Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART III: P LANTING U RBAN C HURCHES • 351

II. Know Your Call as a Church Plant Team.

A. From the start, commit ample time to living and learning as a community of servants.

1. To grow together spiritually, socially, and interpersonally

2. To discern one another’s gifts, burdens, and skills

3. To allow the team identity and “chemistry” to develop

4. To develop a clear “modus operandi” as a team in its ongoing planning, doing, and reviewing together

B. Plan special times for spiritual nurture and friendship (retreat, prayer, Bible study, social gatherings).

C. Spend time before the Lord in prayer and supplication.

1. For yourselves

2. For the community

3. For the Spirit’s leading

D. Spend time as a team in ministry preparation (training times, conferences, language study, Bible training, etc.).

1. Need for ongoing training

2. Important not to make any assumptions; over learning can be a blessing

3. Allow for “blackboard battles” to be lost without blood: role play and simulation.

4. Allow opportunity to practice skills and projects.

5. Determine overall curricula based upon the particular needs of each individual team.