Exploring an Expression of Movement Day In Your City or Region.

Transcription

1 Exploring an Expression of Movement Day In Your City or Region

2 MOVEMENT DAY IN YOUR CITY Contents What is a movement day? Why Movement Day is Needed Around the World Movement Day s Belief Structure The Building Blocks of Gospel Movement Why Movement Day in Your City

3 MOVEMENT DAY IN YOUR CITY Movement Day (MD) is an initiative of MOVEMENT.ORG, a not-forspiritually and socially impact the urban centers in which they live, work and do ministry. THE GOAL of a MD expression, which can range from a one to three days gathering is to accelerate a gospel movement - catalyzing highly trained stubborn facts, as crime, poverty, apathy, failed educational systems, unemployment, etc. Our approach: to multiply the impact of one through the unity of many. Who & What is Movement Day Movement Day was launched in passionate about impacting their cities with the Gospel of Jesus. IN THE EIGHT YEARS compelling observations about the power of Movement Day in advancing the gospel and improving life for the urban under-served. God has put in the heart of His leaders what He wants them to do. By providing a space to convene and the opportunity to share best The distinction of Christianity is the Presence of God in the person of the Incarnate Christ. When Christian leaders are more present to each other, God becomes more present to each of us. Expressing our unity is what the Lord expects from us. What we We own what we design. Movement Day gives thousands of diverse leaders the opportunity to join forces in determining the future of their city then humbly contributing their unique A city s Christian vibrancy is in direct proportion to the depth of unity between believers. comprised of churches, Christ-centered agencies and leaders, the goal of a MD expression is to see that eco-system mature in all its diversity. MOVEMENT DAY, A PROVEN STRATEGY TO IMPACT A CITY WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS.

4 MOVEMENT DAY IN YOUR CITY WORLD FACTS Explosive Growth Going Urban cities of the world. The result is, by 2050 nearly 70% of the world s population will live in cities. Global Cities: Chief Architects of World Culture opinions of the rest of the population. Why Movement Day is Needed Around the World Getting Younger: Less Likely to be Christian The world s rapid growth is producing an increasingly younger population. The median age of Christians in North America and Europe Refugees: A Concern and an Opportunity absorbing these populations are overwhelmed by the demands on their infrastructure. This provides unprecedented opportunities to serve and share the Gospel with people of other faiths and those with no faith at all. For those of you who agree that advancing the Gospel of Jesus and human being on earth is the top-priority, here are some facts to consider in devising a strategic plan to accomplish this goal. CHURCH FACTS Growth Concentrated in Rural Areas As the church grows in rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America in what Os Guiness calls pre-modern contexts, these areas have generally not been Rapid Growth Limited Resources In developing continents such as Africa, the church is growing so fast that resources to support this growth, sent largely from the West, aren t is interfering with unity of cause. Explosive Growth in the Southern Hemisphere It is expected that the percentage of Christians in Australia, South America, the southern third of Africa and islands in southern Asia (including parts MOVEMENT DAY, A PROVEN STRATEGY TO IMPACT A CITY WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS.

5 Movement Day In Your City 5 WORLD Facts VS. CHURCH FACTS: THE RESULTING CONVERGENCE The majority of the world is now living in sizeable cities, is under the age of 25 and is living on less than $2.00 per day. In summary, we can say that the world is urban, young and very, very poor! Church Growth: Out of Step with Changing Demographics Christianity is growing in rural areas, but not keeping up with the explosive expansion of urban populations where the cultural impact is most significant. Movement Day Gatherings are: 1 Inclusive of demographic diversity 2 Inspiring leaders to action 3 Bringing in expert voices to address the spiritual & social realities of urban centers 4 Offering case studies highlighting best practices in city movements 5 Convening emerging leaders in shaping solutions especially young leaders to address the unique issues of urban youth 6 Creating inter-generational community for shared learning & mentorship 7 Providing networking & partnership opportunities built around areas of passion for that city Old Church: Young People The Church is losing its relevancy and ability to relate. THE MOVEMENT DAY SOLUTION This growth and demographic change outlined above presents a unique and urgent opportunity for Christian leaders to unite under the goal of impacting cities and culture for Christ. Through its emphasis on researching the problems, building relationships and fostering partnerships and collaborations, Movement Day creates an environment of informed, unified, empowered and committed Christian city leaders armed with the power of the Gospel and the heart of God, ready to implement tangible and lasting solutions for the problems plaguing their cities. Movement Day, a proven strategy to impact a city with the Gospel of jesus.

