Encarnacao Alliance

1. Encarnacao Alliance Bringing Christ’s Love to the World’s Slum-dwellers

2. Who are the Encarnacao Alliance? • A network of urban poor ministries • From Asia, Africa and Latin America • Incarnational ministry among the poor • Servants, Servant Partners, Kairos, • Movements preparing to evangelize 3,500 cities. Seeking to mobilize 50,000 new cross cultural workers to the slums by 2010.

3. Encarnacao Alliance Vision The vision of the Alliance is to see churches established that proclaim the Good Newsof the Kingdom of God among the slum dwellers of the world’s poorest cities and model true Christian living on the example of Jesus Christ.

4. Micro Goals Train facilitators who will be able to; - Provide training - Pastor and mentor interns - Help interns become successful in their mission - Empower the interns to train others Encarnacao AllianceTraining Commission • Macro goals • To train urban poor church planters • To train urban poor community development workers • To network city leaders • To develop a Kingdom perspective in God’s servants

5. Let’s consider the example of the Jesus Family in China • They were a model of urban poor ministry • They had vision to take the gospel back to Jerusalem • They knew they would suffer and die as they preached the gospel in Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist countries • They got as far as Kashgar by 1948 • Mao’s forces crushed the movement and closed the borders

6. Sacrifice Abandonment Poverty Suffering Death The Jesus Family in China • Total commitment to Christ • Five word slogan • 1920’s vision • Back to Jerusalem • Following the 2000 year old Silk Road • Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu lands

7. Jesus Family in China • Mobile community • Communal living • Example of deep Christian love • Attracted the homeless, destitute, blind, beggars, despised • On entry to a new town they would be beaten, scorned and humiliated • The opposition did not deter them

9. Definitions • A grass roots “Trainer” hereafter is called a “Course Facilitator” • The trainees are called interns • Interns can be either; • - Indigenous workers among the poor (IWP’s) or • - Cross-cultural workers (CCW’s) who are external workers who have come to the city to assist in developing the work of the Kingdom of God in the city

10. What are the qualities of a “Course Facilitator” ? • Christian leaders with pastoral or leadership experience • Men or women over the age of 20 • Strong in the Lord and able to resist the devil – I John 2 verse 14 • Leaders with a span of control over 8-12 persons • Deacons according to 1 Tim 3 v 1-13

11. Qualities of “Course Facilitators” Develop the community life of the interns Protect the unity and safety of the interns Small group skills Be accountable to the city leadership • Able to teach and shepherd interns • Help interns acquire skills to fulfill their calling • Assess oral presentations • Able to use a computer

12. Who are the people we are training for servanthood in the slums? • Grass roots volunteers who want to plant a church or commence a community development project • Adults over 18 years of age who are semi-literate to literate • Committed Christians who may have not yet been discipled • Men and women recommended by the city leadership and in good standing with their local Church leadership • F.A.T. people; faithful, available, teachable

13. What methods are used to train the indigenous and cross cultural workers? • An “andragogical” method appropriate for adult learners with experiences relevant to the learning process • Oral methods of learning and assessment • Interactive small group learning aided by a facilitator • Practical skills based on site learning • Can use a dvd player or video cd media

14. Course Foundations Biblical Authority Trainers are expected to be committed to the authority of the Bible in the teaching of the kingdom of God and implementing its mandate. Mark 16v15 • An holistic worldview • Trainers are expected to hold a holistic biblical worldview integrating the physical, spiritual, social and wisdom needs of the community

15. Course Foundations Cont’d The Holy Spirit the executor The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who incarnates Jesus Christ in the life of the Trainer to fulfill the mandate of the Kingdom • Jesus the embodiment • Jesus is the example of the person a Trainer aspires to be and the incarnation of the Kingdom of God citizen on earth

16. Definition The Kingdom of God “The kingdom is a redemed social order under the reign of the Christlike God in which every relationship is Christlike, and each individual and social group – the family, the trade organisation, the State – comes not to be ministered unto but to minister, as perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect, and the whole of humanity incarnates the love of God as embodied in Jesus of Nazareth:” Dr Henry S Coffin, WCC, Missions Conference, Edinburgh, 1910

17. Kingdom themes from Genesis to Revelation • The “Pre-existent” Kingdom • The “Interventive” Kingdom • The “Invading” Kingdom • The “Fulfilled” Kingdom

18. The Kingdom impacts human and social order Social Political, Religious, Economic ideas Societies cultures, order, laws, organizations, are shaping people Sin the devil and evil powers impact society and its people too God calls us to exercise authority • A Person • Body, Mind, Spirit • People are creating societies • Jesus Christ is impacting people through the power of the kingdom of God at work in their lives • There is a conflict of powers and kingdoms

19. We are living in the midst of Worldwide conflict & change • Terrorism • War • Rebellion • Fear • Persecution • Corruption • Collapse of confidence • But what is God doing in history ?

