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Urban Church Planting - Lesson 9

Strategies for Urban Church Planting

In this lesson on urban church planting strategies, you'll learn the importance of understanding the unique challenges and opportunities that cities present when it comes to establishing new churches. You'll explore the process of developing a strategy tailored to the specific urban context, including identifying target communities, building a core team, and implementing a phased approach for launching and growing the new church. Furthermore, you'll gain insights into the ongoing evaluation and adjustment of the strategy to ensure the church plant's long-term success and adaptability to changing urban dynamics.

Don Davis
Urban Church Planting
Lesson 9
Watching Now
Strategies for Urban Church Planting

EV327-09: Strategies for Urban Church Planting

I. Understanding Urban Church Planting

A. Definition and Importance

B. Key Principles

II. Developing an Urban Church Planting Strategy

A. Identifying Target Communities

B. Building a Core Team

1. Recruitment

2. Training and Development

III. Implementing the Urban Church Planting Process

A. Pre-launch Phase

B. Launch Phase

C. Post-launch Phase

IV. Evaluating and Adjusting the Church Planting Strategy

A. Monitoring Progress

B. Identifying Challenges and Solutions


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  • In this lesson on Ecclesiology, you will gain knowledge and insight into the study of the church, including its nature, purpose, and organization. You will learn about the biblical images of the church, the Great Commission, the church's ministry, and its role in society. You will also explore the church's offices, governance, and accountability and discipline.
  • You will gain knowledge about what a Church Planting Movement (CPM) is, its importance, and its characteristics. You will also learn about the challenges of starting a CPM and the steps involved in beginning one.
  • You will gain a comprehensive understanding of alternative forms of spirituality, including an overview of different types and their characteristics, criteria for evaluating them, and the role of the church in responding to them. You will learn how to engage with alternative forms of spirituality in a Christian way that is both compassionate and truthful.
  • You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of tradition in urban church planting. By exploring biblical and historical examples of tradition and evaluating its positive and negative aspects, you will learn how tradition can be applied in the context of urban church planting.
  • This lesson provides insights on the significance of tradition in urban church planting, focusing on connecting with cultural context, balancing tradition and innovation, and applying tradition to foster relationships, community, and spiritual growth.
  • You will learn how church planting movements use different structures and religious authorities to balance authority and flexibility, develop local leadership, and adapt to challenges while maintaining growth.
  • Through this lesson, you gain insights on building a strong identity and crafting an effective strategy for successful urban church planting, focusing on core values, authentic culture, community outreach, leadership development, and adaptability.
  • Discover the key elements for creating a dynamic church planting movement, including prayer, cultural relevance, leadership development, and discipleship strategies, while addressing challenges faced along the way.
  • By exploring strategies for urban church planting, you gain practical knowledge on tailoring approaches for city contexts, building core teams, and implementing phased processes for long-term church success.
  • By studying this lesson, you learn to develop essential leadership qualities and skills, build a strong team, and address challenges in urban church planting effectively.

We will consider the factors and forces connected to a remarkable phenomenon of church planting movements taking place throughout the world today. At a time when definitions of the Church have become more and more loose and individualized, we will analyze all church plant and growth theories as they relate to the Nicene marks of the Church in the world. Using these marks as a representative of a legitimate biblical view of the Church, we will then discuss and investigate the connection between church planting and world evangelization, growth, and leadership development. You may also access this class at Tumi.org under the title, "Winning the World: Facilitating Urban Church Planting Movements."

