Practical Implications for Urban Ministry
Seeing the city as
a strategic center for kingdom outreach begins with a godly perspective of the
city. The Old Testament book of Ezekiel ends with the words, “And the name of
the city from that time on shall be, ‘The Lord is there’” (48:35). While the
prophet is describing the restoration of God’s people to Jerusalem following their captivity in Babylon , followers of
Christ today can be encouraged by the reminder that—regardless of the city—God
is there.
If
the church accepts the reality that God is already at work in the city, then
the church can more easily see the potential for making a difference. Most
international urban centers are fraught with systemic problems that cannot be
resolved with just another church program. Instead of echoing the despair voiced
by so many skeptics, the church can be a beacon of hope by working with
community leaders toward improving how the city functions on behalf of its
residents. Linthicum describes Christians as being advocates in and for the
city:
The church is to
be the people of action—those who call the city’s structures and systems to
accountability, who defend those oppressed and exploited by those systems, and
who minister to those who are deceived but who benefit from that city’s
principalities. We Christians cannot bring into being such a city, but we can
work, pray, proclaim, and be on the side of the angels! To do so means that we
must commit ourselves to work toward the transformation of our city’s inner
spirituality. That transformation happens only through the Gospel. This is the
vocation or mission of the church
of Jesus Christ
While spiritual issues may lie at
the core of urban needs, effective ministry seeks to address the physical
consequences of evil as well as the spiritual needs. Of course, the church actively pursues this approach
to ministry, not for the purpose of increasing their membership rolls, but
simply because Christ’s transforming love demands it of those who have already
been changed by the gospel. By doing so, the church serves as a prophet
(speaking and acting on behalf of justice and mercy) and as a priest
(representing God to the people and interceding on their behalf).
Intercessory
prayer is one of the normal spiritual practices of any church. The urban church
values this form of prayer as a primary force for good. The typical public
prayers in worship might (among other things) request God’s protection and blessings
upon the church family and express a desire for the city to be reached with the
message of Christ. But such prayers tend to be self-serving and limit the scope
of what God wishes to accomplish through His body as well as in the city
(Linthicum 1991, 49). Is there a better, more biblical model to follow in
praying for the city?
Jeremiah’s letter
to the exiled Judean leaders in Babylon
called for a more extensive approach to prayer: “…pray to the Lord on its [the
city’s] behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (29:7).
Linthicum applauds this model prayer and adds these specific instructions:
“…the prayers of God’s people are to cover all aspects of a city. This includes
praying for the city’s economic health, for safety from conflict, for an end to
violent crime, for a reformation of the political process, for the well-being
and happiness of all who live in that city, and for justice for all, but
especially justice for the poor” (1991, 163). Such prayers are pro-active
rather than defensive-oriented (protecting God’s people against an evil city)
and encompass a wide range of urban needs which impact all its citizens. This
approach toward prayer recognizes the spiritual conflict facing the urban
church and engages the enemy in every battle. It also recognizes that God is
not just concerned about the spiritual needs of the people but every felt need.
So must His people.
Aggressively
ministering to the city may require some of Christ’s followers to reverse the
church’s historic flight to the suburbs. There are signs that with inner city
revitalization taking place in many North American cities, younger generations
are choosing to live in city centers to benefit from closer proximity to their
work as well as to cultural events. The church should pursue this strategy by
encouraging a portion of their members to prayerfully consider this option. But
their purpose for living in the city must be very intentional and redemptive.
As Tim Keller points out, “If Christians go to urban centers simply to acquire
power, they will never achieve cultural influence and change that is deep,
lasting, and embraced by the broader society. We must live in the city to serve
all the peoples in it, not just our own tribe. We must lose our power to find
our (true) power. Christianity will not be attractive enough to win influence
except through sacrificial service to all people, regardless of their beliefs”
(2006, 39). Choosing this path is risky. Modeling a Christ-like spirit in the
city is countercultural.
