World Impact has an exciting new vision to grow urban churches, and the idea was birthed out of the Bay Area of Oakland and San Francisco. Paul Chan (brother of Francis Chan) is the director for World Impact Bay Area, and he has been developing a model to allow suburban churches assist in the growing of urban churches.

Right now, typical urban churches are underfunded, under staffed and therefore struggle to exist, let alone multiply. But Paul Chan, along with his brother Francis Chan and other World Impact board members, have finally seen a path for success. The opportunity lies with the employing of World Impact’s urban seminary program TUMI (The Urban Ministry Institute). Paul’s goal is to place urban seminary students enrolled in TUMI on the grounds of local urban churches. With the assistance of suburban churches, the students (3-4 per church) can take classes while they live and work alongside an established urban pastor.

Now urban pastors will have 3-4 men who can assist them in their daily needs. The men will gain hands on experience as they are enrolled in the 3 year TUMI program. The men will live in discipleship homes on or near the local church and outside suburban churches can partner with this model to see urban churches grow. When the students have completed their 3 years of training and hands on leadership from a pastor who’s been discipling them, they will be ready to pastor their own church! Once they leave, 3-4 more men will move into the discipleship home and begin enrollment in The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI).

This new vision is being launched in Oakland first and this video was created to build partnerships with outside suburban churches in surrounding areas and cities like Sacramento.