6 Movement Day In Your City 6 The Gospel Matters Jesus lived the life we are meant to live, and died the death we deserved. His life and death are essential for hope in this world. It is urgent that people all around the world be given the life-renewing opportunity to live the, Jesus-life now and for eternity. Church Unity Matters Less than twenty-four hours before His crucifixion, documented in John 17, Jesus prayed His climactic prayer that all His followers would be one. The unity of the church across denominational, racial, generational and geographic lines is the best evidence of God s love to an unbelieving world. Division in the church breeds atheism in the world; unity breeds love and a fertile environment for belief. Movement Day s Belief Structure Cities Matter The number of Christians exploded at a rate of 800% in the 300 years between AD 30 (Christ s Ascension) and AD 312 (Conversion of Constantine), rising from 25,000 to 20-million. The growth took place in the strategic cities of the Roman Empire. Never before in human history is there the potential to expose even greater numbers of people to the gospel, than in this new global diaspora. emerging leaders Matter The growth of Christianity globally hinges on our ability to reach young leaders in big cities. Dave Howard in his book, Student Power in World Mission, believes that most spiritual movements are started by people who made their faith commitment before the age of twenty, and distinguished themselves as leaders before the age of twenty-eight. The greatest challenge facing the global church is the emerging leader generation leaving the faith this is true in diverse places like Korea, Egypt and the United States. Gospel Movement Matters We are passionate to see explosive growth: in conversions, in church plantings, in the growth of the gospel s influence on society and against the greatest humanitarian challenges of our day. The Status Quo is simply unacceptable.

7 Movement Day In Your City 7 PRAYER The Centrality of Corporate Spiritual Disciplines The Building Blocks of Gospel Movement We have found these four building blocks necessary for a successful gospel movement. Churches, business and agency leaders need to be invited into a common spiritual experience for their city. This is the foundation of gospel movements over the past 30-years, with expressions like Concerts of Prayer Greater New York s Pastors Prayer Summit, The Lord s Watch (daily prayer) and various other city-wide prayer and Scripture reading campaigns being classic examples. Every movement needs common language or semantic currency, such as Luther s 95 Theses for the Reformation. Even prayer requires submission to unity. We need to be careful not to let our commitment to our own theology or methodologies divide us. RESEARCH Compelling Research Whether it s as basic as online population, employment, academic performance and immigration research, or as sophisticated as hiring professionals to gather detailed and granular research on a community, city or region, good research compels action. We have discovered that the average leader in the average church has little idea of what is actually happening in their city. Armed with compelling research, the informed church can rally around common challenges, and establish powerful agreement on what needs to be done as well as what they can accomplish together. Our Faith Our cities Our leadership

