The first step for 'cage free' ministry
think organizationally - even outside the organization (Q1 at Substack Seminary)
How do I think about the global church while pastoring a 30-member congregation?
How do I think outside the denominational box when I’m still *in* the denominational box?
How do create my own ministry from scratch with no structure at all?
Believe it or not, these all seem like the same question to me!
The first step to ‘cage free’ ministry is structure and organization.
Because as soon as two or three are gathered, things need to get sorted out.
In order for it to thrive, and in order to last over time, there has to be what I call the stuff of community:
Articulating boundaries, purpose, roles, and meaning.
At some point someone (or a group of someones) has to be in charge.
At some point, something needs to get paid for.
At some point, we have to deal with what happens when things go wrong.
The move from organic ‘house church’ to organized community happened quite quickly in the early church.
In the Acts of the Apostles, everyone was full of the Holy Spirit, sharing everything in common and baptizing thousands at a time.
But it wasn’t that long before Paul and other leaders were visiting and sending letters to churches, giving them theological and leadership guidelines.
They were trying to help them do the work of gathering, organizing, and sharing the Gospel. Paul was also directing them on collecting money for ministry and to pay ministers (see 1 Corinthians 16, among other places) .
And of course we all know Paul was constantly teaching - and reprimanding - the early churches for their bad theology, and for having conflict among themselves (oh, those foolish Galatians!).
The organizational church was born within about fifty years of Jesus’ Ascension.
Maybe now is the time for a little re-fresh.
Institutional, denominational, hierarchical church structures are not bad things.
We have to figure out the systems for how things work.
And for centuries, denominational structure and authority has guided and protected the church and its members. It connects us to the living faith, all the way back to the first disciples.
AND - along the way, the organizational systems and structures - especially those that thrived in the mid-20th century - have become arcane, bloated, and stuck.
The endless committees, commissions, procedures and policies. The MEETINGS.
The bureaucratic heaviness is crushing the energy for sharing the Gospel.
It’s time to escape the institutional burdens and re-claim the evangelical spirit.
It’s time to go ‘cage free’.
Our ministry needs structure. It needs accountability. It needs connection to the Christian tradition - and to each other.
But maybe not the one that’s crushing us.
Let’s find a new roadmap - together.
Substack Seminary enrollment is open!
Enroll before December 1 for deeply discounted tuition: $600/year → $395/year.
Upgrade your subscription to the ‘Founder’ level to enroll (if you’re already a paying member, you will be pro-rated).
Enroll at the ‘Founder’ level for the 12-month workshop. Build a roadmap for your own ministry, support others and share in building the future of church.
Join a year-long collaborative workshop where you develop your ministry for the future of church - and support others in theirs.
Substack Seminary officially begins on January 12, 2026.
At Substack Seminary, we’re building a new system. An agile, networked, personalized and energized system of sharing the Gospel and growing in relationship with God and our neighbors.
We’re going to build a roadmap - together. A roadmap for the future of church, and a roadmap specifically for your ministry.
That’s the project. You’ll work on your own roadmap with support and guidance from your fellow Substack Seminary members.
We’ll meet in Quarters (conveniently timed so they won’t interfere with Holy Week, Easter, Christmas or the depths of summer…) designed to help you think about your ministry from 4 different angles:
Organizational
Sustainable
Theological
Technical
Enrollment is rolling by Quarters. So everyone will be doing the same thing - you’ll just start on different topics.
You’ll get an email each week of the quarter that outlines the topic and prompts you to think about how it applies to your ministry.
And a pdf journal to keep track of where you are as you build your roadmap - piece by piece.
Once a week during quarters there will be 20-30 minute livestream for Substack Seminary members from ‘cage free’ ministers, about what they’ve learned and how they’re applying the topic to their own ministry.
Once a week during quarters there will be a chat prompt for all paying members of Substack Seminary - enrollees and supporters/alumni. This is a place to find collaboration, encouragement and support!
✨ the goal:
Once you’ve completed 4 Quarters, you will have a complete roadmap for your ministry! ✨
January 12 - February 23. Q1: GET UNSTUCK - Vision and systematic change
The big picture of institutional collapse and the focused picture of where your ministry fits in - and thrives. Think organizationally.
April 13 - May 25. Q2: CREATE SUSTAINABILITY - Sustainable
It may be hard to picture your ministry as a business. But using small business practices: What is your ‘why’? How are you bringing transformation? How will this be paid for? - will help you clarify your calling. Think sustainably.
Aug 3 - Sept. 14. Q3: BRING CHURCH TO PEOPLE - Theology & Community
How is your work Gospel-centered ministry? What part of Christian tradition are you bringing forward in a new way? Think theologically.
October 5 - Nov. 16. Q4: CONNECT IN AGILE NETWORKS - Technology & Collaboration
How do we move beyond denominations and siloed congregations to create flexible partnerships and multi-layered engagement? Think technologically.