 The recording is going to start. Okay, the recording has just started. All right, let's pray, and then we will start. Kiran, can you pray for us? Yes, sir. For the good, we just come before once again, you're thrown for the good. For the good, thanking you for this day, for the good, thanking you for the class, thanking you for the students, for the good. For the good, help us to understand the subject, for the good, and apply it to your kingdom, for the good. For the good, lead, or give more understanding and wisdom and knowledge for the good. You can receive your worth for the good, today's class was for the good. Thank you for the good, thank you all for the good. Submitting to your hand for the good, of coming time for the good, take care of all, thanking you for the good. Almighty Jesus, name we pray. Amen. Thank you. All right, so today, we're going to finish up on the second section that we've been talking about, which is the spiritual aspects. We're just covering a few things, so we will finish it up. So the class today may be short, maybe we will finish it soon. And then next week, we'll go into another section, a new section that has to do with the personal life of a church plant, or personally, how do I prepare myself if I want to start a ministry in the city, right? Whether it's a urban church or a church plant, which is what we've been focusing on, but these things apply to any kind of ministry, Christian ministry that we are planning to start in urban center. How do we personally prepare ourselves, okay? So that'll be the section number three that we will get into from next week. So the plan is today, we will finish up section number two, which is the spiritual aspects of church planting, urban church planting or starting ministry in the city. So just to, we were talking about proclaiming the uncompromised gospel. This was yesterday. We talked about proclaiming the full gospel and we need to address questions that are on the minds of people. The people that we are talking to, the questions could be different in different places, and we need to be able to address those questions, especially when it comes to the Christian faith or about God. And so by addressing those questions, we are helping them relate to the gospel and then hear the gospel and they would then be open to it. And also thirdly, we said when we are preaching the gospel, we need to break controlling powers, address the things that are controlling the people spiritually. So the presentation of the gospel should be in such a manner, okay? So we stopped there yesterday. I just want to touch on a couple of more things from a spiritual perspective side. So as a part of the church plant or whatever ministry we are starting in the city in the urban center, it's important that we equip the believers, equip the saints, but I mean saints, I mean the believers, equip them to impact the community or the city. So this is, first of all, this is what God wants us to do because he wants every saint, every believer to be equipped for ministry, to do something for the kingdom of God. So as a local church or as a ministry, we need to think along these lines and we need to work along these lines. So as a local church, it's not, well, the leadership in the local church, the pastors and others, maybe doing their part in reaching out to the city. Most importantly, we equip the saints so that they can do the work of the ministry. So here are just a few thoughts here on how to go about equipping the saints, equipping believers so that they can do the ministry. So first of all, we must teach the word of God so that we can do the ministry. First of all, we must teach the word of God. You know, feed the people, feed God's people with truth, with sound doctrine, sound teaching from the word so that they know what is truth and they can uphold that truth in society. So equip the people through teaching God's word and feeding them with wisdom and understanding. Secondly, we must also emphasize the supernatural. The Lord Jesus wanted us to do that. He wanted, He said, those who believe in Him will do the works He did and even greater works. So that's our, we should emphasize that. You know, go out there, expect God to demonstrate His supernatural power, pray for the needs of people, pray for healing, pray for miracles to take place, emphasize the supernatural because that's the way God wants us to really impact the community, right? So if believers are equipped to go out there and expect the supernatural, then they, you know, wherever they go throughout the week, they will expect God to work through them and demonstrate the supernatural. A third way we equip God's people is they equip them to be salt and light. That means how they can apply truth to wherever they are during the week, which is of course, they're gonna be at home, they're gonna be in the workplace. So they need to be able to take the truth and apply it in life situations. So that's, you know, they're being salt and light wherever they are. They're bringing about change. They're bringing about kingdom influence right where they are, you know. So we have to equip people in such a way that their life itself will be the light, their life itself will be the transforming agent wherever they are spending time, which is at home in the workplace and so on. And fourthly, we equip people for lifestyle evangelism. That means they should be ready at any time to be able to share about Jesus, right? So we equip people for that so that they could share Jesus anywhere, anytime, any place. They should have some basic skill or basic idea. How should I share Jesus, right? How to talk about Jesus. So if we can equip people to do that, you know, it will enable them to impact the community throughout the city, wherever they go in the city. So our goal is then as a church to equip, empower and send. So we encourage people to use their gifts, their callings, wherever they, wherever God lets them and takes them, wherever they go. So this is very important from a spiritual perspective. So while we are planting a church and, you know, we talked about how do you start your church and how do all of that? Very important as leaders or as church planters. People are starting a Christian ministry that be focused on equipping the people because