8 Movement Day In Your City 8 LEADERSHIP Convening Leaders for Training The evidence of a successful gospel movement is a city whose Christian population is growing faster than the general population. This critical mass of believers will begin to have a disproportionate effect on the population s values and beliefs, and this change will then cause the gospel to spread organically and spontaneously without external control. It is critical to provide training for gospel movement practitioners. The majority of city movements in North America are currently led by Caucasian, male baby-boomers. While these leaders are passionate and effective mobilizers, they sometimes lack the organizational capacity that is needed to move beyond the awareness and spiritual discipline phase and become effective at envisioning and skillfully deploying leaders around areas of common passion. Unique training is needed for each entity, in what we call the 3-legged stool : church leader, marketplace leader and mission agency leader. Cultivating emerging leader Leadership Born between 1981 and 1997, the 18 to 34-year-old emerging leader represents an underutilized, under-represented cadre of leaders. It should be among our highest priority to develop these emerging leaders who can create the long-term leadership pipeline needed to impact a city for the next years. Finding the 26+ leaders in a city is perhaps the most crucial goal of an existing leadership team or cluster of organizations. We believe this requires a unique and independent effort. OUTCOMES Covenanting on Outcomes Nothing is more compelling than being able to agree on the big, audacious outcomes, whether it be growing Christianity in a region to 15% of the general population in ten years, or rebuilding 200 million dollars in housing in a specific neighborhood as accomplished by the Harlem Congregation for Community Improvement in New York City. If an informed leadership team can agree to work toward a God-inspired, tangible outcome over a five, 10 or 20 year period, it will provide the spiritual rails for the movement to run for the next generation. Our Faith Our cities Our leadership

9 MOVEMENT DAY IN YOUR CITY MOVEMENT DAY S GROWTH ,500 LEADERS TRAINED 400+ CITIES ENGAGED 100+ COUNTRIES REPRESENTED 15 EXPRESSIONS 5 CONTINENTS REACHED MOVEMENT DAY IN NEW YORK CITY 60 churches planted in Manhattan through a collaborative alliance of more than 10 denominations Attendance in Manhattan Evangelical churches grew from 3% to 5% of the population since ,000 Leaders were developed and equipped for greater ministry impact The Leadership Fellows Program has graduated 300 senior church 14,000 leaders have been encouraged and trained in city gospel movement strategies since ,700 churches were mobilized for the City Serve and City Fest initiative. Over 10,000 individual made decisions to follow Christ during this initiative! Movement Day: Spreading L As a result of Movement Day events, interest is spreading: CURRENT EXPRESSIONS In eager and fresh ways, Christian leaders in dozens of cities are raising their eyes to look beyond their individual churches and concern for their city as a whole. Athens, GREECE Durban, SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA Hong Kong, CHINA Charlotte, NC London, UNITED KINGDOM Chennai, INDIA Nairobi, KENYA Dallas, TX New York, NY Doncaster, UNITED KINGDOM Orlando, FL FUTURE EXPRESSIONS Oslo, NORWAY Phoenix, AZ Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA Sydney, AUSTRALIA Baltimore, MD Cairo, EGYPT Calabar, NIGERIA Cleveland, OH Columbus, OH Hong Kong, CHINA Kansas City, MI Los Angeles, CA Lyon, FRANCE Manila, PHILIPPINES Mumbai, INDIA Oslo, NORWAY Ottawa, CANADA Perth, AUSTRALIA Philadelphia, PA Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS San Antonio, TX Santa Clarita, CA São Paulo, BRAZIL Seattle, WA Toronto, CANADA Virginia, USA West Michigan, USA Wroclaw, POLAND WHEN MOVEMENT DAY MOBILIZES CHRISTIANSTHE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST IS IMPACTFUL!

10 MOVEMENT DAY IN YOUR CITY POWERFUL COLLABORATION and government leaders work together to solve the spiritual, physical and social needs of the city, they earn the right to share the Gospel. AN END TO ISOLATION Why Movement Day in Your City What are the stubborn issues in your city or region? Imagine what could be accomplished if others like you, using the framework of a MD expression, multiplied your Meeting, learning and networking together for a common cause brings energy and synergy. MD shines light on the existing and note-worthy urban initiatives of churches and faith-based agencies, BROAD EXPOSURE TO MULTIPLE ETHNICITIES Find ways to bridge the ethnic divide; combat the tendency of most churches to minister to only one ethnicity. ADAPTING THE APOSTLE PAUL S EVANGELISTIC STRATEGY achieve the same kind of exponential growth and impact on modern culture as the Apostle Paul did in his day. these issues in unity! To have a conversation with us about launching an expression of Movement Day in your city, contact Ebony Small at info@movementday.com GOD IS BRINGING THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF OUR CITIES