C2C School

We at the C2C Network want to give all possible support and training to our church planters. To that end, we ask each church planter, who is involved in our network, to join us for one day per month for training. Each month, we cover one module.

This material was produced by Redeemer City to City in New York by John F. Thomas and is used by permission. For more information on City to City go to www.redeemercitytocity.com 

 

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The 16 modules are covered over a two year period. Here is a brief overview of our modules:

Module 1: Gospel theology:  Understanding the gospel

This module focuses on understanding how the work of Jesus Christ changes everything we are and do, as individuals, as a community, and as ministers of God’s grace. It is the message of redemption that we always preach as well as the dynamic that causes on-going redemption in our lives and communities.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 2: Personal Life of the Leader

The effective leader knows how to do self-leadership and self-care before he or she leads others. This module focuses on the character of the leader as well as knowing your unique leadership style so you can manage yourself and others in order to more-effectively engage in the work of the kingdom.

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Module 3: Culture and contextualization

This module focuses on understanding the unique postmodern, urban context in which we live and how that understanding can help us communicate and develop ministry forms which are meaningful to the people we are reaching. Far from ‘capitulating’ to culture or ‘watering down’ the gospel, contextualization aims to make Christ alive and dynamic in the given situation where you are planting your church.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 4: Evangelistic networking

This module aims to help learners develop the skill of consistently and winsomely presenting Christ to others in a host of new situations, so that communicating Christ becomes an integral part of the culture of the new church. Emphasis is placed on developing networks of relationships and encouraging a culture of hospitality in the new church as well as how to think of evangelistic events, process evangelism and the training of others in your church.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 5: Missional ecclesiology

Teaching that helps participants understand the unique characteristics of the city and of urban ministry and helps them develop a balanced, missional culture in their church so that the good news of Jesus is expressed in every element of church life and reaches out in holistic ministry.

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Module 6: Grace renewal:  Experiencing the gospel

It’s not enough just to understand the gospel; we need to be constantly experiencing the renewing work of Jesus Christ, making us new and sending us as people in his redemptive mission.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 7: Discipleship-Leadership development

(Product due: Your Philosophy of Ministry)

Learners will develop skill in understanding how people change as well as how to develop programs for spiritual formation and leadership development. They will jointly participate in actually developing one program of leader formation that they can use.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 8: Kingdom-centered prayer  (Product due: Your Action Plan)

The heart of the ministry of Christ’s kingdom is prayer. Since the Holy Spirit is the indispensible agent of any true ministry, the church is called to express it’s life, and do it’s work, through the agency of prayer.  Through prayer the gospel renews us, we learn more deeply of God’s priorities and we receive new empowerment for what he is sending us to do. These kingdom concerns are reflected in the model prayer of Jesus.

Competency Outcomes:

YEAR TWO

Module 9: Leading the Church with the right people

(Product due: Your Disciple-Leader Development Plan)

The effective church planter knows they cannot plant a church by themselves. Instead, they become leaders and pastors of gifted Christians who do the work of ministry. Thus it’s important for church planters to know how to assess people’s strengths and weaknesses and how to develop systems of relational training that guide people to their place of most effective ministry.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 10: Leading the Church through others

Effective church planters know the value of ministry teams. This module addresses the specific skill set of recruiting, developing and directing teams that build the church and that reach out in service and evangelism.

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Module 11: Gospel Preaching: Finding and proclaiming Christ (1st of 2 modules)

This hands-on preaching practicum aids participants in finding Christ in every text of Scripture and in developing the confidence that beholding Christ in the gospel is what transforms us. Participants analyze model sermons, as well as their own, and practice constructing gospel-based sermons that make Christ the resolution of our problems and communicates to urban and skeptical listeners.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 12: Gospel Preaching: Applying Christ to the heart (2nd of 2 modules)

This module is a hands-on practicum which helps learners develop the skill of ‘applying Christ’ to listeners’ hearts and minds so that they change in a biblical way, instead of through resorting to moralistic or ‘feel-good’ applications of Scripture.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 13: Leading the church through difficulty

In this module, church planters practice how to understand conflict and differences of opinion and how to bring truthful and powerful communication skills to the people they work with. Time is given to practicing how to have a gracious and wise ‘difficult conversation’ with a person who is needing correction.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 14: Corporate renewal dynamics

Every few years we recognize our need for renewal: physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually. But we learn that we need more than personal renewal. We need it corporately as well. This module equips participants in the continuous spiritual renewal of their congregation by understanding the theology and relational dynamics of renewal, as well as the practical ministry issues involved in effectively bring renewal into the life of the congregation.

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Module 15: Leading your church to the next level

This module helps learners focus on the obstacles and opportunities for the growth of the church to the next level of ministry fruitfulness.

Competency Outcomes:

Module 16: Leadership through the organization

This module helps learners develop the skills and understanding to manage vision and purpose in a growing church so that it keeps focused on what it’s supposed to be and do and achieves long-term fruitfulness.

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Final Celebration Banquet: where do you go from here? (2 months after training)

This banquet is where church planters not only celebrate what God has done in the past 2 years in their churches, communities and personal lives, it also is a time where they bring several key leaders who can experience what God has been doing around the city. At the end of the evening, each church is encouraged to share what goals they have in participating in the work of the kingdom in the city.

Competency Outcomes: