This document discusses community transformation through the engagement of local churches. It provides an overview of community advocates, an example program from Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas. The program aims to mobilize church members in serving the community. It discusses increasing members' knowledge and involvement through community engagement initiatives. Evaluation found excited members and increased community appreciation after advocates worked on issues like justice, relationships and community development. The document encourages churches to encounter, explore and engage their communities.

1. COMMUNITY
ADVOCATES
a new way of community

2. Objectives
Vision
• Building the framework
•
•
•
What is City Transformation?
What is God calling the church to do in
communities?
Community Advocates: a local
example
•

3. My Dream for My City is…
(Talk Waco)

4. “The Lord God has told us
what is right and what he
demands: See that justice is
done,
let mercyby your first concern,
and humbly obey your God”
- Micah 6:8
Contemporary English Version

5. City Transformation Defined:
“The process whereby
individuals, peoples, and the city as a whole
increasingly and dramatically become more
like God’s intention for them. As a
result, growing numbers of converts begin
to function as mature disciples and the
social, political, and economic fabric of the
entire community begins to change”
- Jack Dennison and Steve Capper
(Rusaw, 2004)

6. A New Perspective
MAN
GOD
SPIRITUAL
- sin
- judgment
-death
SOCIAL
- injustice
-broken relationships
ECONOMIC
- greed
- poverty
- exploitation
JESU
S
SIN
SPIRITUAL
- holiness
- salvation
- eternal life
SOCIAL
- justice
- reconciliation/forgiveness
ECONOMIC
- generosity
- no needy among you
- empowerment

(Swanson, 2010)

7. The Call to City Transformation
Concept



Cities are deeply
connected to God’s
plans on the earth
God is just and we are
created in his image
The Church is God’s
Plan A
Biblical Reference

Isaiah 62:1, Jeremiah
29:7, Nehemiah

Psalm 147:67, Zephaniah 3:5
, Micah 6:8

Isaiah 58:6-8, Matthew
5:13-16, 2 Corinthians
9:6-12

8. Impact Waco
CONTE
XT

Antioch Community Church – Waco, TX

Mobilizing the church to see the city of
Waco transformed

20% of the congregation actively involved
in serving the community
MISSON
2013
GOAL

9. Coming up with a Plan
A congregation actively involved in
wellbeing of the community
goal
strength
LifeGroup
Discipleship
strategy Advocates
Community
seeking the

10. Collaborative
Ultimate
Motivation
Whole People
Restored
Relationships
Healthy City
Systems
SUSTAINABLE
TRANSFORMATI
ONAL
GospelCentered
HOLISTIC
Our Approach to Impact
Community
Ownership
Process over
Projects
StrengthsBased
Beginnings

11. Anatomy of a Community
Advocate
pray
teach
engag
e

12. Community Advocates Process
Research
Pilot LifeGroups
Continuous
Launches
(Dolgoff et al., 2012)

13. Findings: Knowledge
4.5
4
4
3.5
3
3
3
2.5
2
2
2
pre-test
1.5
post-test
1
0.5
0
0
0
not familiar at all think its in the read about it in heard, read, or
bible, but not the bible, know a learned a fair
familiar with it
little
amount
heard, read, or
learned, a lot
How familiar are you with God’s plans and
desires for social and economic transformation?

14. Findings: Personal Investment
4.5
4
4
3.5
3
3
3
2.5
2
2
pre-test
1.5
1
post-test
1
1
0.5
0
0
0
no, never
not within the past within the past yes, in the church's
year
year, but not right internally focused
now
ministries
yes, in the
community
Are you involved in any type of volunteering or other
type of city engagement?

15. Results of Community
Advocates

Excited members

Increase in knowledge

Increase in community involvement

Increase in community appreciation

Neighborhood study on perceived
impact

16. Your Church and Your
Community
ENCOUNTER
EXPLORE
ENGAGE
(Martin, 2012)

17. Continuum of Engagement
Personal Transformation
Family
Salvation &
Spiritual Growth
Lifegroup & Discipleship
Parental
Relationships
Spirit, Soul, Body
Spheres
Being Discipled
and Discipling
Sibling
City Impact
Work
Relationships
Reconciliation
Engaged in
community and
accountability
Neighbors
Life
Pray for your city
& Bless with
words and actions
Big 1-time service
opportunities
Serving in the city
Community
Development

18. Your Church and Your
Community
ENCOUNTER
EXPLORE
ENGAGE
EVALUATE
(Martin, 2012)

19. “And if you spend yourselves on
behalf of the hungry and satisfy
the needs of the
oppressed, then your light will
rise in the darkness and your
night will become like the
noonday”
- Isaiah 58:10

20. (Smithsonian Institution)
Questions & Discussion
laura-pennington@aminternational.org

21. Bibliography
Gucwa. (2012). [Graphic Illustration Sunset over the Bridge and New
York]. Retrieved from
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/28657794697/sunset-over-thebrooklyn-bridge-and-the-new-york
Martin, J. (2012). The just church: Becoming a risk-taking, justiceseeking, disciple-making congregation. USA: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.
Rusaw, R. & Swanson, E. (2004). The externally focused church.
Loveland, CO: Group Publishing.
Schmidt. (2012). [Graphic Illustration City on a Hill]. Retrieved from
http://genesiseightseven.blogspot.com/2012/09/city-on-hill-castingcrowns.html
Swanson, E. & Williams, S. (2010). To transform a city: Whole
church, whole gospel, whole city. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Smithsonian Institution. (1939). [Graphic Illustration of William Johnson’s
Harlem Street with Church]. Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/4247999860/
Talk Waco. [Graphic Illustration Talk Waco Blog April 25,2013]. Retrieved
from http://talkwaco.wordpress.com/pics-around-town-2/