“If you were to describe your church using the analogy of a ship or boat, what kind would it be—and why?”

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There’s value in using analogies and thought experiments. They help us slow down and think more clearly. They surface assumptions we may not even realise we hold. Describing your church as a kind of boat forces reflection:

What is our church actually doing? How does it function? What is it built for?

Different types of boats are carefully designed for specific purposes. Some are built for comfort, others for speed or war or rescue. Occasionally, boats are refitted to adapt to new needs. But generally speaking, a boat is designed to do one thing well. You can’t turn a rowboat into an oil tanker, and a fishing trawler won’t win a naval battle.

To make this thought experiment more concrete, here are four example “boats” you might use to describe a church1:

1. The Cruise Ship

This church is big, program-rich, and focused on getting people on board and keeping them there. Staff and a few key lay leaders run most of the ministries, and the aim is to offer a great experience. Some criticise cruise ship churches as too consumer-driven—but they’re often effective at welcoming people in and creating a sense of belonging. They can be really effective of getting people into church and hearing the good news of Jesus.

2. The Battle Ship

This is a church at war—with the culture, with false teaching, with anything that threatens the gospel. Its strength is conviction and clarity. It knows what it believes and isn’t afraid to defend it. But the defensive posture can make it hard for outsiders to join, and sometimes even harder for insiders to grow. Often churches that are in hostile environments like denominations that are not theologically aligned with them turn into battleships.

3. The Life Boat

This church sees itself as a rescue vessel—small, agile, and laser-focused on seeking and saving the lost. Everyone on board has a job to do. The urgency is real. This was a mode I used to really love and it is easy to get people focussed using it. But lifeboat churches can struggle to give people time and space to grow. Burnout is a real risk when everything is about mission and nothing is about formation.

4. The Aircraft Carrier

This church is also at war, but it’s not just defending—it’s sending. It exists to launch and support other ministries. Like the lifeboat, it’s focused on the lost. But unlike the lifeboat, it has the structure and capacity to equip and supply its people for mission. This is the “sending church”—a hub for training, resourcing, and redeploying gospel workers.

But a Church isn’t a Boat…

Of course, these are just four examples. There are many more.

Part of the problem with this thought experiment is that churches don’t stay in one mode forever. A church plant might begin as a lifeboat, but years later operate more like a battleship. Others might shift between modes with the seasons within a year—a cruise ship church might turn into a lifeboat for a mission season, etc.

So here’s the real question:
What is your church actually doing right now? How is it functioning? What kind of “boat” is it at this moment?

You might even have a better analogy—if so, I’d love to hear it. Share it in the comments!