Dr. Don Davis
Urban Church Planting
ev327-09
Strategies for Urban Church Planting
Lesson Transcript

[00:00:00] Let's let's talk about how I think there is a few basic things that can answer this fourth of six questions. How can such vital church planning movements. These these these that we're looking for in urban America, how can we we they be wisely and successfully ignited in American inner city contexts? I think Garrison's research, at least to show the churches are multiplied and grow when they are planet and mobilized within a particular linguistic, ethnic and cultural identity. You can call it whatever the missile languages homogenous unit, which embraces together their own shared spirituality and vision. I mean, this people of the same background share a fundamental spirituality and they they are Baptists is what gets in shoulders. They are they don't have any problem with that. They embrace Baptists. They are they are Chinese Baptists. That's who they are. And they are proud of it. And they want to plant more as many Chinese Baptist churches as they can, and they structure themselves in a connected and integrated manner in order to get that done. They connect everything they do, and they train all their folk in the same way. And so those three dynamics are very, very clear to me. That's the way I would summarize the best of Jefferson in terms of the technology of church planning. To use a weird word, if you want to multiply thousands, you will multiply them quicker if they're from the same group, if they really share a common identity, and if you train them and they share spirituality in a fundamentally coordinated and integrated way. That's just that's what Garrison was talking about. If you look at Acts 15 for us, this happened at the Jerusalem Council. I still think this is one of the most far reaching, intelligent decisions Christians have ever made.

 

[00:02:03] These dear brothers and I believe sisters got together there in the Jerusalem meeting. And James, I think this is James, this last word. I believe, therefore, my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God. That's not trouble. They want to be Chinese. Let them be Chinese. They want to be whatever. Let them be. Let's not trouble them, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood for from ancient generations Moses has had in every city. Those who proclaim him for is read every Sabbath in the synagogues. He did these things because they would be so appallingly offensive to Jews. And then in the encyclical, the letter they actually circulated, we read this was this this is what was actually penned in the letter that went around for it. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements that you abstain from what has been sacrificed, idols and for blood and what has been strangling from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell. And that is is that is that's the only standard that that really these great apostles and elders gave to the Gentiles. So we are free, really, in our culture. If we abstain from these to to to really be our sales culture is fine. Three things on this point about how. The first is that we should plant, grow and sustain churches within a particular linguistic, ethnic and cultural identity. Culture is intrinsic to the creation of God. He's the author of Human Life. I believe that God's creation mandate included an intrinsic blessing on human, creative, cultural production.

 

[00:03:57] In other words, we got to go be stewards of the earth. I think God was saying create tools, create technology, get control of your environment, learn how to farm. I believe that's all in that going multiplier is is to me inherent in that is that there's going to be some sort of sense of kinship and social organization and structure. I just believe that, by the way, that's not new to me. I wish it was. But theologians throughout history of embracing the differences between people have now been acknowledged or reconciled in the Ministry of Christ. Our differences are reconciled through the work of between Jews and Gentiles, slavery, male and female, barbarian Scythian. God is reconciled with all people now in the sun, and we share in both the guilt and glory, all of us. And so the goal, the goal of redemption is not being culturally alike, it's being Christlike, which means that you can be a spiral, a star, a circle, a squiggle, and be a committed Christian. Colossians 311 and. Galatians 328 don't advocate the obliteration of cultural identity, only the end of ungodly partiality. In other words, you can be who you are and culture has been redeemed. Everything in the Bible shows that there is a new humanity in Jesus Christ. That's what the Church is, God. Jesus has brought Gentile and Jew together, and he himself, as our piece is broken down in his flesh, the dividing wall of hostility. And so all we're diverse. And yet we are one. We are members of every kindred tribe, people, and taken from nation, from every language and clan, from every class and culture. And yet, together, we are the body of Christ. We are to strive to make this unity visible.

 

[00:05:45] But but we. We should not erase, shield or obliterate our differences. It is okay to be different. We should go into us, you know, into communities with this with this intent. We retain our differences. We share a common a common parentage, a common calling, a common unity. And our differences have been overcome in Christ. We express our love in our reconciled relationships, our guys. I am convinced that real unity is not necessarily getting Koreans to act more Russian. It's you know what I'm saying? It's that's not unity. Unity is when Korean Christians and Russian Christians as best as they can, are unified together. Is the Chinese Baptist churches that we read about are not wrong because they don't have people from other cultures in them? I don't know if any of you guys believe that or not. I mean, do you think that's bigotry in and of itself just because there are only Chinese folk around? Chinese people came to Christ as the only ones there. So to win them. There's nothing wrong with that. I think we need to look at unity as unity between cultures, not necessarily getting cultures to just sort of embrace their differences in the and pretend to be one common unit person. You know, one one common culture of the black, Hispanic, Asian. You know, there's just one big glob person glob church, first church of the glob, you know, glob, you know, glob music, you know? Yeah. It's just not going to work. Yeah, it's going to be very, very difficult. So that's the first point, is that we have to take culture seriously. We have to reach these people and we need to they need to plant a church where these can speak and think and worship and be befriended within their own.

