Cypress is an eight month coaching process training church planters to lead a more effective and missionary church, and connecting them for greater impact to their city.
Much has been said about ways to reach our cities, make disciples, and see the Church live as who she is in Christ. What are the principles and practices that could help planters and re-missioning pastors to connect the dots? One thing is true, no matter the model, if we are going to multiply missionary disciples, leaders, and churches, we likely need to start from somewhere other than where we’ve been.
We need to back up and lay down solid DNA so that Movement Thinking, Kingdom Perspective, and Harvest Focus drive our definition of disciples, leaders, and churches. This DNA needs to influence our systems and scorecards as well. It needs to shape the practices and methods of church planters as they build missionary teams, engage lost culture, and create a transformational, gospel-centered church culture.
200+ planters and re-missioning pastors have engaged the process in the Carolinas (USA). More have engaged in Canada, Honduras, Kenya, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. Participants range from those who are in pre-launch or recent launch phases to re- missioning pastors in established churches. Their common thread is the passion to effectively build gospel focused, target driven, disciple making, missionary churches that impact their cities and beyond. Participants come from many denominations and networks. Cypress does not compete with any affiliations, but seeks to strengthen them. The Cypress process is designed to compliment current demnominational and local church planting systems and training. Cypress partners want to bring every gospel-focused church planter to the table for their city.
“Cypress changed my whole life. God’s calling now makes sense – where I am and what I am doing here. I think like a missionary and have the tools to live it out.” Wayne Tomala Charlotte/Rock Hill Cypress
Local church partners drive the Cypress coaching centers in each region of the Carolinas. They are committed to multiplying and connecting missionary leaders. Cypress helps leaders implement systems and utilize tools that make their individual church body more effective. But the vision is to do training and coaching in a way that leads to more collaboration and impact of the collective church.
THE PARTNERS:
THE PARTICIPANTS:
THE OVERVIEW:
Cypress helps missionary leaders connect the dots. Local Church Driven. City focused. Accessible. Low Cost. Contextual. Collaborative.
Our aim is to equip missionary disciples, leaders, and churches that give every man. woman, and child repeated opportunities to hear, see, and respond to the gospel without them having to come or go anywhere.
Impact bible school lessons have impacted me in a special way in my personal life and service to God.It created a platform to share experiences and to learn more on discpleship.The Cypress project helped to develop me to be a fruitful leader..gave me material to be able to disciple others to become effective leaders too working towards transformed communities. The book T4T was a great tool in becoming a witness and training others. I learnt in a few short weeks how to effortlessly grow my church by simply following its teachings. In our churches, the people believe in staying in church, mature first before they can share their faith with others but in this book Steve makes it so simple.Born again today, one can write out their testimony and share it with family, friends and so on. Those taught, teach others who in turn teach others and on and on. A discipleship revolution indeed. It has changed the way I approached discipleship. I have a new understanding of how to reach out into our communities and how to train others to do the same. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend others to enrol into Impact bible college and watch their understanding and participation in the Great Commission take a huge leap because of the quite visible results. There is nothing as encouraging as taking part in a venture that yields high dividends.-Esnath Boora (2015-2016)
ReplyDeleteI am very much grateful to impact bible institute for transforming my whole life through their studies and God's calling now makes sense.During my studies the knowledge I acquired has changed me from seeing faith segmented beside society,to seeing it Integrated within the broader society in the public square.l am now discipleship oriented than decision oriented and God centered rather than man centered.l have already started to share what I have learned to my community,city,my neighbors and all those whom I have chance to share the gospel with.I have discovered for the first time that God's temple is within me.My lifestyle has been transformed to be Intimate and in tune with God.During and after studies,the Holy Spirit began to speak and revealed Himself to me in an amazing and awesome way.He gave me the boldness and power to instruct and equip church members in the obedient and joyful pursuit of the Great Commission.I have been transformed and my mind set has been changed from seeking what God has called me to do,to seeking what God called us to do.The Kingdom of God is all about us,the Body of Christ,the people of God,his family.Because of the studies,the mission of God has become so much bigger than I expected.I am now seeing the Great Commission not as mono centric but polycentric.I now have the tools and think like a missionary ready to spread the Good News wherever I go.
ReplyDeleteWilson Banda(Pastor)
Body of Christ Church(Zimbabwe)2015-2016