Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART II: T HEOLOGICAL AND M ISSIOLOGICAL P RINCIPLES AND I NSIGHTS • 251

who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

1. Connect the struggles of your people with the struggles of Christians all over the world, and throughout all history.

2. Relate the teaching of the Creed in its big panoramic vision to what is taking place today.

3. Ground your people in the historical, worldwide, trans cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-national movement of Jesus.

D. Be diligent to consistently rehearse historic orthodoxy with your church plant team, with your fledgling community, and with your developing leaders through the Creed. 2 Tim. 4.1-5 (ESV) – I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his Kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 1. Do not hesitate to emphasize the critical, life-and-body shaping role of theology; show how theological perspective ultimately determines life outcome. 2. Challenge mentors always to connect specific details and issues to the great biblical narrative, which the creed summarizes and outlines.

3. Use the Creed to connect the faith and works of your people to the historic works of faith done from the apostles onward.

Eph. 4.4 – There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; [4.6] one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.