 

[00:07:43] Now, we we need to be careful because we can become sinful in this. Right. If if you went to this if you went to this community to win spirals and only triangles came to Jesus. Come on, man. You take what you get. Right. I mean, y'all just wasting my time. I gotta ask you. You would, right? I mean, you can't control we can control how we present the gospel. We can't control those who respond. That's not up to us. Well, the if if how we do it, we respond on the basis of culture. Secondly, we cultivate a shared communal spirituality. The whole next course. Part of this course is going to be on this where a sense of belonging and ownership, identity and answer ability are highlighted and emphasize a common spirituality. I truly do believe that we can have that. I think that you can have. You can have the way they did the seven member committee, their own songs, their own humanity, a Bible in their own language. There's nothing wrong with the culture actually having its own communal identity. This is very important. Communal, not just mine, as bano would say, not revolutionary Don Davis Christianity, but who we are together. We are the cult of the adoption. I am convinced that we should change our metaphors for winning souls to adopting them into the family of God. You think of what that would mean if we could just make that change. I'm not saying that it's wrong to just say that we are in fact winning individuals into the kingdom. Thank God for that. But to be converted to Christ as an individual is to be adopted into the family of God simultaneously, the one in the same thing. I just think it makes a great difference.

 

[00:09:32] If you say God predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, or see what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God. You know, to be a Christian is to join us. I have no problem with that. I don't know why people won't say that. To me if I left someone to look at. The next thing to say to them is you need to join us. Or some us that is representing Christ, you cannot be by yourself. You have to come into and us. So and this is very important. I am convinced that all genuine church movements are owned and operated structures by indigenous people. They have their own spiritual inheritance. Even the Corinthians, as weird as they were, were called Saints or the most are. There are no second class moments of the Holy Spirit. Even the poorest of the poor can be the generals of the forces of God in their own community. What this means is that I truly do believe now I don't know about you guys, but if we were planning churches, the easiest way to do this is that I think if we were planning in a triangle church, I have no problem planning and thousands of triangle churches among triangles, wherever we could find them. Four triangles now. Do you have any problems with that at all? Let's talk about that because that's everything that I'm doing. I'm not saying that we wouldn't have efforts to win squares or win circles or to win spirals. But I'm saying I'm saying Rob have got call you to win triangles. Could you be the apostle to the triangles and just set yourself? That's what I'm going to do. That's what I'm about.

 

[00:11:15] I'm going to. I'm looking for triangles everywhere I go. That's my calling. That's what I do. Is. Is that wrong? Right. Good. Bad. Correct. If we don't get clear. If you don't believe this one point that that that that witnessing within a group is the easiest way to win that group. Then you will you will not be able to fight the guilt that you feel for focusing on that group. Yeah. I really would truly like Dan to focus on his group. No one else is focusing on his group. Well, you know, like I said, we don't want to say. Oh, well, you you triangle you. Why did you accept Jesus and mess up my my square plan? And that's not what we're trying to do, you know. But the point is, if we if if you really want to take seriously planning multiple churches, if you just want to win a person, then it's going to be different. If you want if you want to win a people. The the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul went to where the Gentiles were. I'm kidding. I kid you not. He went to you went to Mars Hill. He went to the positions of power where Gentiles congregated and thought and worshiped. And he was that's what his what he was called to do. What you might have in mind? Well, I am convinced. I am convinced that how you resolve these issues here is going to determine whether or not you are going to be effective with an urban, whether or not we really want movements that will, in fact, plan. Thousands of churches will be dependent on whether or not we really focus our efforts on this. I just believe this with all my heart. I mean, I am professing this and I am convinced.

