Five Things We Will Learn
- Why the current church model is struggling to sustain the next generation
- How Francis Chan’s personal journey reshaped his understanding of church
- The danger of fast-platform ministry and “overnight” leadership
- What a Spirit-led, relational church model looks like in practice
- How returning to a family-centered expression of church can preserve faith across generations
The excerpt from Francis Chan’s talk reflects his ongoing journey and conviction about rethinking how the church functions—particularly in passing on faith to the next generation. He contrasts his own slow, formative years (16 years leading Cornerstone Church, a megachurch he founded and grew significantly, followed by roughly 16 years in simpler, house-church-style gatherings) with the challenges young leaders face today.
Key points he emphasizes in this section:
- Stewardship of past experiences: Chan sees his full timeline (about 32 years total in ministry structures) as intentional preparation from God—”not a single year or month was wasted.” This equips him to steward something new, focused on hearing God’s voice clearly and obeying radically (e.g., emulating St. Francis of Assisi’s extreme devotion or his daughter Claire’s “forsaking all”).
- Personal callings and obedience: He recounts two profound moments of divine direction:
- In Hong Kong (around 2010), God redirected him back to the US to exemplify a “different paradigm for church” (not staying in a place he loved, despite reluctance).
- At YWAM (Youth With A Mission), a clear sense that certain people were “his children” to protect—confirmed supernaturally.
These experiences fuel his refusal to “back off” from outrageous, God-sized calls, even when past efforts didn’t unfold as expected.
- Concern for the new generation: The core of the section you highlighted is his conversation with David Platt (likely recent, as mentioned in the talk). They agree the current dominant form of church—often celebrity-driven, fast-scaled via social media, with overnight fame and large followings—won’t sustain young ministers. Without years of humble service (like being a “janitor” then intern, as Chan and Tim Keller experienced over decades), they lack the integrity, resilience, and depth to handle flattery, attacks, and real spiritual weight. This “overnight” path leads to collapse under pressure.
Chan insists “there’s no way” this model can be passed on successfully—”things have to change.” He advocates for quietness, presence with God and people, ignoring accusatory voices, and trusting God in impossible (“Red Sea-type”) moments.
- Implied solution: A family-like, relational model: While not explicitly stated in this clip as “meeting as family,” Chan’s broader ministry (post-Cornerstone) strongly points to house churches as the alternative. Through We Are Church (his network started around 2013 after leaving the megachurch), he promotes small, home-based gatherings where believers truly know each other, share burdens, exercise gifts, pray, disciple one another, and live as family—without paid staff, buildings, or overhead. Money goes to the poor/missions, and groups multiply organically. This fosters authentic community, counters superficial fame, and builds depth slowly, which he believes is essential for survival and passing faith to youth.
In essence, Chan argues the church must shift from consumer-oriented, platform-heavy structures to intimate, Spirit-led, family-style meetings in homes. This allows genuine discipleship, protects against modern pitfalls (like social media-driven ministry), and equips the next generation through lived example rather than quick fame. He feels “very alive” pursuing this, seeing it as God’s download for his lane.
Related:
Vine Seminars: Spirit Filled Vine Seminars