From Denominations to Relational Networks: Why Your Next Covering Will Feel More Like Family

Church Systems

August 19, 2025•7 min read

From Denominations to Relational Networks: Why Your Next Covering Will Feel More Like Family

Denominations are dying.

Not overnight. Not all at once.
But the version of “denominational life” many of us grew up in is fading.

You can feel it:

You’re sending money up the chain… and not feeling much come back down.
You have a “covering” on paper… but nobody calls until it’s conference time.
You’re trying to navigate AI, social media, and post-COVID church…
while the main conversation is still about “how we’ve always done it.”

Meanwhile, you’re tired of feeling alone.
You don’t want another title. You want a tribe.

I believe that’s exactly the shift we’re in:
from denominations built on bureaucracy
to relational networks built on covenant.

Let’s talk about it.

The Problem: When the Old Wineskin Stops Stretching

Denominations have done really good in the kingdom. Many of us are their fruit.

But for a lot of pastors under 300, here’s what you’re seeing now:

1. Yesterday’s structure for today’s problems

Many denominational systems were built for a different era:

More people.
Slower change.
Less digital, more analog.

As churches shrank, the complexity stayed the same:

Layers between the local church and national leadership
Committees for committees
Slow responses to fast-changing realities

What used to protect the mission now often slows it down.

2. Red tape that kills momentum

We’ve all watched it:

Clear issues.
Public battles.
Endless process.

Decisions that should take weeks are taking years.

As a local pastor, you can’t wait three years to fix what’s breaking this month.

3. Financial obligations with little visible return

Most small churches are already stretched.

Yet many pastors are still hearing:

“Send your associational giving.”
“Send your state giving.”
“Send your national giving.”
“Oh, and bring a delegation to the convention. Get a hotel, airfare, food…”

But when you ask, “What do we actually get back at the local level?”
The answer often isn’t clear.

It feels like a subscription you forgot you signed up for.

4. Growing disconnect from younger leaders

Most of the churches in the Black church space are smaller than 70.

Most of the pastors reaching younger generations are:

Bivocational
Navigating social media and streaming
Trying to understand AI, online giving, and content

If gathering after gathering doesn’t address their reality, they slowly check out.

They’re not mad.
They’re just tired of feeling unseen.

What Scripture Shows: Family, Not Just Files

When you read the book of Acts, it doesn’t sound like a denomination.

It sounds like family.

The Jerusalem church as a hub
House churches are scattered across cities
Paul planted clusters of churches connected by relationship, not paperwork

Paul’s networks were:

Relational - built on covenant, not just credentials
Apostolic - raising, sending, and strengthening leaders
Spirit-led - flexible enough to respond to what God was doing

There were structures. There was order.
But the glue wasn’t bylaws.

It was a belonging and shared mission.

Why Relational Networks Are Rising

So why are relational and apostolic networks gaining ground right now?

1. Real covering, not just a name on paper

Pastors don’t just want a “bishop” or “overseer” on their flyer.

You want:

Someone who knows your spouse’s name
Someone you can call when a deacon disrespects you in a meeting
Someone who can say, “Here’s your next 30 days. Try this and let’s talk again.”

That’s covering.

Not just “Sons and daughters of…” with no actual parenting.

2. Alignment around vision, not just brand

Many leaders are asking:

“Do we believe the same thing?”
and
“Are we going in the same direction?”

If you feel called to:

Microchurches and systems
Digital ministry
Healthy, sustainable pace

…but your circle thinks livestream is “too worldly,”
There’s going to be tension.

Networks built on shared values + vision are going to thrive.

3. Shared resources and collective impact

Relational networks can share:

Sermon series
Systems templates
Outreach playbooks
Financial strategies that actually work for churches under 100

And it’s relevant, not just recycled.

4. Collaboration instead of competition

In a healthy network, three churches in the same city can:

Run one outreach together
Share the data
Let families land wherever God leads them

Everybody wins.
The kingdom wins bigger.

5. Agility in crisis

Because the structure is lighter, networks can move faster.

In one example, Henry shared:

A pastor in their program hit the wall, spiritually and emotionally.
Within 30 days, multiple pastors booked flights, preached for a month, and poured into that congregation.
That church has since doubled in size, and the pastor has fresh strength.

No months of voting.
No layers of permission.

Just: “One of ours is in trouble. Who can go?”

Watch the Ditches: Not Every “Network” Is Healthy

Every new wineskin has its own dangers. Relational/apostolic networks are no different.

Here are a few red flags.

1. Personality cults

If everything rises and falls on one personality, be careful.

One person as the only voice
No real team around them
Capacity for 10 pastors… but 100 attached to their name

That’s a setup for burnout and disappointment.

2. No real accountability

If the leader:

Can’t be questioned
Can’t be corrected
Has no peers who can tell them “No”

That’s not covering. That’s control.

We’re all human. We all need guardrails.

3. “God told me” abuse

In prophetic/apostolic circles, the most misused phrase is:

“God told me…”

If that’s the hammer for every decision, be cautious.

Healthy leadership sounds more like:

“Here’s what I sense…”
“Pray on this too and tell me what you hear.”
“Let’s see if the Spirit confirms this in all of us.”

4. Chaos dressed up as “organic”

“Organic” is not an excuse for:

No clarity
No structure
No direction

A good network has:

Covenant – we’re committed to walk together
Clarity – here’s how we do that in real life

A 90-Day Sprint to Find (or Build) Your Tribe

You don’t have to build a whole network overnight.

Think in Henry’s P3 framework: Playbook • Players • Performance.

Playbook – Define What You Actually Need

Take one hour and write this down:

What kind of covering do I need right now?
What kind of peers do I need (size, season, mindset)?
What am I willing to give, not just receive?

That becomes your relational playbook.

Players - Find Your People

In the next 90 days:

Take 3 local pastors to coffee or lunch. No agenda. Just connect.
Join 1 online space where pastors are trying to move like you (systems, microchurch, digital, etc.).
Start 1 simple collaboration: prayer night, pulpit swap, shared outreach.

You’re not hunting for celebrities.
You’re looking for brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers.

Performance - Measure What Actually Matters

Don’t overcomplicate it. Just track:

How many meaningful pastoral conversations did I have this month?
How many times did I receive real support or counsel?
Did I collaborate on anything with another church or leader?

If those numbers are going up, you’re building a tribe.

Small Win Story: When a Network Acts Like Family

That pastor Henry mentioned who’d “had enough”?

Beat up by circumstances.
Worn down by conflict.
Ready to walk away.

Instead of saying, “We’re praying for you, Doc,” the network moved.

Pastors:

Bought their own plane tickets
Preached for a month
Poured into the congregation
Gave that leader time to breathe and heal

A year later?

The church has grown
The pastor is still standing
The story is a living picture of what relational covering looks like

That’s where we’re headed.
From titles to tribe.
From paperwork to people.

Next Step: Step Into a Room Full of Underdogs

If this hit you, you’re probably one of the Davids I keep talking about:

You feel overlooked.
You’re leading a smaller work with a big call.
You’re hungry for real tools and real relationships.

That’s why we’re hosting The Underdog Conference, a 3-day virtual experience for pastors and kingdom leaders who are tired of pretending and ready to build: