I read this book about a year ago and it truly is a great book. I would highly recommend it for any ministry leader. I don’t read a lot of books/blogs about this subject.
The title of the book may sound confusing so allow me to clarify. A trellis is “an architectural structure often used to support plants”–like a vine. You’ve seen this before, a trellis structure supporting the growth of a vine or plant. This concept is used to describe the local church. The “trellis” is the structure which ministry flows out of (org. charts, chain of commands, etc.) and the “vine” is the body of the church engaged in ministry. Listen to what the authors say in the first chapter about this:
“As I have sat on my back verandah and observed the two trellises, it has occurred to me more than once that most churches are a mixture of trellis and vine. The basic work of any Christian ministry is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of God’s Spirit, and to see people converted, changed and grow to maturity in that gospel. That’s the work of planting, watering, fertilizing and tending the vine.
However, just as some sort of framework is needed to help a vine grow, so Christian ministries also need some structure and vine grow, so Christian ministries also need some structure and support. It may not be much, but at the very least we need somewhere to meet, some Bibles to read from, and some basic structures of leadership within our group. All Christian churches, fellowships or ministries have some kind of trellis that gives shape and support to the work. As the ministry grows, the trellis also needs attention. Management, finances, infrastructure, organization, governance–these all become more important and more complex as the vine grows. In this sense, good trellis workers are invaluable, and all growing ministries need them.”
I truly believe this book will challenge you in how your orient your ministry. Please consider reading it–you can purchase it here.
Below are some more excerpts:
“And that’s the thing about trellis work: it tends to take over from vine work. Perhaps it’s because trellis work is easier and less personally threatening. Vine work is personal and requires much prayer.”
“Trellis work also often looks more impressive than vine work. It’s more visible and structural. We can point to something tangible–a committee, an event, a program, a budget, an infrastructure–and say that we have achieved something. We can build our trellis till it reaches to the heavens, in the hope of making a name for ourselves, but there may still be very little growth in the vine.”
“Our goal is to grow the vine, not the trellis.”
