LCM Strategic Plan - Part 1

This past Wednesday all of London City Mission gathered for their monthly divisional day. This particular divi-day was devoted to the unveiling of the new strategic plan for the mission. First the things i really like about the new plan.
The plan lists three key goals: LCM will be "a growing mission, an all-the-people mission, and a church-filling mission." that second goal, to be an all-the-people mission, is the continuation of LCM's 170 year heritage of embracing the social outsider - the poor, the immigrant, those in prison, the sick...the kind of people Jesus hung out with. The exciting thing for me is that these guys aren't just talking about connecting to outsiders, they're actually doing it on a daily basis. Another part of this goal to reach all the people is the desire to reach all ages in the city. The general secretary of the mission mentioned that a number of the large city-center churches are planting daughter churches, but that these daughter churches look very similar to their parents - young, wealthy professionals. I have been challenged to avoid the desire to see churches planted that end up looking a lot like me.
Another thing i love about the new plan is the ongoing commitment to what they call "district evangelism". That is, while the mission itself is seeking to introduce everyone in London to Jesus, individual missionaries are assigned a specific geographic or relational district comprised of a sufficiently small number of people that they can reasonably maintain contact with each person in the district. I like the fact that they're thinking along the lines of communities and asking the question "what are the primary communities that Londoners feel part of?" For some Londoners, their community is the housing estate on which they live. so LCM have a centre on the estate. For other Londoners, their community is their work-place, so LCM have evangelists with the Metropolitan Police and the fire brigade. I also like the fact that they are commited to regular contact between an evangelist and her district. The same person going to the same people, sharing the joys and sorrows of life together...Henri Nouwen would be proud.
I have a few critiques, but I'm going to save them for Part-2, which is coming shortly.