Planting Churches Among the City's Poor - Volume 2

392 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 2

Twenty Five Years of Urban Church Planting Among the Poor: A Report 4 Introduction A. World Impact is a Christian missions organization committed to planting healthy urban churches, especially among the poor. B. In 1990, World Impact’s National Board announced a ministry philosophy change emphasizing the importance of planting urban churches as a core part of World Impact’s mission. In 1991, the first church plant efforts were officially launched by World Impact as “Celebration Churches.” 1 C. In the twenty-five years between 1991 and January 1, 2015 World Impact and its partners have commissioned over 150 church plants. More than half of these bodies are currently advancing the Kingdom of God among the poor. 1. During this time, World Impact has also trained nearly 6,000 leaders through church planting conferences, church plant schools, and the TUMI satellite network.

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World Impact has also partnered with more than 30 denominations, associations, and movements to plant churches.

D. In October of 2014, World Impact’s second president, Rev. Efrem Smith announced a new vision for World Impact’s church planting initiative, “Crowns of Beauty.” 2 1. By the end of 2021, World Impact’s 50 th year of ministry, World Impact will have planted or partnered to plant three hundred new healthy churches in America’s under-resourced communities.

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Gideon’s story provides an example of how God used 300 to bring freedom, wholeness, and justice to a people who were “powerfully oppressed” (Judges 6:2) and it informs World Impact’s church planting vision.

1 The three foundational papers for World Impact’s move into church planting are currently available on World Impact’s Intranet. They are: Terry Cornett and Don Davis, “Developing Urban Congregations: A Framework for World Impact Church Planters” (World Impact Press, 1991), 69 pages; Terry Cornett and Don Davis, “Missionary and Culture” (Wichita, KS, 1991), 37 pages; Don Davis and Terry Cornett, “Empowering People for Freedom, Wholeness, and Justice,” reprinted in Foundations for Christian Mission , ed. Don Davis, vol. 4, Capstone Curriculum (Wichita, KS: The Urban Ministry Institute, 2005), 310–39. 2 Efrem Smith, World Impact Strategic Plan 2014 - Efrem Smith , 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eOxhp_1FzU&feature=youtu.be .