Values, Vision, Ethos for Church Plant based in Mexico City

Vision: Luke 4:18-19

Preaching the kingdom
I think one of the major points of my vision would be to proclaim the kingdom, that the kingdom
has arrived, but what does that mean and what does that mean to a Mexican context?
Luke !"# $%he &pirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor' (e has
sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
Luke !") to proclaim the year of the Lord*s favor'$
+or me the vision has to not only include but has as its focus reaching the poor and marginali,ed whatever that looks like'
&o a focus on one of the main problem areas? -rug abuse?
Working for city renewal
.e are committed to working for neighbourhood and city renewal / redressing injustice, pursuing reconciliation and
welcoming the marginali,ed' .e celebrate the diversity of cultures in our local contexts while recognising the need for
gospel renewal' .e encourage one another to glorify 0od and serve others through the workplace, business, community
projects, government and artistic endeavour' .e will not make a division between spiritual and non1spiritual activities'
Corollary:
.e recognise the importance of taking risks and the demands of mission in the inner city, and we believe that it is
acceptable to fail' 2(ebrews ""!34156
We believe that a healthy church reproduces and intend to grow and replant throughout the area. .e believe in discouraging
dependency and developing indigenous leadership within maturing churches that will have the capacity to sustain and
reproduce themselves' 27cts "!436
.e believe that in praying for the workers who are new disciples' .e do not want to remove them from their oikos but
enable them to be believers in whatever social context they are in trusting in the powerful witness of transformed lives'
Ethos: Faily
!lso " think the church plant itsel# has to be a #aily$ a issional counity. %esus in the synoptics rede#ines the #aily as those
who are our spiritual as well as blood relatives and " would see that any language we attribute to the #aily we can do so to the
church.
Mat 12:46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak
to him.
Mat 12:47 [Someone told him, "our mother and !our brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to !ou.""
Mat 12:4# $ut he replied to the man who told him, "Who is m! mother, and who are m! brothers%"
Mat 12:4& 'nd stret(hing out his hand toward his dis(iples, he said, ")ere are m! mother and m! brothers*
Mar +:+2 'nd a (rowd was sitting around him, and the! said to him, "our mother and !our brothers are outside,
seeking !ou."
Mar +:++ 'nd he answered them, "Who are m! mother and m! brothers%"
Mar +:+4 'nd looking about at those who sat around him, he said, ")ere are m! mother and m! brothers*
,uke #:2- 'nd he was told, "our and !our brothers are standing outside, desiring to see !ou."
,uke #:21 $ut he answered them, "M! mother and m! brothers are those who hear the word o. /od and do it."
Sharing our lives as extended family
.e are committed to sharing our lives in 8hristian community, caring for one another, discipling one another and
resolving conflict' .e expect one another to make decisions with regard to the implications for the church and to make
significant decisions in consultation with the church' .e will not let conflict continue unresolved, nor view church simply
as a meeting you attend'
Home as the primary location of church
.e want a reproducible model of church without any trappings that might impede freedom and flexibility' .e are
committed to homes as a context for all or most of church life with home shaping the ethos of church' .hen
congregations use other buildings, those buildings will not be viewed as the main focus of mission'
.e are committed to uncluttered church, focused on mission, rooted in local culture and e9uipping all to develop and use
their 0od1given gifts'
2" 8orinthians )!44: ;omans "4!<1#6
Values: co1operation
Eph 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been
called,
=ph !4 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
=ph !3 eager to maintain the unity of the &pirit in the bond of peace'
=ph ! %here is one body and one &pirit11just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call11
=ph !> one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
=ph !< one 0od and +ather of all, who is over all and through all and in all'
.orking ecumenically with those churches already existing in %epito, re9uires humility but also having a team that is
predominantly Mexican I don*t want to be a Mexico 8ity re!hope branch'
Humility
.e respect others working alongside us in the inner city and are grateful for the foundations laid by the many who have
gone before us'
2" 8orinthians 3!>1), " 8orinthians "<!">1"#6
.e want to learn from others, seeking to shape what we do in light of the experiences, discoveries, successes and
mistakes of fellow1workers'
2=cclesiastes "4!"": ;omans ">!": 8olossians 3!"<6
.e are careful not to drain other local churches of their often limited resources, but hope to be an encouragement and
support to them'
2(ebrews "5!4>, " 8orinthians "!"46
.e realise the importance of living uncluttered lives, holding possessions lightly and recognising that all we have is to be
at 0od?s disposal'
2Luke "4!34136
.e know we are not indispensable and what we attempt to do is part of a much bigger picture, so will try to keep
ourselves in perspective'
2;omans "4!31>6
ission through community
.e are committed to communicating the gospel message in the context of a gospel community' 7s we build relationships
with people and share the gospel message, we want to introduce them to 8hristian community' .e want people to
experience church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter' .e will not put on
evangelistic missions outside the context of a 8hristian community'
!rayer as a missionary activity
;ecognising that 0od is the primary agent and orchestrator of mission, we view prayer as a missionary activity' .e want
prayer to be both a regular community discipline, and an impromptu response to needs and opportunities' .e will not
assume we are in control of mission, nor rob 0od of his glory by boasting of our achievements'
Everyone exercising gospel ministry
.e are committed to every 8hristian seeing themselves as a missionary and exercising gospel ministry in every aspect of
life' .e shape activities around gospel opportunities, and the gifts and passions of church members' Leadership is not
about control, but setting a missional vision by modelling and teaching the gospel so creating a culture in which everyone
flourishes in ministry' .e will not make distinctions between full1time and non full1time ministers' .e believe in
discouraging dependency and developing indigenous leadership within maturing churches that will have the capacity to
sustain and reproduce themselves'
"nclusive communities
.e are committed to welcoming broken people and making church accessible to unbelievers' .e want to offer a sense of
belonging, and be communities of grace in which people can be open and vulnerable' .e will not let our welcome be
dependent on adherence to any cultural norms not demanded by the gospel'