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 21

The Vision of The Urban Ministry Institute Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis. © 2007. The Urban Ministry Institute

And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. [3] For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. [4] Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” ~ Habakkuk 2.2-4 (ESV) To Facilitate Pioneer Church Planting Movements among America’s Unreached Urban Poor Communities The Urban Ministry Institute is a ministry of World Impact, an interdenominational missions organization dedicated to evangelism, discipleship, and church planting among the urban poor in America. As World Impact’s training and research center, TUMI seeks to generate and strategically facilitate dynamic, indigenous church planting movements among the poor to reach the unreached populations of America’s inner cities. In order to attain this purpose, we will help form strategic alliances between and among urban pastors, Christian workers, and missionaries, along with churches and denominations and other kingdom-minded organizations in order to trigger robust, evangelical pioneer church-planting movements in the city. It is our hope that these movements will multiply thousands of culturally conducive evangelical churches among America’s urban poor. We intend to use generally our expertise on behalf of the churches in these movements in order that they might glorify God the Father in their Christ-centered identity and their Spirit-formed worship and community life. Our commitment is to help these urban con- gregations defend the historic orthodox faith in the context of urban culture, and engage in kingdom-oriented social justice and evangelical mission practically, where they live and minister. To Equip Leaders Serving the Churches That Arise from Evangelical Church Planting Movements Furthermore, we will strive to ensure that the leaders and congregations of these church-planting movements are equipped for effective urban ministry and empowered to affiliate with other leaders and churches in shared identity and purposeful association.

Ministry Institute

The Vision of The Urban