What is Neighborhood Transformation?

The Collaborative for Neighborhood Transformation functions to help people transform their own lives and neighborhoods in all areas of life, from the inside out, resulting in:

·        People knowing, loving, caring for and serving their neighbors

·        People taking responsibility and working to change their circumstances

·        People knowing Christ with healthy, growing  churches

·        A  reduction in disease, crime, drug abuse, and alcohol addiction

·        Improved employment and living conditions

·        Hope, health, and enthusiasm toward neighborhood life

 Vision

To see 100 North American cities wholistic transformed, city by city, in all areas of life by 2025. These cities are networked together so eventually North America is transformed as a whole from the inside out.

     Connecting Neighbors---Creating Community—Transforming Neighborhoods, City By City.

 

Mission Statement:

CNT exists to expand transformational ministries across North American cities by creating a collaborative of partner organizations that will mutually encourage, motivate, and innovate on behalf of underserved communities. They will focus on transforming neighborhoods and then networking the neighborhoods in a city to transform the city from the inside out. Collaborative are found at each city level and at the national level.

Biblical Basis

The goal of Collaborative for Neighborhood Transformation is to establish a whole person and multi-sector ministry whose purpose it is to bring together Jesus’ Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20, his Great Commandment to care for the sick found in Matthew 25:36, his Great Instructions in Matthew 10:8 where he commanded his disciples to  “Heal the sick,” and his Great Example as recorded in Mathew 9:35-36. Luke 10:27 says to love God with all our heart, mind, body and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves which means one is to have a strong relationship with your neighbor.

Place of the Church in Neighborhood Transformation

Central to CNT’s effort is the church which sometimes is a city catalyst and most times is the initiator for NT in a given neighborhood.  The church is so important for the following reasons:

• Christ’s representatives on earth.
• Speaks with authority.
• Grassroots – can demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in a neighborhood.
• Present even if other resources lacking– such as schools, clinics or police facilities; but there usually is a small church.
• The only institution that can instruct from cradle to grave. 
• The only institution that God has ordained to demonstrate his multi -faceted agenda and intentions for the observing principalities and powers in heavenly places. (Eph 3:10)  (Trains family, children)  

Churches' role in implementing of Neighborhood Transformation
• Investigate using NT
• Begin to focus more wholistically social justice and evangelism
• Take training and have Master trainer/champion within the church
• Use NT as main element of their local outreach
• Become more neighborhood focused in their small group structure
• Share what they are learning with other NT users in their city
• Be advocates to bring NT’s use to other churches, especially in their city
• Use new ABCD Data Base
• Equip their members how to begin to know and build trust with their neighbors
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• A CD is available with over 2,000 partlicipatory Lesson plans...which can be used out in the neighborhood by an easily trained facilatator.
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