Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART III: P LANTING U RBAN C HURCHES • 369

The butterfly, however, which flits around from bush to bush and plant to plant, may cover ground but gathers nothing sweet. In all things spiritual, we ought to strive to be like the bee and not the butterfly! In all your counseling, prayer, and planning, strive to help your Church Plant Team integrate all of their devotions, preachings, worship liturgies, book readings, and spiritual exercises around the themes of the Church year (and, if you feel so inclined!) our TUMI annual theme. Through the theme, you can better revolve all of your shared spiritual pursuits of the Lord, and encourage each disciple or congregation to select specific missional projects and events consistent with those themes. that we sponsor and host. Each year TUMI creates a comprehensive spiritual formation guide we call our “TUMI Annual.” It is a treasury of devotional readings, prayers, spiritual discipline suggestions, chronological Bible readings, and other rich goodies all anchored in the seasons of the Church Year. It is suitable for individuals, groups, and congregations to use and share a spiritual walk that is informed by the Church year, and this year’s theme, the Cross. Help your Church Plant Team to stay focused, to “keep the main thing the main thing” by settling down day by day on the anchored, biblical, and overarching concept that can shape, direction, and substance to their personal and corporate practice of the spiritual disciplines. unashamedly focus on Christ. As Paul could say to the Corinthians, “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1.30, ESV). In the history of the Christian Church, no other story, no other event, no other symbol has been so integral and definitive to our faith, devotion, and worship as the Cross. Over the centuries this visual representation of the Tree on which our Savior died for the sins of the world has become arguably Christianity’s signature and primary image. This year, we will explore not only the bare facts (as listed above) but also explore the larger sense of what it means for the redeemed to be identified with Jesus in his suffering and death, and in his resurrection and new life. Indeed, both the start and continuation of Christian discipleship (from our confession of faith and baptism, to carrying our Cross daily and following our Master), depend on our understanding and appropriating the power of the Cross in our lives. This is why Paul the apostle can center his gospel ministry on the proclamation of the Cross to his various audiences: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2.2). Focus on Christ Finally, an evangelical appropriation of the Church Year will