When it comes to church planting, especially within the last ten years or so, there has been an increased focus on the strategic role of planting in urban contexts. Cities, so it is often noted, are places of disproportionate influence and opportunity. Thus, they represent one of the most missiologically significnt contexts of engagement.
At the same time, major urban centers present distinct challenges requiring a variety of unique cultural and leadership skills.
In the workshop below, three pastors (Felipe Assis – Miami, Kevin Haah – Los Angeles, and Aaron Graham – Washington D.C.) seek to engage the topic of church planting in urban contexts from theological as well as practical perspectives.
If you are currently pastoring or planting in an urban context…
- What are some of the unique challenges you’ve experienced?
- What sort of theological vision drew and/or sustains you in your context?
- What kinds of resources (people, books, networks, etc.) have been most helpful in terms of equipping you for planting in an urban context?
Workshop Description:
Cities in North America are not only ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse, they are also spiritually diverse and pluralistic. How can the gospel be contextualized in places of so much diversity? What does it look like to plant urban churches that truly exist for the sake of the city? To lead people to faith in Jesus and mobilize them for the work of justice? To develop worshiping communities that help heal and restore long-time racial and socioeconomic barriers? Hear the stories of three pastors who have planted urban churches in Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, DC. They will share their theological vision for urban mission and stories of how this vision is contextually embodied in the life and ministry of their churches.
The audio download of this workshop is available HERE and is available for free all day today, 8/12/13 (discount automatically applied when you add the workshop to your cart).
If you find resources like this helpful, there are many more available here. You might even want to grab a bundle all at the same time.
Missio Alliance Comment Policy
The Missio Alliance Writing Collectives exist as a ministry of writing to resource theological practitioners for mission. From our Leading Voices to our regular Writing Team and those invited to publish with us as Community Voices, we are creating a space for thoughtful engagement of critical issues and questions facing the North American Church in God’s mission. This sort of thoughtful engagement is something that we seek to engender not only in our publishing, but in conversations that unfold as a result in the comment section of our articles.
Unfortunately, because of the relational distance introduced by online communication, “thoughtful engagement” and “comment sections” seldom go hand in hand. At the same time, censorship of comments by those who disagree with points made by authors, whose anger or limited perspective taints their words, or who simply feel the need to express their own opinion on a topic without any meaningful engagement with the article or comment in question can mask an important window into the true state of Christian discourse. As such, Missio Alliance sets forth the following suggestions for those who wish to engage in conversation around our writing:
1. Seek to understand the author’s intent.
If you disagree with something the an author said, consider framing your response as, “I hear you as saying _________. Am I understanding you correctly? If so, here’s why I disagree. _____________.
2. Seek to make your own voice heard.
We deeply desire and value the voice and perspective of our readers. However you may react to an article we publish or a fellow commenter, we encourage you to set forth that reaction is the most constructive way possible. Use your voice and perspective to move conversation forward rather than shut it down.
3. Share your story.
One of our favorite tenants is that “an enemy is someone whose story we haven’t heard.” Very often disagreements and rants are the result of people talking past rather than to one another. Everyone’s perspective is intimately bound up with their own stories – their contexts and experiences. We encourage you to couch your comments in whatever aspect of your own story might help others understand where you are coming from.
In view of those suggestions for shaping conversation on our site and in an effort to curate a hospitable space of open conversation, Missio Alliance may delete comments and/or ban users who show no regard for constructive engagement, especially those whose comments are easily construed as trolling, threatening, or abusive.