Living in the city
with a missionary-mindset can be beneficial for both the church and the
community. Bakke affirms, “There is a relationship always between the presence
of the godly and the preservation of urban communities” (1997, 39). When
churches fled the city, they not only abandoned the mission but also allowed
other non-Christian religions to become more easily established, often in
buildings where Christ was once proclaimed (Conn and Ortiz 2001, 320)! Returning to the
city opens the door for meaningful ministry once again and communicates to the
residents that the church has not given up on them. Ministering through
occasional forays into enemy territory does not make a lasting impact. But putting
down roots in the community with a long-term commitment and building
relationships through serving needs as Jesus did will make a difference.
In the days of
Nehemiah after the city walls of Jerusalem
were rebuilt, an effort was made to intentionally recruit one of every ten
godly people to live in the city (11:1-2). Their presence would be a good
influence on other residents. Ten percent could provide the necessary “tipping
point” to insure that Jerusalem
would maintain the historic values of the faith recently instilled in them once
again (Bakke 1997:45). Tim Keller shares a similar viewpoint about impacting greater
New York City
by increasing the percentage of Christ followers in the metro area (2006, 38). Continuing
to ignore the city by being prejudiced against it because it is too corrupt or
too difficult will simply marginalize the church’s influence and forfeit opportunities
for global impact (Charles 2009, 20).
Not everyone wants
to relocate to the inner city. “…Living in a concrete jungle or squalid slum is
far less attractive, and undesirable as a place of ministry” when compared to
many of the more exotic locations where this generation of God’s people are
focused in ministry (Johnstone 1998, 243). But Greenway reminds us, “The
question is not whether we prefer to live in cities. The question is whether we
will go where workers are needed and where God wants us to go…. Cities offer
unique opportunities to reach great numbers of people with the gospel of Jesus
Christ and extend his kingdom on earth” (1999, 119). The masses of people and
the diversity of languages and cultures make the city one of the most strategic
mission fields in the 21st century.
The need to
establish the gospel and a reproducing church among unreached people groups
today is no less important. But urban areas of the world may provide open doors
to some of these hidden peoples when groups of them relocate to a city for
greater economic opportunities. Since people in transition are more open to the
gospel, could it be that the massive migration of people to urban centers
around the world is a part of God’s providential strategy to expose all the nations
to the gospel (Greenway 1999, 117)? Many of them migrate to western cities from
countries where doing traditional mission work is either illegal or very
restrictive. In addition, major population centers referred to as “gateway
cities” have been identified in Africa and Asia “…as portals
to unreached and least-evangelized peoples of the world” (Gailey and Culbertson
2007, 166). As a result of the world coming to the city, the mobilized church
can close the gap on reaching the unreached.
There is a difference
between the churches’ potential for kingdom impact in cities in North America and those in other areas of the world.
While churches do exist in most, if not all, of the cities of the 10/40 Window,
few of them “…have sufficient numbers of believers and churches to effectively
evangelize their city” (Grigg 1995, 22). The global church must make a more
concerted effort to plant reproducing churches in these strategic cities of the
world, knowing that the faith historically expands out beyond the cities.
In regard to urban
areas in North America , Tony Campolo takes the
position that many inner city churches are already serving their communities
well but are still not doing enough. “…Too often they do not see the larger
role that they are being called to assume. Seldom do they realize that the
Church is called to be the lead institution that can govern the direction and
the character of social change in urban America . Rarely are they aware that
the hour has come for them to step out of their societal background and claim
control over the destiny of America ’s
cities. Often these churches already have the human and material resources to
get the job done. They must be made to realize that to whom much is given, much
is expected” (2000, 60-61).
For many Americans,
a mission harvest awaits only a block or two away. Geographically close but
culturally distant, their Jerusalem may look more and more every day like
Samaria or the ends of the earth, but God is still there. And He is already at
work to effect life change and community transformation through people who will
love the city as He does.
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