 

[00:13:00] I want to tell you guys that I have no problem in running our square churches if we have an identity all the same way. That's what I'm saying. That's the point I'm trying to say Square Church, y'all name a robust movement that you can think of that doesn't have an identity. Name one. Assemblies. Yes. Name one. Police. They may anyone name anyone? Presbyterians they have an identity of mainline churches, all have an identity of the new churches. Even even Chuck Smith the most aren't identity church has the identity of anti identity. We have the anti identity identity church. You know, the point is, is that if you don't get this straight, then you will. In fact, every single time you play on the square church, you will reinvent the wheel. I think that there are biblical evidence. It's not just gas and there's biblical evidence to say that that the New Testament church is at the bottom of page 13, share a fundamental oneness in apostolic faith and practice each year at the same colors, codes of conduct and characteristics. Look what Paul could say. A lot of these he's saying to the recalcitrant Corinthians, because they didn't listen good. You know, that is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child. And the more to remind you my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere in every church. Now, for those of us who are a part of churches and world impact, who would have authority to speak in every church and be authoritatively heard, not a single person, I don't think. Not even key. No one. First Corinthians seven. Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to Him and to which God has called him.

 

[00:14:45] This is my rule in all the churches. Again, first Corinthians 11. Now, I commend you all because remember, be in everything and maintain the traditions, the traditions, even as I delivered them to you, if anyone is inclined, and again in Chapter 11, to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. Paul can talk about all the churches in a single sentence or first Corinthians 14 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace as as in all the churches of the saints. And then First Corinthians 16 are the collection that he was given among the Macedonian rich Christians and others. Now, concerning the collection of the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia. So you are also to do Paul was the general, the commander in chief, or at least the Joint Chiefs of if Jesus is Prime Minister, how much get out massage that, you know, he was in charge of all the churches and could speak to them. So there was real answer ability. They incorporate the way they incorporated new believers, the way members acted. Paul gave a real example here on how leaders were promoted, demoted, how people were kicked out. They had a common identity. So I think we need to develop interrelated structures which connect in a systemic and integrated manner. Now, Stacy had asked if she could see last week, I like. And Matt also asked, I'd like to just see. I don't I don't you know, I've never seen what Canon Law is like. I won't go through this with you. I gave this as an example so you can see Canon Law, but I made you some graphics of the way it looks. Terry and I based on sort of.

 

[00:16:39] Based on I don't know if you guys see this, but you have your own thing based on sort of canon law. Why don't I do this 1/1? I'm sorry. It's sort of brownish and it's easier to read or this is a template to brainstorm. Let's say we were. Let's say Stacey, God did follow on on diversity city and from that ignited a movement of 500 churches. How would we, in fact organize them? I think that there are many, many ways that we can. And amazingly, it corresponds even to our own sort of of sort of what impact authority. I think that that that at every level of church and this is a very common Episcopal structure. But there are pastors over congregations, missionary pastors who are sent out. This is interesting for you, Matt. There are most many denominations have pastors that they, in fact designate as missionary pastors, the pastors who go to start a church, not to run it for ever, but to train leaders in it, to get it going, to keep it going. If he's really effective among those people, he will stay there long enough to sort of ignite as many people as he possibly can. And sometimes missionary pastors will even become pastors within the denomination. I mean, it's just it's such a robust church. Why not? He just becomes pastor. They divide. They divide their area into districts and pastors. One of the pastors represented by the church in that district becomes the district leader, sometimes with authority, sometimes just to sort of supervise. I don't know if you guys on the scene. I know Pastor does being a part of the Methodist tradition, she will understand that. In other words, there is a geographical area that is divided into a district and there are district leaders.

