Redeemer is embarking on a deliberate strategy to participate in a church planting movement that so fills the City of Indianapolis with gospel-centered churches that the city is renewed in every dimension - physically, socially, culturally, and spiritually. We call this the "CityChurch Partnership."
The CityChurch Partnership is a partnership between three urban Presbyterian congregations - Redeemer, The New Deal, and Grace and Peace - to establish a "CityChurch" with at least 10 congregations with a combined attendance of 2,000 by the year 2015.
The CityChurch Partnership is committed to partner with other gospel-centered, city-positive, and missional churches of other denominations to help others plant hundreds of new churches in the city. We hope to help develop, incubate, and birth new city ministries by releasing gospel pacesetters and to encourage networking, coalitions and partnerships between churches and ministries.
Benefits of a multi-congregational "CityChurch"
A "CityChurch" comprises Christians functioning as the body of Christ in the city. In the New Testament, examples of "CityChurches" are the churches of Corinth, Ephesus, and Jerusalem which would numbered many thousands and must have had many congregations gathering all over the city. They would have come together from time to time as one body in large gatherings, but they mainly met in smaller congregations which functioned fully as churches in their own right, while remaining a recognizable part of the whole body of Christ in Corinth.
1. Increased Multi-culturalism
The multi-congregational "CityChurch" creates indigenous neighborhood congregations that, when woven together, create a dynamic, diverse multi-cultural church.
2. Shared Resources and Coaching
The multi-congregational "CityChurch" shares important resources of administration, finances, and staff. This model also provides on on-the-job coaching for church planters and pastors.
3. Dreaming Big but doing Small
The multi-congregational "CityChurch" gives pastors a big city-wide vision, but also hands-on pastoral ministry.
4. Neighborhood based congregations, City-wide impact
The multi-congregational "CityChurch" impacts both city-wide urban renewal and the renewal of individual neighborhoods. As a "CityChurch" we seek the renewal of the whole city, as neighborhood congregations we seek to meet the needs of each unique neighborhood.
5. Big Church Ministries/ small church feel
The multi-congregational "CityChurch" offers "big church" ministries; yet, as neighborhood congregations, we still have a "small church" feel.
The mission of LAMP is to equip men and women for effective gospel ministry who are involved in the building of healthy churches that will multiply throughout the un-reached ethnic, multicultural, and post-Christian people groups in the urban centers of North America and beyond.
CityChurch Contact
Interested in church planting in Indianapolis?
Want more information on LAMP?
Want to financially support the City Church Project?
Please contact Jeb Gaither at LaPaSa@aol.com.
