The Trellis and the Vine
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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 organisational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.
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?
The image of the trellis and the vine raises all the fundamental questions of Christian ministry:
- What is the vine for?
- How does the vine grow?
- How does the vine relate to my church?
- What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference?
- What part do different people play in growing the vine?
- How can we get more people involved in vine work?
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.
1. The trellis and the vine
2. Ministry mind-shifts
3. What in the world is God doing?
4. Is every Christian a vine-worker?
5. Guilt or grace?
6. The heart of training
7. Training and gospel growth
8. Why Sunday sermons are necessary but not sufficient
9. Multiplying gospel growth through training co-workers
10. People worth watching
11. Ministry apprenticeship
12. Making a start
Appendix 1: Frequently asked questions
Appendix 2: Resources for training from MTS and Matthias Media
Appendix 3: Colin Marshall talks to Phillip Jensen about MTS training
'What Col and Tony have described here is exactly what I've been trying to do in my own life and in our congregation for years. According to this book, Christians are to be disciple-making disciples and pastors are to be trainers. Superb! This book sets out a crucial shift that is needed in the mindset of many pastors. The authors have carefully listened to the Bible. And they've worked on this book. The result is a book that is well-written and well-illustrated, but even more, a book that is full of biblical wisdom and practical advice. This is the best book I've read on the nature of church ministry.'
- Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC, USA
'I am thrilled that this book has been written! What God has done in Sydney over the last few decades is nothing less than supernatural?-and we in South Africa have long been the beneficiaries. The model of ministry presented in this book has left an indelible mark on my own ministry and been of inestimable value to the denomination I belong to. The mindsets put forth in this book have not only impacted many of our churches, but have changed our regional thinking, planning and strategy. We are indebted to Col and Tony for putting into words a culture of ministry that is biblically pragmatic, deeply theological and, above all, passionately concerned for the lost.'
- Grant Retief, Rector, Christ Church, Umhlanga, South Africa
'This is a simple, beautiful book that I plan to have every pastor and elder at The Village Church read. It quietly and calmly beckons us back to biblical, hands-on shepherding and is a book desperately needed among large churches in the West.'
- Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Dallas, Texas, USA
'Gospel ministry is about God's glory and God's people! This excellent book takes us right to the heart of authentic Christian ministry. Any church will benefit hugely from studying and acting on it.'
- William Taylor, Rector, St Helen's Bishopsgate, London, UK
'For over twenty years, I have seen the ideas in this excellent book developed, tested and improved in the active ministry of the gospel. They are the kind of counter-intuitive ideas that, once encountered and embraced, make you wonder why you did not always think this way.'
- Phillip D. Jensen, Dean, St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia
'If I could put only one new book into the hands of every person preparing for ministry today, The Trellis and the Vine would be it. Marshall and Payne leverage decades of experience in one of the world's great cities with the hope of stimulating gospel growth around the globe. This book will also refresh every pastor who has ever asked, "What in the world am I supposed to be doing?" I came away energized, strengthened in my core calling and better prepared to bear fruit for Christ. In fact, it's so good that I want every leader and pastoral intern in our church to read it!'
- David Helm, Pastor, Holy Trinity Church, Chicago, Illinois, USA
'It is impossible to read The Trellis and the Vine without having your cherished ministry assumptions profoundly challenged. In your hands is a God-glorifying, scripturally-soaked re-evaluation of Christian ministry. It will untangle the anomaly of being a Christian without a radical missionary heart. It will identify the plethora of ministry structures that owe more to cultural pragmatism than the Bible. And above all, it will inspire us to serve the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.'
- Richard Chin, National Director, Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Sydney, Australia
'God makes ministers in the midst of his church. It is in the context of the faithful local church that ministers are best taught, shaped and equipped. The Trellis and the Vine is a superb guide to preparing pastors and ministers for Christ's church. It comes from a ministry so deeply committed to the recovery of biblical truth and the cause of the gospel. The wisdom in this little book is invaluable. My advice: Keep a good stack on hand at all times, and put this book to good use.'
- R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
'This book empathises with the confusion that many pastors have when they allow themselves to lose focus on Jesus' goal for ministry, namely, to make disciple-makers. But it doesn't leave the pastor there in the cloud of desperation; it gives him the courage to trust in his Master's strategy again. And take courage: Jesus' strategy was able to reach countries as far as my own.'
- Cristóbal Cerón, General Coordinator, Gimnasio (MTS), Chile
'There is no need greater (in the happy resurgence of robust, gospel-centred churches in the English-speaking world) than for us to think biblically and wisely about how we live and minister together in our congregations. All manner of folk are offering us their opinions as to how we ought to do this in this reforming era (in which some, if not many, rightly see the weaknesses of the ministry and methodology of the last fifty years, but whose prescriptions for remedy fall short of the standards of Scripture and wisdom). Yes, let's rethink what we are to do and be together as the church, but let's do it biblically, and with the wisdom of biblical discernment and pastoral experience. So I announce with joy that I have new conversation partners as I am asking myself, under the authority of God and Scripture, questions about the structure and ministry of my congregation: "Why are we doing what we are doing? Are we focusing on the right things? Is the gospel central? Are we making disciples? Has 'administry' trumped ministry? Is our corporate life and mission biblically shaped?" And more. As I ask these things, I am so deeply helped and heartened and humbled and corrected by the fidelity and wisdom of Colin Marshall and Tony Payne's profound little book that I can't but commend it to you.'
- Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi, USA (Past Moderator, General Assembly, Presbyterian Church in America)
'This book is the perfect example of good theology driving practice. Col's many years of experience in recruiting and training pastors shines through on every page. Scattered with helpful personal examples, this book is a crucial read for people seeking to grapple with the biblical principles of gospel growth.'
- Paul Dale, Senior Pastor, Church by the Bridge, Sydney, Australia
'The Trellis and the Vine is a must-read for every minister of the gospel. The principles in this book will revolutionise the way many of us do ministry, and help us to encourage and grow the next generation of gospel workers. So often we are caught up in building and maintaining our 'trellis' (ministry structure), and we forget that Christian ministry is all about the 'vine'? - the people. Thank you for this clear, Bible-centred approach to the most important task in the world.'
- Ainsley Poulos, Equip Women Ministries, Sydney, Australia
'The Trellis and the Vine is a dangerous book to read. It demolishes precious and much-loved idols like these: "If we just have the right vision and mission statement, they will come ... If we just have the right vibe, they will come ... If we just have the right speaker ... the right band ... the right building ..." The Trellis and the Vine reminds the church that Jesus says the exact opposite. Jesus tells us to be great commission-aries and to "Go ... make disciples of all nations". The Trellis and the Vine is the best book I have read about mobilising all Christians to be great commission-aries. It will turn church-shoppers into servants, consumers into producers, and disciples into disciple-makers.'
- Ben Pfahlert Director, Ministry Training Strategy (MTS), Sydney, Australia
'This stimulating new book on biblical training will challenge some cherished methodologies. Tony and Col, though, are able to unsettle and critique with sympathy and understanding. Their observations are always judicious and never judgemental. Every page pulsates with a desire for the growth of the gospel and the maturing of the church. This is not the work of quick-fix pragmatists or armchair theologians, but the product of thirty years of effective ministry practice and reflection. It deserves to be widely read and discussed by all who are serious about every-person ministry in the church. It will be a set text at BCV!'
- Michael Raiter Principal, The Bible College of Victoria, Australia
Customer Reviews
The basic premise of the book is that church leaders spend too much time working on procedural and structural aspects of church life (the trellis)and not enough time helping Christians to grow as disciples so they in turn can make other disciples (the vine). It is painfully true, isn't it? But this isn't just a timely kick in the guts. It is also a helping hand back up again. There are lots of practical suggestions for reconfiguring church life, and particularly the leader's time, so that real gospel growth takes place. I'm reading it for the second time and encouraging the elders at our church to pack it with their Speedos and sunhats so that after the summer we can move forward together with this.
My criticism is that this book is so useful that it drained my wallet and even then the several copies that I felt it necessary to purchase are all out on loan. So I am having to review from memory! That said, the task is rendered easier by the fact that the title itself is almost enough to draw our attention to a theme that is so pertinent that its very utterance makes it blindingly obvious. The authors' subsequent treatment of the Biblical imperative to emphasize the vine and recognise that it is God who cultivates helps to order our priorities and challenges us to get in step with what the Holy Spirit is already doing and stop getting in the way with our own plans - often well-meaning yet misguided.
With half the evangelical leaders in France retiring in 5-10 years, we needed a book like this to transform our ministry methods. This book is thoroughly biblical with hands-on applications for the busy leader who wants to start change now. We hope to have this book in French very soon. I gave 10 copies to young leaders last weekend. Thanks Col and Tony
While much of this book is clearly addressed to church leaders, I found plenty to challenge, stimulate and encourage me as an ordinary member of the church. It argues from Scripture that ALL Christians are disciples who are commanded to be involved in making other disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the authors give plenty of practical suggestions as to how this can be done, with a list of helpful resources in the back. If you are inclined to think of yourself as being simply a member of the 'support team' helping the pastor to do the work of teaching and evangelism, this book will challenge you to think again! I found the biblical explanation of what 'training' is all about most helpful. As a mother and grandmother I could relate to the description of it as being akin to parenthood, and this further stimulated me to think of other approaches to making disciples. What I really appreciated was that this book helped me to see that I will always have an important role to play, whether I have a specific job title in the church or not. It also helped me to re-focus on what is really important.
My copy of this book is getting dog-eared already! The premiss of the book is amazingly simple and incredibly practical: that ministry is about getting people around God's word through preaching, small groups, and one-to-one bible reading. It seems ridiculously obvious but the scary fact is that day to day ministry relentlessly militates against this approach. I have already established a regular pattern of one-to-one bible reading and my church members have embraced the idea to surprising enthusiasm. This is a really encouraging book that I keep dipping into just to remind myself what I should be doing with my day!
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