Local Communities
Passionate and influential local church and Christian marketplace leaders, a broad and diverse group representing your community, compile an overview of what’s already in place, what is needed and who should be involved.
We need to be intentional at a local level and work together to develop a plan. This will look different in every community but it always includes:
Partnership
Working together – churches, networks, businesses and individuals.
Clear Strategies
Defining your target area(s) and mobilizing believers to adopt all households and schools with prayer, compassion & justice ministry, evangelism, Bible engagement and connecting to a Christian community.
(We call these the Finish Lines of the Great Commission – click here to learn more.)
Generous Gospel Sowing
Personal, public and online evangelism.
A Common Calendar
Community-wide events and training.
It will take Christians everywhere to work together.
In every community there are affinity groups of Christians with similar passions and interests:
- ministries
- businesses
- networks
- Bible study/prayer groups
- youth groups …
Imagine if they all worked together strategically to see every person prayed for.
Planning community launch
The Community Launch is meant to introduce your local ‘All’ strategy to believers across the city and invite them to participate in praying for and reaching their community. During this event clear opportunities for involvement should be presented, signing up for trainings, and getting involved in different city-wide initiatives.
Sample Launch:
- Welcome
- Worship
- City leader endorsements
- Envisioning
- Introducing the city strategy and initiatives
- Invitation to participate
Logistics:
Below are some suggestions to approach planning and facilitating a Community Launch event.
- Mobilize through:
- Churches
- Social media
- Existing Christian Networks
- Business leaders
- Civic leaders
- Educators
- Arts, Entertainment & Sports
- Venue
- Neutral location such as a school gym or local community center
Basic Timeline
Strategy Round-Table
Define your Local Area(s)
In this example, a community is broken down by ZIP Code. You could also use school districts or other established boundaries.
Define your Local Area(s)
Determine Local Finish Line Goals
Prayer • Compassion • Evangelism • Bible Engagement • Christian Community
Establishing what events and initiatives to do together.
Create & Adopt a Master Calendar
Develop a comprehensive strategy to reach everyone in your community.
Create & Adopt a Master Calendar
Forward Momentum
Champions of the movement meet regularly to plan, action and track progress of all finish line goals.
Community and Church Launches, Youth Rallies...
Mobilize Christians by sharing the vision and start adopting households, friends and family in prayer.
Community and Church Launches, Youth Rallies...
Training
Equip the local Body of Christ – how to pray and connect, run school discipleship clubs, small groups at home or at work.
Local Finish Line Events
Participate in community-wide events, multiplying your pray+connect efforts…
Local Finish Line Events
Resources
We have put together a range of tools to help you define and reach your All – guides for small groups, churches, local communities; timelines, templates, sermon outlines, partner ministry resources and training…