 

[00:18:34] These are all pastors in some denominations. Every one of these is a past, the district leaders among all the district leaders. There's usually a person who is made a regional leader. He has a he has a church. It becomes the cathedral church in that entire region. Do you see or pardon? We call that bishop. Frankly, I change the name because it's is an interdenominational. But but that's what a bishop is. A bishop is in this thing, a regional leader. If and it's very easy then to organize. You have a sheet here, guys. You can see you could divide the continental United States into districts terrain idea in anticipation of real growth and power in like northwest west, central district, Midwest, southeast and Northeast. So it's very, very easy to do. Pastor of individual churches, districts, pastors of a particular area in in that area, you can go by state. You know, churches do a number of different things. But what's what's interesting is that they will they're usually I love the Episcopal system because there are there are usually ways of of convening in convocation these leaders. So all of the district leaders here have a general assembly and they meet and they discuss things. Certain things are given to them. All the regional leaders have their own council and among all the councils is one person was given Presiding Bishop role. These are in some denominations. The regional leaders are called first bishops and and the presiding head is called the presiding bishop. But I am telling you, whether whether or not you use this language, all know what on earth is going to tell me that you read was not the presiding bishop of that movement. I'm saying that whatever you call it, leaders, leaders sort of role in that it's all based on real, genuine representation.

 

[00:20:43] And just to fill out this, I gave you this. I mean, we really we actually Terry, we're sort of halfway crazy. We said if the Lord wanted us to start a movement of 1500 churches and do that next week, how on earth would we connect them? And so this is this was the first step that we did. We just filled out, if you can see it. We actually call those things. You know, the bishop is over a region and he is he is actually a pastor of a you know, of a district church. The first bishop is a pastor of a regional church. And his church becomes the cathedral church of that and so on. The point is, is that this could happen at house church network level, right? Didn't have to be some big. I mean, in other words, you this to me is one of the fundamental howls. If you're going to have churches that don't just nuke out and survive if you want, if you're really interested in this, I made you a copy of the actual Canon Law of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. You all. The reason why I'm intrigued with Terri's Terri's fellowship is that on a golf course, two guys ten years ago decided that they would, in fact, start an assembly. They have now international in ten years, I think like 1300 churches. They went in ten years, they have 1300 churches. So it can work. It can truly work if, in fact, we work among a homogeneous unit, if in fact, we take seriously, I think we have to take seriously real identity. This is the canon law for the Charismatic Episcopal Church. You know, I mean, if if God is going to use a church, he's going to use it.

 

[00:22:26] It has to be a. How arrogant of us, you say, how arrogant of you to think you could be the head of a church movement. I would say just the opposite. How arrogant of us not to do so. Especially if it if it is if it is legitimate. And, you know, I don't know how you guys feel about that. Well, I am convinced that you can't. As a matter of fact, that most of the great worldwide communions have bishops who are over. Triangles and squiggles and whatever. And then those bishops come together. That is why, quite literally, so many of the Third World bishops. I love these guys. They're not they don't care what you say as you can keep your money. You guys are the most liberal, crazy, cockamamie people on Earth, and we're not going to buy into any of your mess. And so some of the most powerful some of the most powerful leaders in the church today are some of these Africans and Latin Americans and Asians who just ain't heaven. And they mean I'm not I'm not kidding you. They do not play. We want to commune with you. But you guys don't believe nothing anymore. And therefore it's hard for us. I don't think we go. I think we ain't gonna commune with you. In the end, the American. The American bishops say, how dare you? We don't take our money from you. You ain't nothing we made. You bought who you think we are. You know, I love that this will this will show quite literally when we reach this point. This will be an entirely different new level of understanding, mission and church planning movements among the poor. Yes. No, no. What is important to understand is that unless you know my language, you can't disciple me, notwithstanding all your sentimentality.

