Urban Missionary Training Center

The Urban Missionary Training Center has been created to help equip believers to make disciples of all people groups (Matt. 28:18-20). The UMTC will be offering a variety of new training opportunities in the areas of apologetics, church planting, and missionary methods/principles.  Each of these areas of study will provide believers with additional evangelism and discipleship skills to effectively engage friends, neighbors as well as unreached peoples and population segments.  Such skills have been used effectively around the world see non-believing individuals and groups become devoted Christ followers.
 
One church staff member, who participated in The Power of Story I & II class, took the evangelistic set of 15 stories he had developed and used it to teach a Junior High boys Sunday School class.  By the time he had taught all the stories, 9 out of 14 boys had given their lives to Christ.  The class was followed up with discussions of believer’s baptism and further discipleship.
 
The first of the new classes being offered this spring is called The Power of Story I & II (Feb 2 thru April 12). These two new classes will enhance any pastor, teacher, communicator, lay-leader, mission leader or team member.  Essentially, anyone who influences others can benefit from these two classes. 
 
Here are a few truths about ‘story.’  First, ‘story’ is the oldest form of communicating ideas.  Story in its purest form is oral.  Before writing developed, story existed.  Second, story is a normal everyday form of human communication.  In fact, there is no tool more powerful than story.  Jesus used this tool to teach the masses and develop his disciples.  Third, story helps us make sense of the world around us.  It helps us reframe our frustrations by giving purpose to life’s challenges, achievements and disappointments.  Fourth, story teaches us values, traditions, morals, standards, beliefs, ethics, ideas and character, to name a few.  It motivates, persuades and inspires.  Fifth, many individuals have a learning preference that is met by story.  Not everyone likes to read but many prefer to learn through story.
 
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in the new training opportunities, please contact Gail at 210.525.9954 or [email protected].