Western culture has long celebrated the individual. But the global pandemic accelerated the pervasiveness of individualism within our long-held institutions, like churches. This has led to an incredible burden on individuals to make meaning and a deepening polarization of tribes. In other words, it’s not good.

In March 2022, Brad Edwards gave a talk called “PLANTING CHURCHES THAT FUNCTION AS GREENHOUSE INSTITUTIONS” at the Spanish River Church Planting Conference. 

In his talk, Brad diagnoses the warning signs of individualism solidifying in our culture and churches, and offers three mindset shifts for planting churches (and growing institutions) that grow people out of individualism, rather than further solidifying them in it.

RESOURCES:

The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, by Alan Kreider

Panel:

Al Barth – Director of Church Planting at SRC

David Cassidy – Lead Pastor at SRC

Rick Hunter – Director of City Church Project

Moussa Intiga – Lead pastor at Christ Central Church in Soweto, South Africa