At Two Four Eight, we use the term “City Catalyst” to refer to the person who works with God and with city leaders to multiply disciples and faith communities across the city.
In a chemical reaction, a catalyst changes how elements react to one another. A City Catalyst is someone who builds movements in a way that could not happen without this effort, but does not depend on the Catalyst to continue. The Catalysts does this by…
- Building from a platform of experience and example to inspire faith in others for movements in their own contexts.
- Raising up new leaders with untapped potential to launch and lead movements in multiple affinities and/or multiple cities.
- Finding, equipping and connecting existing leaders and helping them catch and implement a vision for multiplying movements of disciples and faith communities.
City Catalysts are visionaries, but also have the capacity to make the vision a reality. They have a strong gift of faith with the ability to act as though things were in existence when they are not yet. But they are not dreamers. They may have a prophetic edge, but they are firmly rooted in reality and lead by example. They are self-starters and highly entrepreneurial. City Catalysts often lead by doing things themselves first.
Mature Catalysts lead through brokenness and humility. They are a deep well of experience, but they do not flaunt their knowledge. Rather, they build away from themselves, seeking to honour others above themselves. They understand that movements are built on the ground through ordinary people.
City Catalysts must be able to train, coach and mentor others. Their skill set includes building collaborative networks. They can inspire people to work together.
Lastly, City Catalysts must be able to raise funding for the work. Their leadership and ability to communicate vision makes them an indispensable part of the fundraising for movements in a city.
Does this sound like a tall order? True, these leaders are a rare breed. But they do exist. God is raising them up in every city. Their skills may be raw and unrefined. They may not yet be well-rounded or mature. But they exist. Perhaps God is calling you to serve as a Catalyst in your city?
You can learn more about how to become a City Catalyst in our free online training.