20. God’s redemptive plan in history His plan is to redeem everything back to its created order. Re-creation of mankind, social systems, powers and creation. The conflict with Satan is over authority/rulership. • He has covenanted to redeem all mankind. . • In the O.T. it was with Israel; • In the N.T. it is Jesus’ disciples in a blood covenant. • A new order under Christ’s rulership

21. Who are God’s agents for the propagation of the Kingdom in the world? The Holy Spirit as the executor of the will of the Godhead Acts 1:8, Eph 1:13 Angel’s cooperating with God in His work, John20:12 • Disciples of Jesus Christ, Matt 28:18 • “A kingdom of priests..” Ex. 19:6, Rev 5:10 • The Church of Jesus Christ, the ecclesia or called ones. Matt 16:18

22. Planting Churches, and raising up godly communities is part of God’s Kingdom plan These communities are to redeem and transform societies by offering a godly alternative the secular/worldly social structures of mankind. Acts 2:41-47 • The disciples of Jesus Christ are to multiply and pioneer new communities of believers among every people group on earth. Matthew 24:14, 28:18-20

23. How do we plant new churches among all people groups? Follow principles of Church planting from the Bible and the experience of those who have gone before. Acts 13 Encourage the members of the Church to proclaim the Kingdom in their workplaces, and social centers. Acts 19 • Research where the people groups are. • Go to these groups and proclaim the Kingdom of God among them. • Form communities among the new believers. Acts 13 • Live among sinners. Acts 17 • Penetrate every social structure with disciples.

24. A commitment to ten Church planting principles Avoid Dependency Critical contextualization Women in Ministry Leadership Development • A willingness to suffer, to endure and to die • Cross-cultural proclamation among the unreached • Passionate, Focused Evangelism • Working in Teams • Long Term incarnational ministry • Working in Partnership

25. We need a new generation of Christian workers who are resolved to pay the ultimate price… • ” I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.“ Galatians 2:20 • God is looking for lives that He can live in, lives that would let Him shine through in compassion and mercy • ”The poor must experience Jesus when they experience us. “ l

26. A willingness to suffer • “God’s finest tool in our lives is the tool of suffering”. Corrie Ten Boom. • Once broken and once renewed we are better equipped to understand others and to reach others

27. Suffering and Endurance ”For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows” 2 Corinthians 1:5

28. Willingness to suffer, to endure and to die This means death to: * Popularity * Pride – and a complete dependence on the Holy Spirit (”Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. “ Romans 12:3) * Racial and cultural prejudice

29. Willingness to suffer, to endure and to die to; (continued) * Material comforts (adopting a simple lifestyle) * Selfish ambition * A self-indulgent home life

30. The choice is always between the crowd and the cross * When we choose the cross, then eventually there will be a breakthrough * 2 Timothy 2:12 “If we endure we will also reign with him.” * If we are prepared to live as Jesus did, serve as He served, suffer as He suffered, then it is true that we will share with Him the joy of the harvest.

31. Suffering and Evangelism • “For nothing glorifies God more than maintaining our stability and joy when we lose everything but God.” (John Piper) • “Ministers never write or preach so well as when under the cross: the Spirit of Christ and of Glory then rests upon them.” (George Whitefield)

32. Suffering and Evangelism • “Suffering is a normal and useful and essential element in Christian life and ministry. It not only weans us off the world and teaches us to live on God, as 2 Corinthians 1:9 says, but also makes ministers more able to strengthen the church and make missionaries more able to reach the nations with the Gospel of the grace of God.” (John Piper)

33. Suffering and Evangelism • “As soon as God’s Word becomes known through you, the devil will afflict you, will make a real doctor [theologian or teacher] of you, and will teach you by his temptations to seek and to love God’s Word. For I myself…owe my papists many thanks for so beating, pressing, and frightening me through the devil’s raging that they have turned me into a fairly good theologian, driving me to a goal I should never have reached” (MartinLuther)