 

[00:24:14] See, that's what this is about. That's all. This is about it. I couldn't. I can, my friend. I've gotten a the head of the Department of New Testament at Trinity Seminary is a dear friend of mine. We did lumberjack work together when I was poor. He's a lumberjack. I mean, he's a very complex person. I'm not like Bob Yarborough or. I've used his textbooks here. Bob is a tree topper. That's what he did for years. He would top trees. And so he just runs up these trees like, no. And it was good money. All I did was move tree branches and saw, you know, you're poor graduate student, you just need money. I'm sorry. You all know what I'm talking about. You told Bob. Bob. Bob is. Is is is a person who ministers among cross cultures. He has invited me to go to Khartoum with him many, many years. I haven't been able. I turned him down again just a few weeks ago. I said, I can't do it. Thank you. He goes into Khartoum working with people of different cultures and he told me what it would be. We would go in and we would in fact teach. But we're not squiggles. We couldn't disciple a squiggle. I've got hundreds of hours of theology in Bible. I know the Bible as well. I think as anybody in this room, there's no way I could disciple a squiggle. I could. I can tell a joke to a squiggle. So. So let's say this dear pastor wants to bring Koreans, Russians, Jesus, freaks, blacks and all have them all fellowship together. All this says it's not saying that his efforts aren't noble and that Christians should love each other. It says that when we disciple, when we really grow rapidly, people really do.

 

[00:25:57] Culture is not wrong. See, if if you don't see culture is positive. I like being black. I don't have to become white. Quite honestly, what I just said, I don't know how how y'all see this, but what I just see it is quite revolutionary in this outline. I don't have to enjoy anything. I'll never forget. One of the most powerful sermons I ever heard was an Asian guy at the 1976 ah, banner. Just, just, just. He just. He just. He just bleached the earth white to that whole big 18,000 thing gathering. He said, You guys are so proud. I don't like hamburgers. I like rice. I am not going to become like y'all. You cannot tell me that your way is only way. I am not going to be like you. And what I don't choose to be, not to be like you. You say, I'm not you know, I'm not on board or not. I mean, it was like a you know, it's an hour and 15 minutes like this just playing, just, you know, it was wonderful because he's the sort of guy we're looking for, right? He's a true triangle. Proud to be a triangle. I want to say, brother, there's nothing wrong with being a triangle. As a matter of fact, could you could you come to my circle church and do some triangle things? We'd love to see some triangle, man. We never see. And instead of us trying to that I don't want to berate the good, excellent effort of a true indigenous pastor, because we know that many of these churches, under the guise of of of you can truly be a bigot and only work with your own culture. You know what I mean? That's sort of the core is what I say.

 

[00:27:37] You could just say, oh, I'm just legitimized now. I don't I've never liked circles and now I never got if I've never see a circle again, praise God and I don't. Up is matter of fact, I'm only attempting to eliminate every circle from my church. We going to vote the Wilsons out? I knew this was right. I heard Don Davis say it. No. Yes. But if John wanted to win, if John wanted to win Mexican immigrants and demanded that they learn English before we win them, it's just it's just wrong. It's just wrong. And that's really a must. While we're on this, you know, the three R's of John Perkins relocate. Reconciliation and redistribution. All of those are based on this fact that sentimentality can overcome genuine cultural difference. If I just am sincere and I love urban people, I'm just going to move into the neighborhood. And then my neighbors all go, Love me, y'all. I'm here. I'm here to share the good news with you. Here I am. Hello? I'm here. Come on, now. I mean, it's pathetic. It's much better to come in to be a midwife, as is Kirkegaard. To find that brother, that sister who. That's what missions is classically done. I'll never forget, y'all. You know, since you've just ruined my outline, cantabile, it's not my fault. This. I'll never forget going to a wickliffe. A Wickliffe banquet where two middle class women, white, I mean, in their forties, went into an animistic area. It animistic. I mean, there were bones, they said. Well, here is one of the chants of our local. And there were little heads of people shrunken. And you know what I mean? It was animistic, magic and stuff. One was from America. One was from Britain.

