THE HUB - CREATING LOCAL CHURCH-DRIVEN "HUBS" THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
World Mission Centre initiated the creation of "Hubs". A hub is a network of churches focusing their mission efforts on a particular world region or country. Through such hubs, resources are pooled, information is disseminated and efforts coordinated to eliminate duplication, facilitate the targeting of a particular world region or country.
At the heart of the strategy is the local church. Bearing a conviction that the local church is the key to completing the task of world evangelization, World Mission Centre designed this unique strategy in order to establish an international, comprehensive, local church-driven missions network.
The success of these hubs is dependent on two elements, namely committed relationships and strategic vision.
ANCHOR CHURCHES
In each Hub an Anchor church plays the leading role. This church takes the initiative in targeting a particular world region or country and runs with the vision for the hub. It takes the lead in developing strategy and facilitating of other churches or individuals within the hub, to accomplish the vision. The anchor church also takes primary responsibility in the country for administrating the process and growth of the Hub. It gathers together people who are interested in the given region or country and who are committed to build quality relationships with others.
COMMITTEE CHURCHES
The Committee churches assist the anchor church in planning strategies to accomplish the vision for the world region or country in question. They also assist the anchor church in making principal decisions. They share the responsibility of the anchor church by involving other churches in the network.
KEY PARTNER CHURCHES
Key Partner churches have their primary focus on the world region or country in question. These "partner churches" are actively involved with the anchor church and committee churches in sending missionaries and material support to the region or country. They also rally a prayer base for the region and actively plant churches and train indigenous leadership within the region.
PARTICIPATING CHURCHES
Participating churches have a primary focus on a different Gateway region or country. However, they also have a heart for the Gateway region or country in question and are involved to a lesser extent in this region or country.
INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS
Interested individuals are people in the body of Christ who are possibly not members of a mission minded church but who have a heart for a particular world region or country. These people are welcomed into the process and can become actively involved.
MISSION ORGANIZATIONS
Mission organizations that have a clear understanding of the position of a local church in world evangelization take up a role of gently enhancing the vision of the hub without taking leadership. They are not involved in the logistics or administration of the hub, but only operate in an advisory capacity.
The Gateway office is essentially a door through which a network of local churches from a particular country can enter in order to assist in the establishing of the Kingdom of God in a particular world region or country. Particular emphasis is laid on reaching the unreached peoples of the region and on mobilising the body of Christ within the region or country to the task of missions.
The network seeks to cooperate with indigenous leadership and, therefore, the strategy will differ from one region to another, depending on the need. The Gateway is not seen as the only method by which the church from a particular country can enter a world region or country. The network seeks strategic alliances with various churches or organizations which are doing a significant work in the area. It, therefore, has an open-handed approach to networking.
The strategy focuses on the following:
- Reaching the unreached in the region. The world map indicates where these unreached peoples are located in the twelve Gateway regions and then in the eighteen Southern African countries.
- Church planting among least reached or unreached people groups forms an important component of the strategy.
- Leadership development: the enormous latent potential in the body of Christ needs to be developed through leadership training.
- Mobilization of the Church. Some of the world regions and countries defined in the Gateway Strategy already have strong, vibrant churches. The enormous task of mobilizing the local churches in these countries cannot and must not be overlooked.
THE HUB
Committed Relationships focused on a Strategic Vision
The heart of the Gateway strategy is the hub comprising local churches that are building committed relationships with one another and which are focused on a strategic vision in the Gateway region or country.
THE GATEWAY
A Gateway office is the "door" through which effective missions involvement is channelled from the hub of churches. Each Gateway strategy differs, depending on the focus of the indigenous leadership and the need of the specific region or country.