34. Suffering and Evangelism • “He therefore that will not run hazards, and that is afraid to venture a drowning, let him not set foot into this vessel.” (John Bunyan) • “It is said that in some countries trees will grow, but will bear no fruit, because there is no winter there.” (John Bunyan)

35. Basic Principles for Church Planting 2) Research the unreached and prepare for cross-cultural ministry Globalization is in our cities and it is based on: • Consumerism • Humanism • Scientific Knowledge • Pluralism & Tolerance

36. Forces we are contending with? • Underdeveloped Countries are exploited by economically & politically powerful states and endemic corruption. • Capitalism and rabid consumerism. Andrew Kirk calls it,” Shop till you drop”, “Shop around the clock” • Jet set, mobile lifestyles of the rich and famous - Amsterdam Airport says,”See, buy, fly” • Perverted and demonized societies through drug addiction, prostitution, child pornography, homosexuality, slavery.

37. The positives and negatives of Internationalization • Sharing what God has entrusted to us, unity in diversity. Greater need for cross-cultural skills • From everywhere to everywhere, not just from the West to the East, or the North to the South. Increasing cost of travel and inequality of resources for teams. • Non Western and Western workers working together provides a new creativity and strength in diversity. Values and cultural conflicts. • Effective North & South International Partnerships could release the full potential of the 2/3 world missionary movement. The West fears loss of control and status?

38. Basic principles for Church planting • 3) Passionate, Focused Evangelism • Without Christ people are lost, evangelism must take place • We need to communicate the Good News in culturally appropriate ways • We need a confidence in the story of Jesus • Incarnational living – not just contextualizing a message but incarnating the messenger ( Salt &Light )

39. Passionate, focused, evangelism • Story telling • Community building • Utilization of mass media & technology for Gospel communication • Accessibility to the Scriptures • Slum based evangelism ” If I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself “ John 12:32

40. FRIENDSHIP EVANGELISM • Making close friendships in a cross-cultural situation can be difficult. Motives for why friendships are formed: • Money, competitive mentality • Desire for passport to the West • The possibility of a job in a ministry • The possibility of marriage • Curiosity to discover something new

41. Friendship Evangelism • Other Problems: • Concept of friendship is different in different cultures • Maintenance of friendship can be very difficult • Contending with the fear that using friendship is just to convert people

42. Basic principles for Church planting 4) Working in Teams • Team ministry is Biblical & it enables individuals to be more effective • Creating Church planting movements • Strength in diversity • Spiritual gifts & natural abilities helps Gospel effectiveness • Support & encourage one another • Teams need to take risks & not just operate in one’s own comfort zone

43. Basic principles for Church planting 5) Long Term Residential Ministry • Long Term Commitment – ”Leaving our bones” in the hard places • Bruce Nicholls: ”A worker reaches their potential after about 20 years on the field, but most are gone by then” • Excelling at language needs time • Understanding culture takes time

44. Basic principles for Church planting 6) Working in Partnership • Working in unity together will reduce duplication, reduce cost and waste, and maximise manpower, impact and credibility of the message • George Verwer : ”God can get a lot done if we don’t care who gets the credit”

45. 6) Working in partnership • Networking and partnership depends on relationships • Prayerful intentional strategic partnerships • Long-term partnership between agencies, local churches, & slum churches

46. Basic Principles for Church Planting 7) Avoid Dependency • Train local leadership to take full responsibility • Avoid sponsorship of people & Churches • Start an indigenous church planting movement

47. Basic principles for Church planting 8) Contextualization • Make sure the Church is a Church that looks appropriate in the culture of the unreached • Train the leadership to critically contextualize the Church into their culture, changing only what is absolutely necessary • Develop dynamic contextualized materials • Challenge existing groups to give away Christ (the faith) without packaging it in your culture

48. Is this what contextualization might look like?

49. Basic principles for Church planting 9) Women in ministry and the community • Train women to work theologically & cross culturally • Empowering women to learn language & invest time with women • Provide increased quality care for women • When women are involved the Church grows • Women are vital to community communication

50. Basic principles for Church planting 10) Leadership Empowerment • Leadership empowerment of team members and movements • Aim for early transfer of leadership responsibilities • Teach & model Servant Leadership • Don’t introduce “foreign” leadership structures • Leadership understood and done in a culturally appropriate way