 

[00:29:36] And the most ordinary looking sisters and just happy and just sort of night they went into this place. And and what they did is that they started translating, learning the language and told the people, and they were sort of amenable. And one couple came to the Lord and they work with them. Those two sisters went in there, and I'll never forget it because I'd been on staff for eight years. They went in the same time I did in eight years. They had a church of 325 people in it. Nothing dug out enough in the end that this is the honest truth. They ended their presentation with a with with pictures of these tall, handsome, brown people on these long boats gone about 25. I'm going to the next village to share the good news. It was all indigenous. You see what I'm saying? They were two. They were two white, middle class folk. They didn't have nothing to do with that. They. They actually waited on God to bring fruit in. Then they invest in that fruit. And that fruit went into that culture and won it. That's all I'm saying. If we take this seriously, then I think what you're saying, though, Susan, is really key. I don't want to I don't want to say I don't want to give bigots license to say I'm done. And I don't really and I applaud those who try to have model. You know, my dear friend A at Lawndale church in Chicago, he has these chocolate vanilla meetings. He called it his white folk and his black folk were just at each other's throats all the time. So we have the chocolate meeting. So the blacks comes, they can gripe and then they are white folk, me.

 

[00:31:10] And then they bring them together and they grow together and make fudge ripple. I get. Well, see? See. To me, that's novel. But how on earth do you really expect black folk to become white folk and white folk to become black folk? And I told him that is is there anything wrong with just being black with black folk? And if I truly do believe that this is what sinful if you were in a black congregation or you were in this congregation, that Stacey, one of these homosexuality, you know, these ex homosexuals, and they said upfront, we don't want to fellowship with the squares. We don't want to have nothing to do with the triangle. That's evil. That's wrong. There's one church. So to me, real reconciliation is when the Korean and the Japanese students at Urbana got together, wept on each other in the floor. That's reconciliation. They're different. They're Koreans, and they're Japanese. But they reconciled because of all the history and the bitterness between them. Must you have a Korean Japanese church? Do you want some little old lady who has spoken Korean only your whole life to learn Japanese just to be able to worship God? I don't, you know, I just don't think that's very helpful personally. And then my 3 minutes that I have left, let me just direct your attention. As a matter of fact, I. I think. No, I won't. No, and no. I'm having this internal conversation. On Page 14. Let me just sort of give you an overview because I think I've covered a lot of these things. The fifth and the sixth questions are important. All I can do is sort of point you to them and tell you what I say in outline. If you understand how has to do with homogeneity.

 

[00:32:56] It has to do with shared identity. It has to do with a with a singular sort of structure. Then where are we to begin such efforts? And from what venues are we likely to find champions to stimulate in such church planning efforts? I am convinced that we should really take seriously our and this is what question five is. We should take seriously establishing a structure to do this. Structure is important. Structure can do all kinds of things for us. Structure is biblical. I just gave you a lot of the things in the Bible from that I sort of rehearsed of the district and the local church. On page 16, you can see the distinctions. Number four of how churches are identified in the New Testament geographic region by cultural and linguistic and social background. The churches of the Gentiles, according to their place, are under the the apostles direction. They were all apostolic and they strengthened the churches. I think the church the church is the place where we should get this this done is what I'm saying. And we should really explore how we can use structure the very structures that we're talking about. I can tell you guys quite, quite honestly, the charismatic Episcopal Church ballooned because they had a structure that had real credibility. And they they really invested each level with authority and took took themselves seriously. This, by the way, is not possible unless it really means something to be a part of us. If there is no us, then it doesn't mean anything to be a part of us. And finally, number six, when will such movements likely start? I say that there are some conditions that need to be made. May in order for robust, dynamic movements to occur.

 

[00:34:45] Certain conditions have to be met. I give you those at the bottom of page 17 and of the top of page 18. Are they they have to begin with spiritual dynamism, everything that Garrison said that there was real, genuine prayer. This isn't just structure. God's power has to do with this. We have to recover the apostolic tradition. There has to be a readiness for a new kind of cross-cultural missions company that's not just trying to do the work, but train people to do the work. And there needs to be a realization of a new level of spiritual warfare in combat. I will tell you guys again, remind you of what Paul said in one of our earliest lessons, that a lot of what Garrison's research shows is that these movements came when when both missionary and indigenous leaders and churches were under persecution. So we have to sort of we have to pay the price to represent Christ in this way of vital church movements will come when they really reaffirm the primacy of the central centrally the church. I like the statement of page 18. The church was like Noah's Ark. If it weren't for the storm outside, you simply couldn't stand the stink inside. I've told you that before. I say that again. You just have to love the church with all its foibles. And you simply can't claim to be loyal to the church with the big C. Sort of like what Bonner said. If you're unwilling to if you're if you're willing to ignore the church with the little C, then you're really not about the church with the big C. So I think that's what we have to do if we're really serious. And then I think, C, on page 18, we have to redefine missions, efforts, missionaries have to have to see themselves as fire starters, facilitators or gadflies.