it's the people who are going to be able to impact widely in the communities and in the city, right? So they are people who are going to make a difference. And if you don't equip the people who are coming to the local church or coming to the ministry, we are missing out on a great way to bring change in the city. So this should be an important part of what we are doing, right? Equip the saints, spiritual, a part of our spiritual aspect. Teach the word, emphasize the supernatural, equip people to be agents of transformation, equip people to share the gospel and empower them, send them out, support them as they go, right? The last point here in as far as, you know, the spiritual side of things, and I'm just presenting this because, you know, it may not be directly related to the church plant itself, but it is something very important. All of us have to keep in mind, which is, you know, when you go and plant a church in a city or you start a ministry in the city, that one church plant or that one ministry that we are starting is not going to be able to handle the whole city, of course. So in the city, God already has many churches, many other ministries, which he has, you know, caused people to establish. And so it's very important for us as we seek to make an impact on the city that we learn to work with other churches and ministries. Now, this is a spiritual aspect that we need to be part and engage with the citywide church. The citywide church is basically believers who belong, who are a part of other churches, other ministries and so on. So we are going, if we go and plant a church or we go and start a Christian ministry, we must intentionally strengthen, build trust and relationships with other churches and ministries in the city. Okay, this is part of the spiritual side of things. You intentionally build trust because we are going to do this work together, right? So build trust, strengthen relationships with other churches, you know, build friendships with other pastors, with other leaders and help one another, right? Strengthen and serve other churches and ministries. So although we are doing our own church plant, relationships are important because it takes that citywide church, all of us working together to impact the city as a whole. So we look for ways to work with other churches and ministries. So, and then we try to maintain a kingdom mindset. That means it's not about my church plant or my ministry, it's about God's kingdom coming to our city. Now, practically, you know, this is challenging because all of us have the predisposition. That means by default, we are thinking about our church, our ministry, and we are only responsible for that. And that is true, you know, we are immediately responsible for our church or our ministry, what we're doing, but we need to intentionally think about God's kingdom in the city and what can we do to help the extension of God's kingdom. Now, practically, you know, one way that we were doing at all people's church, this was just before the lockdown. So from 2013 until the early part of 2020, I think, we, every month, we used to host a pastor's breakfast meeting. So this would happen on the second Wednesday of every month, early morning, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. We would host a pastor's breakfast in a hotel that was in the center of the city so that people could come from wherever. And we just invited pastors, leaders of Christian organizations just to come, just to spend time with each other. You know, no big agenda other than let's be together, let's encourage each other, let's learn from each other, let's talk, let's discuss, and so on. So the meeting was very structured that way. So we'd come, we'd spend the first hour in worship and prayer. We'd have breakfast together and then, you know, we'd have discussions. So maybe sometimes somebody would talk for about 30, 40 minutes then we would sit, you know, we all would be sitting around tables. We would discuss in groups about what we learned that day, pray with each other, pray for each other. The whole idea was, okay, you know, let's get to know each other because then we can trust each other, we can then, you know, when we go outside, we can work together, so on. So that was a, you know, kind of a very simple thing we started and of course we stopped it during the pandemic, we couldn't meet in person. We probably did one or two Zoom meetings but then it's not the same, you know, as meeting in person. So we were just waiting to reopen that hopefully in January next year, we can please start that. The whole purpose is to be friends with other pastors, with other ministers, Christian leaders, you know, and of course, you know, people are traveling and busy but, you know, when we have something regular, they know, okay, I can come second when it's your mornings, I can go there, I can meet with other pastors and just for fellowship, friendship. And from there, when we're outside, we can work, we can, because we already know each other, we've spent time in prayer together. We've had food together. We've had discussions together. So when we're outside doing things, we can relate to each other much better. So that's just, you know, a small example where we could, you know, do things in the city in order to build friendships because ultimately all of us working together are going to bring about a kingdom impact in the city, right? It's not going to happen through just a single church plant or a single ministry. It's going to take all the churches, all the ministries who are all contributing towards what's happening in the city for the kingdom of God, right? And rather than us being divided and trying to fight with each other, if we can work together, then we can definitely make a big impact in the city. So I thought we should put this in here as part of the spiritual side that needs to be done in order to make a difference. Now, like I said, it's not easy. So we need to help a kingdom mindset coming into the minds of people. That, you know, most pastors or leaders would say, okay, what's in it for me? You know, why should I come to a meeting? Why should I build friendships with other people? You know, what will I gain from it? But I think we have to change the question and say, you know, how will God's kingdom