Portland ranks THIRD in metro cities with the largest share of unchurched adults (polled as: had not been to a religious worship service in the last 6 months). 42% of those polled had not been to church in the past 6 months.
Portland ranks SECOND of metro cities with the lowest share of self-identified Christians at 71%.
According to US Census data, Portland ranks 29th in most Populous Places in North America with a population of 583,776
Portland is one of the North American Mission Boards #send cities and
Send North America Portland
The VISION: The OUTCOME: Kingdom of God would tangibly become real through disciples of Jesus intentionally sowing the gospel and loving people in the neighborhoods of the Portland/Vancouver area. Our STRATEGY: To mobilize a gathered and scattered church, transformed in the likeness of Christ, to make disciples who make disciples throughout the Portland/Vancouver area with the following planting PRIORITES:
PRIORITIES for churches:
1. Sending Churches or Church Planting Centers (ANTIOCH CHURCH)
*We aim to develop a local infrastructure of multi-lingual sending churches
"In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." Acts 13:1-3
2. Church Planting Movements/Missional Churches/Artisan (ACTS 2 CHURCHES)
*We invest in a viral-like planting of PEOPLE with the gospel that results in starting of hundreds of churches among all people groups.
"All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42
We are calling these churches B.A.S.I.C. churches:
B. - Biblically based
A. - Active both locally and globally in the Kingdom of God
S. - Structured for movement not maintenance
I. - Indigenous
C. - Committed to the Call, Commission, Character and Competencies of Christ
1. We raise up indigenous leaders from the harvest . We do not support them with salaries, but instead invest in helpful support systems.
2. We multiply churches in the context of simple church networks. When BASIC churches begin, we attempt join them with other local BASIC churches or structure them to be the first church in a network.
3. We organize spiritually for movement around dependency on the Spirit and prayer, including a Luke 10:2 prayer movement.
4. We structure for potential movement using the structural tools of decentralization, segmentation, and interconnectivity. We organize as a nidus (nest), not an umbrella
3. Reaching the Least Reached and Under-reached People/Affinity Groups (ATHENS Priority)
*We take responsibility for the evangelization of the least reached peoples in the Portland Urban Center (PDX20) and also for the places in the world where these people/affinity groups are connected.
---Awareness: We will stay aware of the people/affinity groups living in the Portland Metro. We will pray for them, and by the grace of God, will start indigenous churches among them.
---Contextualized Approaches: We seek ways of evangelizing and congregationalizing these groups in ways that minimize barriers to the gospel. We seek broad participation by training local church members in gospel posture, worldviews and world religions so that they can be better neighbors.
---Kingdom Priorities: We realize that these churches may take longer to evangelize and they may not grow quickly. We lay down our own quantitative success stories for the sake of the kingdom.
---Global Perspective: We work in terms of the larger global implications related to strategic people groups in the Portland Metro.
4. JUST and FAIR Priority (AMOS/MICAH Mission)
*Starting churches where compassion is needed, where justice is served and mercy gives place for ministry.
We start ministries where the cause can dance with justice, mercy and fairness. We infuse existing social programs in the community with the gospel and the presence of a gospel people.
Portland ranks SECOND of metro cities with the lowest share of self-identified Christians at 71%.
According to US Census data, Portland ranks 29th in most Populous Places in North America with a population of 583,776
Portland is one of the North American Mission Boards #send cities and
Send North America Portland
The VISION: The OUTCOME: Kingdom of God would tangibly become real through disciples of Jesus intentionally sowing the gospel and loving people in the neighborhoods of the Portland/Vancouver area. Our STRATEGY: To mobilize a gathered and scattered church, transformed in the likeness of Christ, to make disciples who make disciples throughout the Portland/Vancouver area with the following planting PRIORITES:
PRIORITIES for churches:
1. Sending Churches or Church Planting Centers (ANTIOCH CHURCH)
*We aim to develop a local infrastructure of multi-lingual sending churches
"In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." Acts 13:1-3
Our primary sending base churches will come from the harvest. The present generation of new churches will form the infrastructure for the next. We take responsibility for helping to reproduce generative DNA. We work towards a more substantial infrastructure by proposing entry-level ways for existing churches to become involved in starting churches. We will form networks of partnering churches so that it is not necessary for one church to take sole responsibility for a new start. While any size healthy church has reproductive capacity, the intent here is to start churches that will grow large. We work to support these churches accordingly.
*We invest in a viral-like planting of PEOPLE with the gospel that results in starting of hundreds of churches among all people groups.
"All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42
We are calling these churches B.A.S.I.C. churches:
B. - Biblically based
A. - Active both locally and globally in the Kingdom of God
S. - Structured for movement not maintenance
I. - Indigenous
C. - Committed to the Call, Commission, Character and Competencies of Christ
1. We raise up indigenous leaders from the harvest . We do not support them with salaries, but instead invest in helpful support systems.
2. We multiply churches in the context of simple church networks. When BASIC churches begin, we attempt join them with other local BASIC churches or structure them to be the first church in a network.
3. We organize spiritually for movement around dependency on the Spirit and prayer, including a Luke 10:2 prayer movement.
4. We structure for potential movement using the structural tools of decentralization, segmentation, and interconnectivity. We organize as a nidus (nest), not an umbrella
3. Reaching the Least Reached and Under-reached People/Affinity Groups (ATHENS Priority)
*We take responsibility for the evangelization of the least reached peoples in the Portland Urban Center (PDX20) and also for the places in the world where these people/affinity groups are connected.
"Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Aeropagus and said: Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." Acts 17:22-23 ESV
---Contextualized Approaches: We seek ways of evangelizing and congregationalizing these groups in ways that minimize barriers to the gospel. We seek broad participation by training local church members in gospel posture, worldviews and world religions so that they can be better neighbors.
---Kingdom Priorities: We realize that these churches may take longer to evangelize and they may not grow quickly. We lay down our own quantitative success stories for the sake of the kingdom.
---Global Perspective: We work in terms of the larger global implications related to strategic people groups in the Portland Metro.
4. JUST and FAIR Priority (AMOS/MICAH Mission)
*Starting churches where compassion is needed, where justice is served and mercy gives place for ministry.
"I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fundraising schemes, your public relations and image making. I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice - oceans of it. I want fairness - rivers of it. That's what I want. That's all I want." Amos 5:21-24 from The Message
"But what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah).
