Open Source

The term open source is usually applied to software and specifically code for software. In general, open source refers to any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit. (Historically, the makers of proprietary software have generally not made source code available.) Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available.

This term has (I am not the first) and will continue to be applied to the church as well. The idea is that churches make available "things that worked for us" or "resources" for other churches to use in order that they more effectively make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Here are a couple examples I found at Church Marketing Sucks:

LifeChurch.tv, a multi-location church with sites in Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona, is making their sermon series resources available to other churches for free. You can download video, layered graphics files and sermon outlines.

The Vine, the young adult service of Southeast Christian church in Louisville, Ky., has also made their sermon series resources available for free download. You can get videos, backgrounds and graphic files.

These two churches are to be commended. I know the trend has been to package resources in order to sell them to further benefit ministry- and that is fine. But how great it is to make such things "open source" too so that the greatest ideavirus ever- the Gospel of Jesus Christ- can spread virally throughout the world.

So thanks to LifeChurch.tv and Southeast Christian. Way to go. And please know that if there was anything anyone could ever possibly use from New Season Church to help make and empower radical followers of Jesus we are open source.