Joining the City Movement? What's your next Step?
Recruit: The best leaders to change a context are those indigenous to the context. Reach77 longs to develop the kind of collaborative approach to ministry that can identify leaders in communities, training and deploying them back into their community to make a difference. However, we also realize there are those from outside the city that will develop a unique call to the city. We want to foster those opportunities as well.
We have a four-tier approach:
We have a four-tier approach:
- College Based or Gap Year Internships
- Residency Program (3 year)
- Collaboration with Universities and Ministry Network
- Recruit and Connect with Church Planting Team Leaders
Train: Reach77 is developing an arm of ministry specifically designed for facilitating training for the missional-incarnational teams deployed to the city. We will offer resources and tools for Community Assessment, Non-Profit and For-Profit Ministry Start-Up, Coaching (Leadership and Life). Etc.
Identify: Each neighborhood has unique needs. Teams will be challenged to embed themselves in the neighborhood, develop meaningful relationships with their neighbors, community leaders, and joining civic organizations. They will be challenged to “keep their ear to the ground” in a posture of discernment and prayer. Ministry needs to emerge from the unique needs of the community.
Develop: Dreams die from a lack of execution. Reach77 seeks to walk alongside missional-incarnational teams to ensure that there is a strategic plan and process for engaging in meaningful, relevant ministry throughout the 77 neighborhoods of Chicago. Plans, processes, systems, evaluative tools all seek to enhance the ministry to those communities.
Deploy: The church is best lived out as missional outposts throughout the city. Reach77 has no desire to plant “the church” that everyone drives or travels to. Instead, Reach77 seeks to facilitate the deployment of teams into local communities. Deployment is about “arriving,” “setting down roots,” becoming inculturated into the community. Deployment is about making a home in that community.
Identify: Each neighborhood has unique needs. Teams will be challenged to embed themselves in the neighborhood, develop meaningful relationships with their neighbors, community leaders, and joining civic organizations. They will be challenged to “keep their ear to the ground” in a posture of discernment and prayer. Ministry needs to emerge from the unique needs of the community.
Develop: Dreams die from a lack of execution. Reach77 seeks to walk alongside missional-incarnational teams to ensure that there is a strategic plan and process for engaging in meaningful, relevant ministry throughout the 77 neighborhoods of Chicago. Plans, processes, systems, evaluative tools all seek to enhance the ministry to those communities.
Deploy: The church is best lived out as missional outposts throughout the city. Reach77 has no desire to plant “the church” that everyone drives or travels to. Instead, Reach77 seeks to facilitate the deployment of teams into local communities. Deployment is about “arriving,” “setting down roots,” becoming inculturated into the community. Deployment is about making a home in that community.