Mentor's Manual

18 For the Nex t Generat i on: The Urban Mi n i s t r y I ns t i tute ’ s Mentor Manua l

Our Purpose and Ministry Objectives: Equipping Leaders for the Urban Church

As a Mentor, you are partnering with us to invest in the lives of Christian leaders in the city. It is important to us that you fully understand our purpose. The following statement defines the essential reason that we exist. The Urban Ministry Institute is a training institution that exists to equip leaders for the urban church, especially among the poor, in order to advance the Kingdom of God. To Equip Leaders Although we live in a culture where leaders are often openly disrespected and the very idea of leadership is sometimes seen as oppressive and restrictive, we believe that leaders are of fundamental importance in all of human life. Nowhere is this more important than in the life of God’s Church. The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) exists to equip Church leaders who are serving and investing in others. These leaders may be pastors or lay leaders, men or women. They may be evangelists, missionaries, Sunday School teachers, worship leaders or those who visit the sick. The key is that they have a recognized ministry role in their church (formal or informal), that they have people toward whom they feel a leadership responsibility, and that they are called and motivated to invest in and equip others as disciples of Jesus Christ. For the Urban Church Half of the people alive today live in cities, and that number is constantly growing. This calls for a special focus on urban churches, especially in those areas which have historically been neglected, or have large concentrations of people who have not been reached with the Gospel of Christ. Believing strongly that effective ministry cannot take place apart from the body of Christ, The Urban Ministry Institute is committed to enriching the life and outreach of urban congregations and their servant-leaders. All of our programs and materials are designed to equip men and women effectively to serve in the context of a local Each part of this statement has profound importance to us.

Our Purpose: Equipping

Leaders for the Urban Church