Mentor's Manual

Sec t i on I : Under s tand i ng The Urban Mi n i s t r y I ns t i tute 19

assembly. Applicants must be actively participating in a church body in order to be considered for acceptance in our programs. The key criteria for admission is the recommendation of their pastoral (or denominational) leadership. Especially among the Poor We believe that God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him (James 2.5). Whether you are rich, poor, or somewhere in between, we believe that Jesus has given all believers a theological mandate to prioritize the poor in their life and ministry. By the year 2025, one out of every three people on the planet will live in urban poverty. We believe that God is raising up leaders who will go to the unreached millions among the urban poor both in America and around the world. More importantly, we believe that God is raising up dynamic leaders from among the urban poor who deserve access to quality theological education. As a Mentor, you have the high privilege of serving those leaders that God has called to be rich in faith and helping to equip them as they reach their cities with the Gospel of Christ and his Kingdom. In Order to Advance the Kingdom of God The Church of Jesus Christ is vitally important to God’s will because it is the agent of the Kingdom of God, charged to function as salt and light in the midst of a decaying and corrupt world. We believe that we live “between the times” already experiencing the life of the in-breaking Kingdom of God, but still looking forward to the con- summation of that Kingdom when Jesus returns and “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Christ is Lord.” “Between the times” the freedom, wholeness, and justice of the Kingdom of God is to be embodied and proclaimed by the Church. A church com- munity is responsible to show visibly what the “Reign of God” looks like when it is embraced by people who acknowledge Christ’s lord- ship. The Urban Ministry Institute is dedicated to helping churches make God’s Kingdom visible in all the dimensions of Christian community life, and in its ministry to the needy in the city. Our Ministry Objectives In light of these commitments, The Urban Ministry Institute embraces the following ministry objectives:

Our Purpose: Equipping

Leaders for the Urban Church