At Global City Mission Initiative (GCMI) we are passionate about working with local churches in cities around the US to help equip them to reach their communities.
FAQs
What is the evangelism training like?
It is a highly interactive workshop. We begin the training by teaching from our experience, and we move to participants practicing these skills for themselves. There is a lot of interaction & discussion. We make time for lots of questions and work to meet the participants where they are in their own ministry development.
What led you to start offering evangelism training?
As a mission organization, we have learned a lot from reaching people who were outside of the church. We feel it is our shared responsibility to bring what we are learning to local churches, and we strongly believe in mutual partnerships. As a disciple-making initiative, equipping churches is part of our mission.
How long does a training last?
A typical conversational evangelism workshop takes approximately 3 hours. This can be adjusted to be a little longer or a little shorter, but the evangelism workshop is designed as a 3-hour learning experience. If there is no travel involved for the trainer (ie., the church host is in the same city), we sometimes can break up the evangelism training into two or three separate sessions.
Will Global City Mission help me promote the training and encourage evangelism in my church?
Global City Mission has some general resources. However, our primary role is to provide training and to help mobilize. In addition, we are happy to collaborate with your church’s media department during our visit to produce videos, podcasts, or similar media while working with your church.
How much does it cost?
Global City Mission is a mission organization; therefore, we rely on financial partnerships to sustain & grow as a ministry. The cost of a conversational evangelism training is $1500 + any travel expenses, paid directly to Global City Mission. We want to make this training as accessible as possible to local churches, so please let us know if you are interested in scheduling a training.
What will my church members get out of it?
Our hope is that your church members will learn ways to bring up faith in their everyday conversations and do so without being overwhelmed by pressure or fear of failure. This goal drives the training. We are encouraging evangelism practices that are accessible to the average church member in their regular interactions with friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
Do you offer any training beyond the conversational evangelism seminar?
Yes, but the specifics will depend on the needs & vision of your church. There is no one-size-fits-all, but some opportunities include: training in starting evangelistic small groups, cross-cultural ministry in ethnically diverse areas, or online coaching for launching grassroots outreach in your city.
What about follow-up with our church members?
We definitely encourage an intentional follow-up plan for the church members following any training. Global City Mission primarily provides the equipping experience as a jumpstart, and we strongly encourage church leaders to continue the work to mobilize their members. We want to help see that happen, so we are open to further conversations and providing resources to mobilize the church.
What about the Starting Discovery Groups Training?
Starting Discovery Groups is intended as a followup training for church members who have participated in the conversational evangelism training, and want to take their discipleship efforts to another level. The cost of each training workshop is $1500 plus expenses, but if your church decides to commit to both the conversational evangelism and the discovery group trainings up front, the cost will be $2500 plus expenses for both trainings combined. In addition, we are open to the possibility of doing a repeat of the evangelism training in the same weekend when we come out to do the discovery groups training, for anyone who missed it the first time.
What about ongoing coaching or training?
Our whole purpose and goal of offering training by GCMI is to mobilize disciple-makers. If a church desires to pursue an intentional partnership or coaching relationship, we are open to explore the potential, if it will lead to more people engaging with Jesus. We offer a 5-8 month partnership package that includes live training on evangelism and starting discovery groups and regular coaching & consulting with church staff & leadership. Each coaching partnership involves a team coaching approach, representing both experience in church leadership and experience in urban evangelism. If you are interested in learning more about the 5-8 month coaching partnership, just let us know.
Getting Started
If you’d like more information about bringing Global City Mission Initiative training to your Church or Ministry, please fill out this form and we’ll be in touch with you soon.