What's next for your city? Are you interested in beginning a Movement Day conversation in your place?

some key questions to discuss

Q 1 Does our city have to have a mature level of structural and relational unity to begin a Movement Day process?  

On the one hand it will be easier to begin a Movement Day process if you do have a developed unity movement across the city however a Movement Day process can kick start more unity. Dallas Movement Day had very little unity in the city and Movement Day has acted as a catalyst for better unity and mission. It became the event that brought people together in the same room, fostered friendships and created city goals. They have now had 5 annual MD’s with a variety of working parties on different city agendas.

 

 

Q2 We already have a very mature and developed unity movement across the city do we need a Movement Day? 

This depends on the vision and scope of the unity you have been developing. Some cites are very good at growing unity amongst pastors and beginning to work together in mission as churches, however they are less developed in catalysing and resourcing the church fellowship's members into sphere networks and are less connected to the structures of civic society. The Movement Day process is about a whole body approach to the whole transformation of the city and may serve you and give you fresh momentum in building on the great work you have already been doing.

 

 

Q3 Does the Gathering part of Movement Day have to be two days?

No, the Gathering part of Movement Day could be between 1 and 3 days. Many cities around the world keep the event to one day, it's whatever suits your city best. You could have a two day event with a Friday focusing on church leaders and a Saturday focusing on christians in the spheres. We would suggest, if you are aiming to have a one day event, you hold this on a Saturday to enable christians in the spheres to attend.

 

 

Q 4 What happens during a Movement Day Gathering? 

Every city will be different in the content and context of the event, however we advise there are some key similarities:

1. Keep the talking punchy and interesting. (15 mins talks + panels + interviews + videos)
2. Make sure this is good space for conversation and relationship building.
3. Celebrate what is already going on in the city.
4. Make sure its creative, inspiring and prayerful.
5. Aim to have a mixture of input from church leaders, christians in the spheres and secular leaders.
6. Aim for a gender, race, class and age mixture.
7. Make sure you get some out of city input from the wider Movement Day family.

 

Q 5 What defines a Movement Day from other city events? 

It's all about values, scope and vision.

1. See the CITY: A Movement Day process lifts up its vision towards the long term social, cultural and spiritual transformation of our places (cities, boroughs, towns, islands, villages).
2. Work TOGETHER : A Movement Day conversation commits itself to ever increasing levels of strategic, relational and co-ordinated unity across denominations and organisations, to become One Body across the city working in partnership with civic bodies.
3. Release the PEOPLE: The Movement Day dream is to enable and validate ordinary christians in the spheres of life to see themselves as city changers and to network together in their spheres for long term kingdom change.
4. Call on GOD: Movement Day understands that no long term city transformation can happen with out a humble calling on God to first transform ourselves, our churches and then the city.
5. Transform the NATION: Your Movement Day is part of a bigger picture to see every city, town, borough and island have a MD missional approach. The first cohort of cities will become the mentors and trainers for the next larger cohort of cities. The learning from the first cohort will shape the practice of the next phase.

All 5 aspects must be present in a Movement Day to be defined and recognised as a MD expression.

 

 

Q 6 What support can Movement Day UK and the Gather Network give our city MD?

There is a small central Movement Day team being developed to help support cities but the aim is for the wider Gather Network and a team of christian organisations to help support cities.

Providing:

• Mentoring support
• Resources
• Seed funding
• Training
• Linking to key partners for support
• Access to speakers

 

Q 7 How does Movement Day fit alongside the Gather Network?

Movement Day UK has grown out of the Gather Network which was set up over 7 years ago. Gather networks over 130 unity movements in cities and towns across the UK and, through the global Movement Day network, has met and connected to many other expressions of unity around the world.

Gather exists to find and network existing places with developing unity movements for best practice, peer to peer mentoring and support. To help catalyse new unity movements. To resource and inspire movements sharing the stories and experience from the nation and around the world. To raise the awareness of unity for a transformational, missional approach within the wider Church in the nation. 

Gather is very much about promoting the values that all transformational activity is built upon such as honour, kingdom not empire, diversity, humility, respect, forgiveness, friendship, peace keeping etc.

Movement Day is building on the work of this vibrant network and creating a model that accelerates the transformation vision across the whole city by the whole body. Movement Day is a structure built on the Gather values that is about developing a 15 yr monitorable strategic vision, strategic partnerships and sphere networks in each place.

If Gather is the foundations then Movement Day is the house on top of the foundations.

 

Q 8 How do the other christian organisations fit into the Movement Day model? Are we duplicating what others are doing?

Movement Day and Gather recognise and deeply respect the calling and vital importance of other christian organisations to serve the body of Christ in cities and towns. Movement Day is not seeking to duplicate or replace those vital ministries. Many cities and towns welcome the work of the Trusell trust in setting up food banks, the service of the Evangelical Alliance in evangelism and public leadership, the work of CAP in serving those in debt, the work of the Cinnamon Network in helping set up social projects, the ministry of the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity - LICC in developing the whole life vision, the service of Redeeming our Communities ROC in linking civic and church life and supporting some great social projects.

Movement Day is a model to bring all that activity (and much more beside) under one strategic conversation. It is asking some key questions “How can we work together better across the city?”, “How can we be more strategic and co-ordintated?”, “How can we release the people of God to effect transformation?”, “ Can we develop a 15 yr monotorable vision across the city?".

In effecting this long term vision, cites and towns will need all the help they can get, that is why the role of national Christian organisations is vital in the dream of a changed city. Movement Day will be seeking to promote the work of these and other organisations within the cities and towns it works with.

 

Q 9 What is the big vision behind the Movement Day initiative?

Our overall dream is to see significant social, cultural and spiritual transformation in many cities, towns, boroughs and islands across the UK by the whole body of Christ blessing the city by forming strong friendships, praying together over the long term and working together in a co-ordinated and strategic mission.

What could be achieved over the next few years?

1. We could begin to see to the key principles of MDUK deepened in the missional mindset of key leaders across the UK
2. We could see 20 + cities across the UK on a  journey towards a 15 year strategic and co-ordinated vision towards greater transformation.
3. We could begin to see major inroads into the secular-spiritual divide that keeps people pew bound in local churches. We could begin to see significant enabling, validation, and networking across spheres in some major cities in the UK.
4. If we can begin to see this change in some key cities in the UK over the next three years we could see over the next 10 years a tipping point where it is the norm for churches, christians and organisations to envision a transformed city, to work in relational and strategic unity and to see the ordinary people of God released to make a significant difference.