 

[00:36:33] They have to they have to deliberately define themselves as those who sort of tout a new axiom, a new rule of missions. Missionaries don't win nations. Missionaries win. And disciple people. Group champions who win nations. It's just a different way of thinking about missions. Missionaries are not those who will completely infest an entire people group and win churches and all of them. Missionary activity has to shift to the work of training and equipping Indigenous people to do the work. Finally, y'all. And it's only lying. I italicize it c for on page 18. Let me just direct your attention to that. Missionaries coordinate strategies with indigenous labors in order to maximize your ability to advance the gospel in their communities. That's what we must do. We must trust that God Almighty will raise up Moses's endeavors and Sojourner Truths and Gutierrez for for the city. I mean, we need them. They're the only ones who can do it. And if God does lead us to them, then these communities will not be won. And then finally, we need to we need to if we're going to ignite these, then we're going to have to be ready to really allow real, genuine, authentically indigenous, with full oversight at every level of this real bishops who are truly indigenous, we have their own authority and who make the decisions and determine their directions. Well, again, I wish there was more time to sort of cover these things, but at least you got an earful and you'll get my final earful next week on this. What are your final comments on this? I apologize for for for having to sort of fly through, but can you just leave? Well, see, the difference between us quite literally. The difference between us and the New Testament Church is that the apostolic team was itinerant.

 

[00:38:33] They were itinerant. I mean, they it seemed to me we just have to come to a point where it is not an indictment on the spiritual on the spiritual readiness of a community. If no one responds, that's not we just staying there longer isn't going to make it respond, is what I'm saying. It's just you just have to ignore. If we leave, it says that we have to leave it forever. How many times have people gone back to evangelize a very sponsored Paul was beaten then and and rejected in. This is not a question on whether or not we will never go back to a place. But it is a question of how long you will stay in a place and whether or not we will just, you know. This time. That's all it is. Is it this time? Well, guys, I was for those of you who are willing to gel, I am willing to job. But the rest of you must go and plant 400 churches in your respective communities and nurture the very loving church that you are part of right now. Why don't why don't you join me for a word of prayer and then we'll be done for the night? Father, thank you for the Word of God. Thank you for. Thank you for all of the movements of your son spoke of in the revolutionary Christianity, the bond, as is articulated. I pray with Thanksgiving for the house church networks that are taking place with the Chinese and the Baptists and and brother malls. Simple passion for new churches. I just pray, Lord, you will help us in some way be we be liberated into the freedom of Christ, and that we will you will allow us in some way, Lord, to believe that you and you alone, the Holy Spirit of the only one who can save a community, raise up a champion, raise up a people, and you will give us the freedom to recognize that Lord Man's question is the heart of all of our question.

 

[00:40:25] You have to lead us day by day and tell us when the timing is right and show us step by step what to do. And there are no magic formula as a great principles to do that. We just have to be open to you and listen to you, and you have to lead us. Lord, we love our churches. We love the people in them. We just pray you will give us grace to just be the sort of men and women that we need to be so we can just glorify you as best we can in this very crooked and perverse place that you you say it. We we've been called to advance your kingdom. Thank you again for this day, for this course, and even for this, the prelude to our very last time together. Thank you for for for everything you taught us tonight in our discussion. Just blesses and enriches as we go from here. In the name of him, who is the true head of the church? Jesus, our Lord, our risen Savior. In His name, we pray a man. I think you guys.