The Evangel Dean Basic Training Resource Handbook

Welcome Letter

Greetings in the name of the One who is the Lord of the harvest.

We believe these are critical times. The harvest is plentiful and the workers continue to be few. As we consider the vast numbers of souls who are lost and without hope in Christ, we believe that church planting movements are needed to rapidly deploy called, gifted, and totally surrendered workers into every city, town, and village. It is from this belief and from our missions calling to empower urban leaders and partner with local churches to reach their cities with the Gospel to the end that the Gospel of the Kingdom is proclaimed by the empowered urban poor to every people group through indigenous churches and movements. The Gospel continues to be the power of God for salvation; for hope in this world and the world to come. If you: believe in the Church of the living God, no matter her size or resources, and that the keys of the Kingdom have been given to her; and you believe in the Gospel, that God in Christ is reconciling the world to himself; that the poor are rich in faith and co-laborers in God’s kingdom advancement; and your heart breaks for the countless lost souls trapped in the bondage of the kingdom of darkness; then this handbook will refresh, challenge, and strengthen you to equip planters among the forgotten poor. As you praise, pray, work, think, strategize, and laugh with your fellow deans-in-training, we hope you will be encouraged in what the Lord will do through your investment in learning about the Evangel Church Plant Schools. Our prayer is that you would complete this training encouraged in the Lord and clear on your strategy for training church planters working among the urban poor. Thank you for joining with us in seeking the beauty of the Lord displayed in new ways in the cities where God has called you to represent his Kingdom. Thank you for your unwavering and sacrificial service to the Lord of the harvest.

“. . . Not of those who shrink back . . .” (Heb. 10.39)

Rev. Dr. Don Davis Rev. Bob Engel