Fit to Represent, Vision for Discipleship Seminar

Appendix III: Culture and Leadership ▪ 143

Creating Coherent Urban Church Planting Movements Discerning the Elements of Authentic Urban Christian Community Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

Core Evangelical Convictions

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C o This circle represents its most fundamental convictions and commitments , its Affirmation of Faith, its commitment to the Gospel and those truths contained in the early Christian creeds (i.e., The Nicene Creed). These con- victions are anchored in its confidence in the Word of God, and represent our un- equivocal commitment to historic orthodoxy. As members of the one, holy, apostolic, and catholic (universal) body of Christ, movements must be ready and willing to die for their core evangelical con- victions . These convictions serve as the connection of the movements to the historic Christian faith, and as such, can never be compromised or altered. This circle represents their distinctive church allegiances and identities . Urban church plant movements will coalesce around their own distinctive traditions, overseen by leaders who provide those movements with vision, instruction, and direction as they move forward together to represent Christ and his Kingdom in the inner city. Specific traditions seek to express and live out this faithfulness to the Authoritative and Great Traditions through their worship, teaching, and service. They seek to make the Gospel clear within new cultures or sub-cultures, speaking and modeling the hope of Christ into new situations shaped by their own set of questions posed in light of their own unique cir- cumstances. These movements, therefore, seek to contextualize the Authoritative Tradition in a way that faithfully and effectively leads new groups of people to faith in Jesus Christ, and incorporates those who believe into the community of faith that obeys his teachings and gives witness of him to others. Urban church plant movements must be ready and willing to articulate and defend their unique distinctives as God’s kingdom community in the city. Distinctive Church Allegiances and Identities m m o n

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Common Organizational Structure and Ministry Programs

This circle represents the ways in which coherent urban church plant movements express their convictions and identity through their own distinct organizational structures and ministry programs . These structures and programs are designed and executed through their own specific strategies, policies, decisions, and procedures. The structures and programs represent their self-chosen methods of fleshing out their understanding of the faith as it pertains to their community purpose and mission. These are subject to change under their own legitimate processes as they apply accumulated wisdom in to accomplish how best their purposes in the city. As a communities of faith in Christ, urban church movements must be encouraged to dialogue about their structures and ministry programs in order to discover the best possible means to contextualize the Gospel and advance the Kingdom of God among their neighbors.