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A Seminar on Developing Mission Structures for the Urban Poor
(Development of Specialist Apostolic Communities)

Viv Grigg 5th Rev May 98

Objective
  To move groups of missions decision-makers through a number of major paradigm shifts required before structures can be put in place among the middle class to move numbers of workers in a self-sustaining manner into effective long-term holistic churchplanting among the poor.  

Background
  I have planted churches in urban and urban poor settings for 10 years and formed three apostolic missions in different continents over the last 14 years.

A.    The Concept (Sorry the Frontier Moved, Viv Grigg, Urban Missions, Mar 87)
B.    The Context (Chaps 1-7 Cry of the Urban Poor)

1.     20th Century Urbanization
2.     Causes and Responses to Urban Poverty
3.     Theories as to Nature of Poverty
4.     Nature of Movements Among the Urban Poor

C.    The Theology/ Sociology
1.     Kingdom and Holistic Mission vs Church Growth Theologies
2.     Kingdom and Poor (Companion to the Poor, Chap 3)
3.     Incarnation as Central to Evangelism Among the Poor (Companion, Chap 4)
4.     Kingdom and the City

D.    Historic Reasons for Specialist Apostolic Urban Poor Communities (paper)
1.     The Loss of the Historic Models of the Preaching Friars During the Reformation
2.     Self-Destruction of Workers Among the Poor in Protestant Missions

E.    The Lifestyle and Values of an Apostolic Urban Poor Community ( Lifestyle and Values of Servants, Cry chapter 7)
1.     Comparison of Structures of Catholic Orders and Protestant Missions
2.     The Centrality of the Search for God Among the Poor
3.     Identification, Incarnation and Their Relationship to Proclamation
4.     Community vs Teamwork
5.     Decision-Making, Leadership and Authority
6.     Economic Levels and Justice
7.     Living by Faith vs Salaried Positions

F.    20th Century Models of Apostolic Urban Poor Communities
1.     How Do They Develop?
2.     Structural Requirements
3.     Leadership Issues
4.     Financial Issues
5.     Conclusions: Forming Apostolic Orders in Middle Class Structures 

Time Involved
   Requires 6-8 hours to comprehensively cover the core paradigm shifts with a group of executives, which ideally includes the mission decision-makers and some field-team leaders who are in a position to implement models.  Simplified presentations may assist in the process.

Costs: travel, my time, simple manuals

Readings
Cry of the Urban Poor, Viv Grigg, MARC, 1993
Companion to the Poor, Viv Grigg, MARC, 1994
Committed Communities, Charles Mellis, William Carey Library, 1976



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