Innovative Church List

I was talking to a pastor the other day about innovation and innovative churches and we both agreed that there are VERY few churches that are innovative. There are some GREAT churches doing GREAT things, but are they truly innovative? I guess it depends on what you mean in regards to innovative.

For me, innovative means doing what no one else doing. It has noting to do with modern, technology, or how big you are.

With that said, here are a few churches in my radar that I consider innovative. (Just because I don’t consider a church innovative, does NOT mean that I don’t consider them an awesome church and that we haven’t been impacted by them).

LifeChurch.tv - Hands down the most innovative church in America. What they are doing with multi-site, providing resources for churches, the impact they are having online through internet campuses, YouVersion, and Second Life is amazing.

West Ridge Church - I had the honor of serving at this church on staff and I think it is a GREAT church. I’ll be honest, there is not much they are doing in regards to Sunday morning and Small Groups that is all that innovative. It is a GREAT church but you can find their style in many places and many churches doing it with more edge and better. So in regard to the way they do church they are not all that innovative. HOWEVER, what they are doing in regards to planting churches is AMAZING and VERY innovative. They are operating a church planting school, bringing in church planters, and sending them out. Off the top of my head, I would say they have started 12-15 churches since they started us 3 years ago. ALL of those churches are doing VERY well. That is innovative.

North Point - I think they are a very innovative church. They have created their own language, systems, and model for doing church that is SO unique to them that it is amazing. What they are doing with multiple campuses and strategic partners is very innovative.

Elevation Church - Another GREAT church. I have had a close up look at this church and there innovation is not found in their Sunday morning service (though that is awesome). To me it is in WHAT they do in a portable setting and the fact that they do it at TWO different places is what makes them innovative. Hands down, the best portable church I have ever been around and I have been around a BUNCH!!!

National Community Church - Again, to me there is nothing innovative about their services (let’s be honest, we all do Sunday morning church about the same way) but they vision they have and the way they are doing church is very innovative. They have churches spread out throughout the DC metro stops and they have built a coffee shop and operate a church in the basement in of it. They have done multi-site and on amazing budget. They motivate me.

Crossover Church - Hip Hop church in Tampa. Nuff said.

North Coast Church - I know they are not the most progressive group around BUT what they are doing with multi-venues is AMAZING There are those who do video church better and bigger but I don’t know if anyone does different venues more effective. VERY cool.

New Spring -  I think they do one of the BEST Sunday morning services around.  However, I wouldn’t call it innovative just because they are doing it better then anyone else.  I call them innovative because of what they have done in Anderson, S.C.  I have NEVER seen one church totally impact and change a community like they have.  You literally can’t go anywhere in that town where people don’t know them even those who haven’t been to church ever.  You truly have to see it to believe it.  If it is possible for a church to put a city on the map, they have done it.  Total community domination.

I could probably list a ton of other churches that I consider innovative but those are the ones I pay watch closely.