The Trellis and the Vine

All Christian ministry is a mixture of trellis and vine. Vine work is 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. Trellis work is creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.

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, authors Marshall and Payne answer 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 fulfil the Great Commission of Christ, and see the vine flourish again.