advance if I have friendships and relationships with other churches and ministries? How can we further the kingdom of God together? So that's the question we should ask and that will motivate us to, you know, be at least have friendships with each other and then from those friendships, we can begin to do things together and support each other through the challenges working in the city, okay? So that's it. You know, these are the things I want to, you know, we need to keep in mind from a spiritual perspective when you're working in the city. You need, we need, you know, to establish God's presence through praise and worship, through prayer, through intercession, through exercising our authority. We need to proclaim the gospel in a way that will be able to address the needs of the people that we're reaching. We need to equip believers so that they can then go and make a difference in the city. And finally, we also need to build good relationships with other churches and ministries so that together we can be one force for God's kingdom in the city. So think about all these things. You know, this is a spiritual side that's involved as we are doing our work in the city, planting a church or starting a Christian ministry in the city, okay? So with that, we complete this section two, which is basically the spiritual side of the urban church plant. I know I've covered this in a very simple way. And, but, you know, practicing this is really, really important. Yeah. Oh, I see your comments. Prince, some of you attended that pastor's breakfast meeting. I'm not sure. This must have been in 2000 and one time you come. One time you come. Okay, okay. Yeah. So, yeah, we do that. Good. Okay. Any thoughts? Any questions? Okay. Yeah. Secrets comment. Yeah. And we had a special seminar. Yes. Yeah. Okay. So, you know, keep these things in mind. Please try to do what you can in your cities where you work, even if it means getting meeting with one other person, one other pastor, one other person from a different ministry, just building friendships with them, that it will be a big step. You know, you may not be able to gather, you know, many pastors or many Christian leaders, but even if you meet with one other pastor, one other Christian leader, just pray together in your city. It's a beautiful step towards saying, look, we believe in the citywide church that God's people are in different churches and in different organizations, and we're all working towards the same goal, which is that kingdom come, you know, God's kingdom to come in the city. So I'd encourage you to do that to whatever extent you can and just see the kingdom of God come in, okay? All right, so let's close in prayer. I know it's a short session today. We just completed this section on the spiritual side of urban church planting. I will also work on setting up your midterm, your first assessment. I don't have a question. Yes, yeah, pastor, I have a question. So is it really, is it important to, if, see, suppose if they want to start a ministry of church, is it okay to work under some church leaders or some under ministry? So is it okay? Because some people say that some pastors and some leaders, they used to say that if you really want to start a church or a ministry, you need to work under our church or under our ministry. So is it really okay? Okay, so the answer to your question, Aaron, would be really to do what God has put in your heart. There is no right or wrong answer. You have to do what God has put in your heart. So some people, when they want to start a church or when they want to start a ministry, they may work with an existing denomination, organization or church. They may do that. And that is what God has put in their heart to do and that's perfectly fine. Some people may go out and start something new completely on their own. They may start a Christian ministry or start a congregation somewhere. And that's fine. If that's what God has put in their heart then that's what God has called them to do. That's also fine. So either way is fine. So my answer to you would be to do what God has put in your heart to do. But think about, and I think that's one question we will answer in the next section, which is, should I work under an existing ministry or should I start on my own? So that's a part of the personal preparation. And while we're not going to say which one is better, we can only say, look, this is what it takes if you're going to work under. This is what it takes if you're going to work on your own. But then eventually each one has to do what God has put in their heart. So I hope that answers addresses your question. Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, so I will prepare your first assessment. It'll be just simple multiple choice questions based on what we have covered. It'll be open book, open notes, assessments. So it's just easy for you to do. It'll be just a kind of a review of what we've covered these two sections. And I'll put it out on the coursework and you can just take your time to finish the coursework. Just finish it before the end of the semester. But it's part of the assessment. And then I will, we'll have two more assessments before we finish up, okay? So let's pray and then we will wrap up today's class. I know it's a short section session. And next week we will pick up on our third section which is personal preparation. Some of the questions that I have are personal preparation. Some of the things we need to think about when we want to personally get ready to start a church or a ministry, okay? Fine, so somebody could pray. Prince, would you like to pray and dismiss us? Yeah, see you, sir. Dear heavenly father, you've given us this wonderful time to learn your word. Thank you for that, Lord. Now from your word, what you learn in your, in our life, Lord, we will be fruitful and how we spiritually prepare for your kingdom, Lord. Help us to grow in you, Lord. Thank you. I pray that each of our heart should be holy, Lord. Thank you. I submit all things to you and rest of the day I pray in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen, amen. All right. Thank you, Rowan. Thanks. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you. Have a good rest of the day. Thank you. We'll continue this next week. God bless. Bye now.