I am weary of hearing about the Church losing ground in the West while simultaneously hearing about churches focus on everything but the gospel.  In China and Vietnam, the church is booming.  They have very little money and very little safety, but the good news spreads like wildfire.  

Even in Syria an Saudi Arabia where you can be martyred for loving Jesus, the gospel spreads.  Trained pastors are few and far between.  Yet, the Jesus is made known.  I want to be like them.  

Here are a few principles to draw from them:

• Decentralized.  Thery don't bring people to church; they take the church to people.  In Vietnam, they meet in houses and small buildings (I know of a chain of small, one room churches along the Ho Chi Minh trail).  When someone from another town Trusts Jesus, the church plants a house church there.  They don't ask them to travel long distances to get to church.  They establish gospel outposts wherever they can.  
• Gospel.  They don't waste time debating the nuances of nonessential theology.  They don't have programs for every age group or affinity.  They make disciples.  They tell people of the saving work of Jesus, and invite people to follow Him.  Disciples make disciples.  
• Multiplication.  The goal isn't bigger churches; the goal is to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).  As Peyton Jones says, the Church isn't supposed to grow big; it's supposed to grow out.  It isn't about a big pastor that everyone comes to hear; it's about multiple disciple-makers making more disciples.  The roles of teacher, shepherd, prophet, evangelist, missionary/apostle pop up in house churches everywhere.  

Restoration Church is about to take our next steps in becoming more like the Vietnamese church.