Towards Flourishing

So then the question is posed, “What is the state of the trellis and vine at your church?” The vine may be suffering showing limp, yellowing leaves, and few flowers. Or maybe the vine is flourishing, but the trellis is overwhelmed and unable to support the healthy vine. This framework provides a unique way to look at your church and evaluate your “trellis and vine.”

Chapter Two is titled “Ministry Mind Shifts” and helps the reader create a path from current reality to a preferred future. A few of the subtitles will give you an idea of what you will find in this chapter:

     From running programs to building people

     From filling gaps to training new workers

     From seeking church growth to desiring gospel growth

Every Christian a Vine-Worker

In Chapter Four, the authors ask the challenging question, “Is every Christian a vine-worker?” The authors look at examples from the Book of Acts and from Paul’s letters to answer the question with a resounding YES! They quote from 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10:

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. 

Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,  and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

They continue by pointing out that the social acceptance of the new believers had changed, but “the Word of the Lord sounded forth from the Thessalonians.”

Their premise is “The Christian without a missionary heart is an anomaly. The missionary heart will be seen in all kinds of ways: in prayers for the lost, in making sure our behavior offends no one, in gospel conversations with friends (at dinner parties!), and in making every effort to save some.”

Marshall and Payne go on to challenge the traditional way of thinking about leadership roles with a chapter titled “Why Sunday sermons are necessary but not sufficient.” They also provide solutions and practical examples for all of their challenges like the chapter titled “People worth watching.”

So, let’s go back to our earlier question, “What is the state of the trellis and vine at your church?” The Trellis and the Vine stands as a great tool to help you evaluate your church and provide steps for greater kingdom growth and health.