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OUR PURPOSE is to create the environment and relationships necessary to equip, empower, and engage Christian mission and ministry in the city cores that is characteristically incarnational and transformational. WE WILL pray for kingdom power, pursue kingdom values, partner for kingdom goals.
12/27/2003
CCI 2004 Praises and Plans
It is really awesome to sense that you are right in the middle of something that is the result of years of prayer and preparation. And, this is precisely how I feel about City Core Initiative. Working with City Core Initiative is a contemporary experience in living out Matthew 6:10.
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10 (KJV)
This is truly inspiring for everyone connected to the project. It has a sense about it that we are involved in something bigger than ourselves and beyond our resourcefulness. It seems that I am daily being stretched both personally and professionally by this undertaking. It is not just another project for those involved. It is hugely a team effort potentially of massive proportions. It calls for cooperation, collaboration, participation, stewardship, and visioning that cross individual, cultural, organizational, congregational, and institutional boundaries. In a few words, I believe City Core Initiative is about bringing God’s kingdom purpose and will to the city - right here right now!
We launched CCI from the perspective of inadequacy of the status quo. Dr. E. B. Brooks observes that over his 20 years of ministry in the city of Dallas he has seen churches disband and/or leave the city core resulting in a spiritual vacuum while the city core itself has become more secular, more diverse, more complex, and more spiritually lost. If this is true in Dallas, the city that has been referred to as the “buckle of the Bible belt,” then it is even truer in other North American cities. Dallas, however, holds the distinction of being the incubator city for great churches, preaching, and parachurch organizations. It seems appropriate that the vision for City Core Initiative would emerge from here as well. However, as Dr. Jerry Rankin, President of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, says, “We cannot go into the future God envisions with what we learned in the past. We must have new learnings in order to find pathways to the future.” An even older, more ancient admonition is found in the Old Testament Bible: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV).
To illustrate: Physical and economic changes are easily seen, as are ethnic and racial differences. Cultural differences are often less obvious and more complex. Today’s missional understanding of the city requires defining the many ethno/linguistic cultural segmentations and shaping ministry around them in their heart language.
All of this is to say how incredibly blessed I am to be here doing this. I am clear about this: Through all that has preceded, God has shaped circumstances, people and opportunity to call us toward a fresh understanding and vision for the city core.
These several months later into the project, I feel even stronger that the need exists and that the timing is right for pursuing the vision and objectives of CCI. During these first steps we are learning, gathering research data, forming strategic networks, and contributing to the development of emerging strategies and projects. These steps are moving us in the right direction for more effective ministries and holistic community transformation. There are surely greater challenges ahead for us in 2004. It will be necessary for us to continue building on the progress made. It is crucial that we continue looking to our Heavenly Father, the source of our spiritual strength and guidance. It is essential that we continue looking to one another for support and partnership.
Now I want to turn our heads and hearts toward the next steps for City Core Initiative. These are:
1. expand and complete research (by Spring 2005)
2. monitor existing projects and develop new projects (ongoing)
3. recruit additional organizational and institutional partners (ongoing)
4. increase numbers of prayer partners (ongoing)
5. web publish research and news information (ongoing)
6. incorporate CCI (immediately)
7. launch fundraising campaign (immediately)
8. develop and resource entrepreneurial missions strategies (a.s.a.p.)
Our level of involvement and response will depend on professional role and/or personal relationship, calling, availability, and resources. Any and all our responses should be preceded by time spent in prayer. Like Jesus said of discipleship, “take up your cross daily and follow me,” participation in City Core Initiative involves choices and devotion for both persons and organizations. I am very grateful for the early positive responses and commitments to partnership. And, perhaps it goes without saying that to achieve the objectives of City Core Initiative it will require a concert of effort from us all.
Starting with Abilene, Dallas, San Antonio, and Tyler, we will seek to formulate foundations of thought and mission action that will turn the heart of the church more strategically toward the heart of the city.
Blessings,
Tommy
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done… Mt 6:10
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10 (KJV)
This is truly inspiring for everyone connected to the project. It has a sense about it that we are involved in something bigger than ourselves and beyond our resourcefulness. It seems that I am daily being stretched both personally and professionally by this undertaking. It is not just another project for those involved. It is hugely a team effort potentially of massive proportions. It calls for cooperation, collaboration, participation, stewardship, and visioning that cross individual, cultural, organizational, congregational, and institutional boundaries. In a few words, I believe City Core Initiative is about bringing God’s kingdom purpose and will to the city - right here right now!
We launched CCI from the perspective of inadequacy of the status quo. Dr. E. B. Brooks observes that over his 20 years of ministry in the city of Dallas he has seen churches disband and/or leave the city core resulting in a spiritual vacuum while the city core itself has become more secular, more diverse, more complex, and more spiritually lost. If this is true in Dallas, the city that has been referred to as the “buckle of the Bible belt,” then it is even truer in other North American cities. Dallas, however, holds the distinction of being the incubator city for great churches, preaching, and parachurch organizations. It seems appropriate that the vision for City Core Initiative would emerge from here as well. However, as Dr. Jerry Rankin, President of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, says, “We cannot go into the future God envisions with what we learned in the past. We must have new learnings in order to find pathways to the future.” An even older, more ancient admonition is found in the Old Testament Bible: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV).
To illustrate: Physical and economic changes are easily seen, as are ethnic and racial differences. Cultural differences are often less obvious and more complex. Today’s missional understanding of the city requires defining the many ethno/linguistic cultural segmentations and shaping ministry around them in their heart language.
All of this is to say how incredibly blessed I am to be here doing this. I am clear about this: Through all that has preceded, God has shaped circumstances, people and opportunity to call us toward a fresh understanding and vision for the city core.
These several months later into the project, I feel even stronger that the need exists and that the timing is right for pursuing the vision and objectives of CCI. During these first steps we are learning, gathering research data, forming strategic networks, and contributing to the development of emerging strategies and projects. These steps are moving us in the right direction for more effective ministries and holistic community transformation. There are surely greater challenges ahead for us in 2004. It will be necessary for us to continue building on the progress made. It is crucial that we continue looking to our Heavenly Father, the source of our spiritual strength and guidance. It is essential that we continue looking to one another for support and partnership.
Now I want to turn our heads and hearts toward the next steps for City Core Initiative. These are:
1. expand and complete research (by Spring 2005)
2. monitor existing projects and develop new projects (ongoing)
3. recruit additional organizational and institutional partners (ongoing)
4. increase numbers of prayer partners (ongoing)
5. web publish research and news information (ongoing)
6. incorporate CCI (immediately)
7. launch fundraising campaign (immediately)
8. develop and resource entrepreneurial missions strategies (a.s.a.p.)
Our level of involvement and response will depend on professional role and/or personal relationship, calling, availability, and resources. Any and all our responses should be preceded by time spent in prayer. Like Jesus said of discipleship, “take up your cross daily and follow me,” participation in City Core Initiative involves choices and devotion for both persons and organizations. I am very grateful for the early positive responses and commitments to partnership. And, perhaps it goes without saying that to achieve the objectives of City Core Initiative it will require a concert of effort from us all.
Starting with Abilene, Dallas, San Antonio, and Tyler, we will seek to formulate foundations of thought and mission action that will turn the heart of the church more strategically toward the heart of the city.
Blessings,
Tommy
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done… Mt 6:10
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