History

A Sign That You Are
Close to the Church

City In The Desert Metro-Church began it's journey in God as a home fellowship initially called "Our Father's House," which began meeting in the home of founding pastors, Michael and Darci Niva, near the end of December, 1990. The Nivas had traveled extensively in local church ministry from 1982 to 1990 and had assisted in planting a successful spirit-filled church in Tempe. They came to the season of the new church's founding with a deep desire for higher levels of worship, prayer, missions and intimate Christian relationships.

From the beginning, the fellowship and its leaders were seeking to find their way back to the vibrant style of Christianity recorded in the first several chapters of Acts; a faith-filled lifestyle which produced powerful, tangible results in terms of church expansion, through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and, at the same time, preserved the most valuable asset given by God to His people, that of enduring relationships.

With this challenging goal in full view, the church set out to find a way to preserve deep and lasting relationships among core leaders, while not shutting out or discouraging the involvement of non-Christians, new Christians and new members. Thus began a 12 year process of prayer, fasting and seeking the Father for a 21st century model which could realize 1st century ideals.

Finally, City In The Desert found its way to a cell-based approach to evangelism and leadership development called "The G-12 Vision," also referred to as "The Principle of 12." Based upon Jesus' own approach to ministry, the Principle of 12 builds groups of multiplying leaders, gathered around four basic principles that define the vision:

WIN - First, the unsaved are won to Christ through open cell groups, net outreaches, social gatherings and Sunday services.
CONSOLIDATE - New believers are then "consolidated" into the vision through a process referred to simply as PEP, which consists of four pre-encounter lessons (P), an Encounter week-end (E), and 7 weeks of post-encounter instruction (P).
DISCIPLE - These newly consolidated members are discipled through the School of Leaders, (30 weeks of instruction divided into three trimesters or "levels.")
SEND - Finally, they are "sent" to open their own cell and begin the process of reaching out to friends, relatives, neighbors, etc.

This process of WIN, CONSOLIDATE, DISCIPLE and SEND encompasses about one year for the average person, if the development track is adhered to.

Transition into the Principle of 12 has brought City In The Desert into a wonderful working relationship with Pastor Rod Aguillard, Reserve Christian Church, Reserve, LA and Pastor Larry Stockstill, Bethany World Prayer Center, Baker and Baton Rouge, LA.

For more information on the Principle of 12, please visit BCCN or the Principle of 12 minisite, which will further explain and expound upon the vision locally, trans-locally and globally:

Through the Principle of 12, City In The Desert and its leaders feel confident that they have discovered the answer to their original quest. In the Principle of 12, enduring, even lifelong relationships are fostered, while outreach to the city is never held hostage to genuine fellowship needs.

We invite you to come and get to know us and hear much more about not only our history, but our future!

Sunday - May 11, 2008