Introduction

Steps to Transformation

Brief Description of the Transformation Levels

1. Relationship Building – For the most part, the local churches are unfamiliar with each other.  Furthermore, apart from how it may affect the success of our own mission, we don’t really care to know what each other is doing.  As the body of Christ, we are disconnected.  At the relationship level, LTM seeks to introduce the diverse Christian groups to each other hoping to nurture an appreciation and concern for one another’s mission.  Luncheons, prayer meetings, LTI classes and seminars all become opportunities for us to get to learn about each other.  Loving, caring relationships should be the core identity of the Church (John 13:35).
   
   
2. Reconciliation – Relationship building leads to trust.  LTM seeks to build bridges of trust between Pastors, between city churches and suburban churches, bridges between the rich and the poor, etc.  We believe these trust bridges will lead us to see our diverse experiences, ethnicity’s, social status and doctrines as strengths for the Body of Christ.  Furthermore, such bridge building brings us to a place of confidence to confront the sin that puts walls between us and pursue biblical reconciliation, the chief privilege of the church (II. Cor. 5:18-19).  As reconciliation becomes a priority, we discover that our organization’s strengths and resources were meant to be shared thereby contradicting the self-preservation practices of the world.
   
   
3. Renewal of the Church – The practice of biblical reconciliation exposes the shortcomings of the current church culture.  Instead of 11:00 a.m. being the most segregated hour of the week, we consider new opportunities to worship and evangelize together.  We learn to think bigger than our church organization.  The word of Jesus “…that they may be one, even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me,” (John 17:21) take on new meaning regarding the growth of the church.  Gradually a kingdom mindset provokes a desire to change the social habits and architecture of the church that prohibit a functional unity of the Body of Christ.
   
   
4. Revitalization of the Community – When God’s people change their way of doing church by grooming a kingdom like-mindedness doing both evangelism and justice come to the forefront of the Church’s witness.  A passion for both encourages a united church to have an indigenous, compassionate presence in the community, making her true gospel salt (Matt. 5:13).  LTM understands that to the degree the church becomes a blessing to others in our community is to the degree the Church will become blessed (Jer. 29:7).  With the same wisdom of Nehemiah who first rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem allowing a revival to follow, LTM seeks to serve the community to help rebuild its “walls”.  LTM seeks to facilitate partnerships between the Church and business people inclined toward revitalization and revival because we believe that the esteem and behavior of a community is largely determined by its business minds.
   
   
5. Revival in the Community – Ultimately, unless a community changes from the inside out, there has not been a visit from God.  The catalyst to this revival will be the prayers of Christians, the aforementioned renewal of the church and the Church’s participation in the revitalization of the city.  People in the community will have observed a spiritual authenticity in the church that begins to break down their defenses to God’s truth.  Home after home will be moved to repent of godless values and turn to God’s only answer to their sin, Jesus Christ.  The core evidence of such revival will be a return to worshipping the true and living God in word and deed.  Churches will swell, homes will host prayer and Bible studies, and people will pursue a sense of purpose and meaning that mocks the promises of materialism and hedonism.  LTM acknowledges that God is uniquely the author of this phase of transformation yet our task is to continue to call people to humbly pray for His touch of our community.
   
   
6. Restoration of Community – The results of revival will be the corrections that are made regarding institutional sin within the community.  Government, economic, education, religious and other social systems within community will come under scrutiny of regenerate leadership.  Such institutions will become “pro church” and the righteous will be esteemed.  The consensus will be that God needs to be first in the hearts movers and shakers of the city (Ps. 127:1).  Though the Church will remain separate from the City, a team effort will be made to see our community pursue the model of a New Jerusalem where the main purpose of the city is to bring its residents into fellowship with their God.