Urban Leadership Foundation
A hub for leadership training in cities and among the world's 1.4 billion slum-dwellers
Over two decades of training slum pastors in 40 cities, the following key paradigm shifts have surfaced as essential in helping them move from a static pattern of leading in a small church into a process of multiplying.
1. The Kingdom of God is his reign over all life, spiritual, social, economic, political, family. Like Jesus, we are to preach the Kingdom of God. not just a gospel of salvation - which is only one aspect, entrance to the Kingdom.
2. 81 Steps to a church plant: whatever culture and context , there are simple patterns of planting. These 81 steps give a basis for evaluation of steps taken
3. Four Seasons of Growth of a church: the implications for the cultural focus, the teaching, the processes of training, the structure at each phase over 8-9 years.
4. Nine Principles of Economic Discipleship: Creativity, productivity, work, rest, management, redistribution, ownership... Discipleship is not just spiritual.
5. Multiplying Cells: Five principles of cell group multiplication.
6. Patterns of Training of leaders: Each trainee needs to identify those they are training: and develop processes to enable them to become apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers and deacons
7. Robin Hoods: A deacon doesn't give out hymn books at the door, but is a well trained social worker or community development worker or economic development worker.
8. Culture of Poverty: The theory of the culture of poverty and what kind of church it predicts.
9. Why are we poor? a. The global dynamics forming the slums. b. Three types of poor in the scriptures and responses.
10 Cash flows in a church plant: When do we need what and how do we resource it. Why we are currently blocked in growth?
Six paradigms that move NGO workers into fruitfulness alongside projects
In contrast, NGO workers have rarely been involved in church growth - often seeing the church as a hindrance - It is critical that they (and their organizations) move from diaconal delivery of programs into effective 5-fold ministry that leaves churches in the community to sustain change dynamics. These are in direct contradiction to development community philosophy.
1. Incarnation: Take nothing with you, live with the people, learn from the people. Do not enter with projects.
2. Live by faith: God's provision is through your preaching, not an NGO salary, though use that to begin.
3. Empowerment: The centrality of proclamation is the power that breaks open communities. The release of the Holy Spirit is the power that breaks open communities. The formation of the body of Christ is the source of ongoing power and wealth generation in a community.
4. Progressions: Delay projects for at least one year after the birth of a church. Proclamation and discipleship result in people. Training these people for a year into some degree of faithfulness to the Lord raises up dependable workers
5. Appropriateness: Jesus came without money. He had sufficient for the needs of himself and some ad hoc giving to the poor. Only after three years when the church numbered thousands did programs emerge. Grow the church first.
6. Indigeneity: Do what works to bear fruit while also accomplishing what the foreign organisation tells you.