Philosophy of Ministri
Our philosophy of ministri is best defined by Dr. Charles Fielding's book, Preach and Heal. In his book, Dr. Fielding outlines a process of community transformation based upon Jesus' two fold ministri of preaching and healing. Through out our website we will refer to this process as Community Transformation Training or CTT. As followers of Jesus we are to take up both aspects of his ministry, proclaiming a message of repentance and redemption while engaging communities with ministries that bring about healing and restoration.
Community Transformation Training involves a three step process of Entering the Community, Making Disciples and Empowering the Church. We enter communities by relocating to the neighborhoods we seek to serve, listening to the people who live there, and developing health care and community development strategies in response to the expressed desires of the community. As we implement these strategies we concurrently make disciples of Jesus, and empower them to become churches that continue the work of community transformation and discipleship.
Ministri Funnel
The Ministri Funnel defines the four steps that we use to move people through the community transformation process.
Vision Casting
Purpose: We use the following forms of communication and media to cast a vision for discipleship and community transformation.
- Preach and Heal by Charles Fielding, MD - Dr. Fielding's book defines our Philosophy of Ministri, laying out the methodology that we use to develop missional strategies to engage communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the first steps that you can take to understand the community transformation process is to read this book.
- Speaking Engagements - Dr. Rick Donlon and Nathan Cook speak regularly at the Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF) conference in Nashville, TN and at the Global Health Missions Conference (GHMC) in Louisville, KY. Our aim is to cast a vision for health care workers to use their profession to care for the poor locally and to gain access for the proclamation of the gospel among unreached people groups. Dr. Donlon also speaks regularly at Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA) across the country.
- Agenda 5:15 is a video based curriculum, developed by Dr. Rick Donlon, one of the founding physicians of Christ Community Health Services. The purpose of the curriculum is to give medical professionals a vision for radical risk taking faith in Jesus Christ. The videos are accompanied by small group discussion questions.
- The Path of Discipleship is a devotional booklet designed to help disciples of Jesus Christ become apostolic workers.
- M Podcasts explain Ministries' core values and are aimed at encouraging disciples of Jesus to embrace the risks inherent in obedience to Jesus Christ.
- The Front Porch is the name of our blog, where we reflect on our mission, our values, our life as disciples of Jesus, and what it means to be the church.
Training
Purpose: To train people in the principles of Community Transformation Training (CTT) and to gain experience in the CTT model through participation in the CTT strategies that we have developed.
- Community Transformation Training (CTT) is a 30 hour curriculum based on the story of Jesus sending out his disciples to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near in Luke 10. Upon completion of the curriculum disciple making teams are sent out to engage communities with the gospel. CTT was developed by a friend of ours, Dr. Charles Fielding. His book Preach and Heal outlines the purpose and principles of the CTT process. The aim of CTT is to utilize disciple making teams to start simple churches that multiply and transform their communities. For an example of how CTT is working in Memphis check out our Feb 09 newsletter.
- Medical Internships are available throughout the year for residents, medical students, and nursing students. Typical internships are 2-6 weeks. We understand that every student comes with different requirements that need to be filled for their school requirements. We taylor our internship to meet the your needs. Generally students spend their mornings seeing patients with medical providers at Christ Community Health Services. The afternoons are spent in Community Transformation Training and community engagement. Students are taught how to engage urban communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ and principles for developing non-traditional health care strategies.
- Internships for Seminary Students - Just as we train medical professionals how to preach the gospel, we train seminary students how to develop health care and community development strategies and incorporate those strategies into discipleship and church planting.
- Short Term Medical Mission Trips - We offer short term mission trips in support international missionaries that are using the CTT model for discipleship and church planting. These trips also give people practical experience in using CTT process.
Domestic Strategies
Purpose: To develop and implement CTT strategies for Memphis that can be reproduced in other urban centers.
- ESL for Refugees - Ministries conducted its first Community Transformation Training in July 2008. Upon completion of the training teams were commissioned to implement the lessons that they learned throughout various communities in Memphis. One of those teams successfully developed an English as Second Language Program in response to desires of a refugee community living in Memphis. Weekly teams of two go to the homes of refugee families to tutor them in English.
- Refugee Resettlement - Ministries is partnering with Catholic Charities of Memphis to resettle refugee families in Memphis. We will work intensively with these families for the first four months to help them adapt to life in their new home.
International Strategies
Purpose: Sending people trained in CTT to unreached people groups for the purpose of developing CTT strategies and initiating community transformation.
Ministries serves an administrative roll in sending medium term medical missionaries (2-5 years) to work with unreached people groups. We believe that the preaching and healing ministries of Jesus are equally important and try to adhere to those principles equally when developing strategies for international missions. Ministries has partnered with international organizations and NGOs to send medical personnel to India, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
