Is the Micro Ecclesia God’s New Mega Move? (Ep 345)

Is the future of the Church small and powerful? In this episode, we unpack the rise of the Micro Ecclesia and why it may be Heaven’s disruptive blueprint for cultural transformation. Could the Holy Spirit be breathing on a grassroots model of spiritual governance—relational, agile, and infused with Kingdom power?

Jesus co-opted a secular term, “ecclesia,” and filled it with Heaven’s DNA and authority. Now, that ancient design may be reemerging as a city-on-a-hill movement built to shape culture.

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See the full episode transcript below.

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to the Jesus Smart Podcast. I’m Brian Del Turco, and today I want to explore a big question: Is the "Micro Ecclesia" the real mega as far as Jesus is concerned?

Could something original, radical, and deeply powerful be recaptured by Jesus today—something that truly moves the needle in culture, justice, and society? Something that embodies what Jesus meant when He spoke of salt, light, and a city on a hill?

This idea might stretch you. For some, it will ignite fresh excitement. For others, it may raise big question marks. And that’s okay. This is a discovery journey, and I invite you to walk it with me.

Jesus Redefines "Ecclesia"

In Matthew 16, Jesus takes His disciples into Caesarea Philippi, a region steeped in paganism and idol worship. Standing before a massive rock facade, He asks them: “Who do you say that I am?”

Peter answers: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus responds: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it.”

But here’s the key: the word Jesus used wasn’t “church” as we think of it—steeples, services, and Sunday mornings. The word was Ecclesia, a term from the Greco-Roman world that described an assembly of citizens empowered to make decisions and extend the culture of the empire.

Jesus took this secular institution, infused it with kingdom DNA, and declared that His Ecclesia would overcome the very portals of hell.

What Is "Micro Ecclesia"?

The Ecclesia isn’t about buildings or religious services—it’s about people with kingdom authority. Jesus validated this when He said in Matthew 18:20: “Where two or three gather in my name, I am there in their midst.”

That’s the kingdom quorum: just two or three authentically gathered in His name carries His headship and authority. This is what we mean by a Micro Ecclesia ... a small Kingdom gathering with massive spiritual potential.

It’s salt and light. It’s leaven in the culture. It’s not confined to four walls or one weekly service.

Salt, Light, and Culture

Early believers wouldn’t have thought of “church” as a building or liturgy. They would have understood Ecclesia as an assembly carrying the presence and authority of King Jesus—just as Roman citizens carried the authority of their emperor wherever they met (a concept called coventus in the Latin).

Imagine how this translates today....