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By Peter Biggs
According to the its website (movein.to) Movein "is an effort to see praying teams of Christians moving into some of the most broken neighbourhood 'patches' in Toronto and beyond.
"With a cup of cold water in one hand and the good news in the other, we are praying that these communities will discover Christ's love and pass him on. In some cases, churches will be planted. In others, missionaries will be raised up. In every case, we are praying for Christ's "Kingdom come" to lives and communities from 'Jerusalem ... to the ends of the earth.'" said Nigel (movein's leader)
With support from the Mennonite Brethren, Vision Ministries and AGC) and missional partners Operation Mobilization and Frontiers, movein now operates in some 42 'patches'. Places Christians have moved to in order to become pray and be part of a targeted neighborhood.
They state, "We have discovered that something amazing happens when a group of Christians intentionally moves into a neighbourhood to pray (Acts 1:14) and be. In doing so, they have chosen to become part of the neighbourhood. Rather than visiting or serving and then going away, they will share in their neighbourhood's joys (Rom. 12:15), and in its troubles (Rom. 8:17); and they will have an opportunity to be right in there as salt (Matt. 5:13) and light (Matt 5:14) - as the hands and feet of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27; Matt. 25:35-40)."
Movein has wide support that includes George Verwer, Founder of Operation Mobilization "I believe this is cutting edge and strategic. I hope you will get involved in what is happening." Charles Price, Sr Pastor, The Peoples Church has been quoted as seeing "The fingerprints of God are all over this."
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What kinds of neighbourhoods does MoveIn 'move in' to?
"MoveIn focuses on unreached and high-needs neighbourhoods - usually apartment-building clusters in and around cities. These neighbourhood 'patches' are usually no bigger than 500 x 500 meters in area (Some are 200 x 200 meters with as many as 10,000 people living in the area.) The size of these patches means everything is within walking distance.
"It isn't a program or a project," the founder "Paul" of movein said in a recent interview with MB Herald assistant editor Karla Braun, "It's not some experience, then you go back to your normal lives. MoveIn is our new lives." (Participants of MoveIn wish to remain anonymous).
Potential 'patches' are assessed on the basis of economic (e.g., percentage below the poverty line), familial (e.g., domestic violence rates), social (e.g., community spirit, safety, crime rates, gang activity), environmental (e.g., pollution levels, cleanliness), and spiritual need.
The degree to which a neighbourhood is 'unreached' is also a very important factor. Unreached people are those who come from nations which, relatively speaking, have had the least access to the good news of Jesus - both historically and recently.
"It is time for Christians to move into neighbourhoods because they are not safe - to move into neighbourhoods that are messy and have high crime rates, high poverty rates, low standards of living, and a disproportionate representation of Christ," Paul said.
"It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation." - Paul, Romans 15:20
Note: A fuller account of this remarkable ministry 'the word became flesh...and moved into the patch' by Karla Braun will be in the upcoming OPTIONS magazine - soon to be released.
March 04/2010
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