Articles
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Taking the Narrow Gate: How Lament Shapes Multicultural Ministry and Discipleship
A narrow gate is more difficult to pass through than a wide gate. So why take the narrow gate? Christ once charged his disciples with these words: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Traits Of Effective Urban Disciplers: A Pauline Perspective
Urban discipleship is less program driven than people driven. What are the characteristics of effective urban disciplers, according to the Apostle Pau?
Restoring Shalom in the Citadels of Dead Capital: The Church and Vacant Land
In Jeremiah 32, the prophet Jeremiah enters into a land deal with his cousin Hanamel in one of the worst real estate markets imaginable. Does his prophetic economic activity open up new horizons of possibilities for Christian disciples today in the face of urban blight and seemingly dead economic potential in many urban neighborhoods?
The Outsiders and Their Role in Urban Mission
The prevailing model of urban mission has been one of dependence on Outsiders who seemingly bring needed resources–money, education, connections to outside communities. Has this model brought about more harm than good? Is there a better way forward for ministry in the inner city? And what is the proper role for Outsiders in a such a vision?
Pilgrims and Place: Reflections on Geography and Theology
Contemporary evangelical theology and missionary practice of the urban church are sorely in need of a solid theology of place. The author looks to the biblical narrative for guidance, and finds a pilgrim church called out and sent back to the world on God’s mission as redemptive agents to specific places and concrete contexts.
Identity Satisfaction in a World of Cultural Dissonance
This article will address (1) how mentors may biblically affirm a disciple’s physical cultural differences within a dominant culture’s message that there is something inherently flawed in his or her design, (2) how theology addresses a body/spirit symbiosis relevant to identity dissonance, and (3) how mentors may move a disciple from identity dissonance to identity satisfaction through a holistic application of Scripture.
Urban Pessimism and the Gospel of Hope
Why should contexts of urban poverty so often be perceived as alien territory for the people of God, and hard places for the gospel? Through his experience in Kibera, a slum community in Nairobi, and through his reflection on the eschatological vision of Isaiah, the author discerns the Spirit of God at work in the burgeoning urban areas of poverty where many outsiders see little hope, and outlines a theological vision for the church’s missionary agenda there.
From Martha to Mary: A Church Planter’s Spiritual Journey
Church leaders can become consumed by activities, numbers, and plans. Indeed, such leaders are regularly held up in the professional ministry world as models for the rest to emulate. A church planter in South Philadelphia took a different direction–often against his own wishes–and he shares his journey from activity to inactivity, from busyness to stillness, and from being a Martha to becoming a Mary.
Transcending Borders: Cities as Nodes for Transnational Evangelism
Migration and mission are often woven together as key themes throughout Scripture. As migration continues in an increasingly global society, contemporary cities are emerging as nodes of transnational social networks, and urban missionaries face new opportunities to contextualize evangelism and church planting. This article highlights these emerging opportunities, offers concrete examples of ministries that are aligning themselves with these new realities, and identifies some key principles and practices for transnational evangelism in global cities.
Donald A. McGavran’s Advice to Urban Church Planters
What would the late Donald A. McGavran, founder of the Church Growth School of Missions, say to today’s crop of church planters burgeoning around the world? The author imagines six kernels of advice McGavran would pass along.
Church After Christendom: A Gospel-Centered Proposal for Post-Christian Mission
How does the Western Church proclaim the gospel to a post-Christian world that does not care about its message? The Church must speak with confidence the authority of Christian scripture, despite the temptation for scriptural relativism. As an alternative to the idolatrous individualism perpetuated in the West, the Church must provide a visible testimony of authentic community. And the Church must adopt a missional identity in which every church member is recognized as an agent of gospel mission. The world is changing, but the Church can make a difference with a renewed, gospel-centered heart.
Missional Reunion
“Theological hospitality”–the practice of welcoming other Christians whose understanding of scripture and theology may seem strange or challenging–is a way for the church to pursue unity among theological diversity. Instead of an “us versus them” mentality, the church should expand its “gene pool” of theology, culture, and ethnicity. While it is not a strategy of theological minimalism or compromise, practicing theological hospitality reflects God’s heart to care for one another and avoids a combative style of orthodoxy.
Discipleship in Community
Modern Western evangelicalism is experiencing a crisis of discipleship and gospel witness because of its perception of spiritual maturity in almost exclusively individualistic terms. The Scriptures, however, conceive of spirituality and growth in corporate terms. The leader’s role, then, is not to disciple a select few, but to create a culture of mutual discipleship, resulting in communities of genuine grace and repentance. Western churches need to recapture this community approach to discipleship to combat the crisis.
Bringing Shalom to the Community Table: Community Development as an Act of Ministry
Church-based community organizations often struggle with navigating partnerships in their communities, as they sit at the pluralistic community “table” in order to serve the poor and faithfully proclaim the gospel without compromising their Christian witness. What community issues can Christian organizations agree to work on with others in the community in order to bring honor to God’s kingdom? How exactly will they bear witness to the gospel so as not to be seen merely as one group among many committed to social transformation? This study offers some theological guidelines.
