Setting up a Story-telling Consultation as part of the dynamic of a National or City-wide Transformational Conversation

The initial role of the Network Coordinator is to start a spark in each city which will eventually lead to the church of that city taking responsibility for the evangelizing or transformation of their city or of a sector of the city (such as the slums). At some point in this process it will be good to bring together the leaders of some cities, where the spark has been nursed into a fire, and bring them together for a consultation.

Some Expected Outcome of a Regional Consultation

Vision: Emergence of a vision for the cities and for the cities of the region as a whole, becomes collectively owned by leadership from within the region.

Synergism comes when top level leaders share experiences of how they have been used of God to generate movements, resulting in a wave of creativity.

Mobilization into penetration of new areas evangelistically or transformationally within the country or continent, and into other least evangelized cities on other continents.

Increase in Unity: Reconciliation between city leaders across national, racial, and denominational lines. At a regional level this enables apostolic leaders to work together who often are unused to working closely with other apostolic leaders. Relationship leads to partnerships on common causes.

Leadership Emergence: Emergence of a strategic leadership team for the cities in the region. Then the region. The primary result of outside catalysts is emergence of new leadership around common goals.  These processes create spaces for leaders to function, with affirmation from other leaders.

Specialized Partnerships or networks formed. In such an environment common concerns are voiced, and partnerships are catalyzed on a regional basis. For example, networks of theological educators, or researchers, or those working with aids victims.

Citywide Strategic Planning Initiated or Developed: Consultations catalyze the emergence of a research function within the cities, the development of a basis for shared planning, and the bringing together of strategic leaders around the planning process.

Release of New Ministry Through Theological Breakthroughs: Emergence of theological integration or breakthroughs occur in a consultative environment that releases new waves of life in the cities.

Publication: Produce new useful publications that will multiply the vison, values and skills sets.

Preplanning

A consultation is only of as much value as the prior work that goes into it.  The purpose is to use the event to generate the discussion and products.  Thus the prior meetings are critical in team building and the outcome should involve ongoing connectivity.  It is easier for most leaders to focus on an event as central to such network development.   

Potential Objectives of Consultation

• To sense what God is doing, has done, and desires to do in these cities.
• Raise the shared vision for evangelizing and transforming cities.
• Seek to bring reconciliation between city leaders.
• By looking at case studies on reaching cities, and research on cities, catalyze and expand on existing plans.
• Emerge ways that apostolic, prophetic and evangelistic leadership can work together for an ongoing multi-church strategic approach to evangelism in each city.
• Look at and produce new useful publications that will assist new evangelistic efforts.
• Each city leadership team will leave with tools they can use, and a plan they have begun working on for their city.

Questions for the steering committee to identify the goals

• What is your overall aim long-term?  How does this consultation fit into the wider battle plan? 
• What is the opportunity cost (i.e. what will you sacrifice in order to make it happen? 
• What is likely to make it ineffective?
• What is your short term objective feeding that longer term goal?

Personell

The aim is not the consultation, but the influence of the consultation on the networks of people related to the participants.  Thus a conference of 25 leaders may touch 25 x an average of 10 daughter organizations of 15 workers impacting 100 people each and their families of average size of 10.   Ie. A total of 25 x 10 x15 x 100 x10 or approx 400,000. 

• Define parameters as to size
• Identify qualities of people to include
• Identify those who can make a significant contribution to the discussion or process.
• Identify a pathway to recruit

What support staff will be needed? Pre, during and post?

Define roles for:

• Conference coordinator
• Database
• Finances
• Operations
• Travel and accommodation
• Program

Which potential organizations and partners can contribute these?

• Who do you want on the planning committee?
• On the program committee?

Recruitment

• Who has the capacity to recruit these kinds of people?  Who has recognized leadership? Who has the networks?
• What will motivate them to come together?
• While you may see the value of talking and collaboration, most will see it as a waste of time.

Publishing

The aim of publishing is not to publish.  The aim is to be useful in generating action. (However for academics their aim is to be published)

Funding

• Which partners have capacity to contribute?  What would motivate them?
• What seed funding needs to be raised?
• Initial budget of income and expense, with time frames as to cash flow.

An example of a City Leaders Conference Process

Methodology

• Look at existing citywide models that are working from several cities in the region (15 minute presentations, 15 minute discussion)
• Look at patterns that recur in many cities and some of the generic processes and principles that emerge.
• Look at principles from other cities around the world.
• Discuss a progression of consultations and events that can accelerate city-wide processes in the region.

Pre-Conference Preparation

Each city should get large maps and large overlays of the city, and have an initial church directory prepared.

Different leaders should have prepared a presentation of the strategy for each city (10 mins each, with 10 mins for questions). Ask them for not longer than two page summaries. A main story and a key principle.

Make sure there is an overhead projector (and a secretary who can use the laptop computer to type up case studies as people speak)

Invite 3 key Christian leaders from secular fields to give 10 minute presentations (and 10 mins for questions) on their vision for their profession in this city if it was functioning under the Kingdom .

Discover if there is a prayer and/or music leader who can work with you in the power of the Spirit (yet sensitively recognizing the diversity of denominations), in ministry among the pastors.

Draw up a chart to plot for all the cities involved, numbers of churches per city, numbers of Protestant churches, numbers of Christian workers.

Consultation Topics

The following are some suggestions for cities consultations. No two consultations are the same. The central element in the process is story-telling with a view to moving towards clearer strategic plans.

Keynote 1: A Vision for the City: From Genesis to Revelation

Keynote 2: Birthing a Strategic Process for Evangelizing A City

Professionals give their Vision for the city (10 minute presentations by 3 people with discussion).

• Emerging City Leadership Teams
• Time of Prayer and Reconciliation
• Seeing the City: What is God Doing in the City? Researching the City

(Teaching Session :1 session of 2 hrs or 2 sessions of 1 hr each)

• Production of 5 Booklets
• City Mapping Exercise
• Emerging a Prophetic Message
• Message: Spiritual Warfare Prayer and Taking Cities

(Teaching 1 1/2 hours, Discussion 1 hour)

• What does it mean to take a city?
• What is the Role of Intercession?
• Spiritual Powers and the city
• Case Studies: City Strategies

Each afternoon have each city present a 15 minute case study on processes that have developed in their cities, with 10 minutes discussion and 10 minutes prayer (timing depends on number of cities in consultation).

• Teaching Sessions: The Practice of Churchplanting
• Small Group Meeting With the City Leadership Team
• Discussion of next steps
• Discussion of Publication development
• Discussion of Press Release
• Urban Ministry Training Ideas
• Lay Leadership Development / Small Group Movements
• Training Centers
• Research Centers
• Cultural Training Centers
• Time of Intercession

Post consultation

• Production of manual or stories.
• Network integration