Vision – The vision of Surge is to fill the greater Phoenix area with transformational leaders who empower and equip God’s people to live God’s way.
Mission – The mission of Surge is to equip leadership-gifted individuals in transformational principles and practices for cultural engagement through an action-reflection model of learning.
Values – The Surge School has 4 overarching, foundational and unchanging values.
Gospel Centrality
Kingdom of God
Mission of God
The Local Church
The Surge School is built upon the belief that the person and work of Jesus Christ is the good news that the kingdom of God has broken into history to reverse the effects of the fall. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth that saves and transforms individuals and incorporates them into God’s primary agent of change, the church, which is expressed in every culture through local fellowships of believers
Structure of the Surge School – The structure of the Surge School is built around an action-reflection model of learning that takes place through individual study, transformation tables, and training intensives. It is a unique learning experience for many reasons:
1. Local Church Based. Surge is unique because it is a truly church-based model of leadership development. All Surge tables are based out of local churches and require the leadership of the church to lead the students. Surge is not a para-church ministry, rather it is a collaboration between local churches to do theological and leadership development.
2. Holistic Education. Surge is not simply the acquisition of information. It is not less than that, but more. Surge contains three specific learning environments in which each student must participate:
-Individual Study: Every student is responsible to read all the material in the books and reader. Also, each table leader is required to make sure each student commits to a bible reading plan
-Surge Table: This is the primary learning environment for Surge. It is a weekly meeting where students discuss the reading and bring out the implications for life and leadership. Students are challenged by their table leader and others at their table to live out the implications of the gospel.
-Intensives: There will be 4 intensives throughout the year. These are an important classroom learning environment for Surge. The intensives feature first-rate scholars and front-line church leaders from around the country. Each Intensive will be at the beginning of a quarter and are designed to set up the readings.
3. Strategic Curriculum. The Curriculum for Surge is based on a four-quarter system, in which the content of each quarter builds on the previous.
Q1: Gospel Story
Q2: Gospel Change
Q3: Gospel Mission
Q4: Gospel Leadership
Having established a foundation in the Grand Story of the Bible in Q1, we seek to apply the gospel to our own hearts in Q2. We then ask how the gospel is applied in other contexts to other people in Q3 before finally talking about how to lead in light of the gospel in Q4.
4. Multiplication. Surge has multiplication built into its core. The goal is that once students have been through Surge, they would be equipped to lead others in their church, either formally leading a Surge table, or informally discipling others with some of the curriculum and methods.
