We
express our urban mission strategy in
response to what God is doing in our
urban environment
In
believing that
God
is the Sovereign Lord over history
(Acts 17:24-26; Amos 9:7; Genesis 45:7-8),
and
that
God
is working to reconcile the world to
Himself through
Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17),
We
take serious note of the following actions
of God on our environment today
A] God is urbanizing the world, and
drawing people to the City to encounter
further aspects of the Kingdom of God
B]
God is internationalizing almost every
city, and in so doing adding new opportunities
and deepening challenges in urban areas
C]
God is causing human needs to be nakedly
visible to the Church, thereby showing
the Church that its mission involves
both talking and doing, prayer and action
- in declaring Christ as Lord in the
city.
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Our
response [Part A]
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We
respond by deepening our understanding
that
Urban
evangelism takes the urban social environment
seriously, as it targets the city dweller.
It should develop approaches that address
the gospel to people's situations and
their search for a better answers to
living questions - in the face of the
abundant life that is in Christ.
Compassionate
ministries penetrate all areas of education
and care services, as living expressions
of our Lord's compassion. Our Lord's
compassion is the power that moves and
energizes believers into action. We
need to belt the Lord's compassion to
our ministry machines, especially as
we face the swelling needs and mounting
questions in our communities.
Ethnic
Minority Churches/ministries are not
to be marginalized in the city, but
rather given every support and regard.
They reflect the pluralism of the city.
They also reflect the internationalization
of our cities. They are important in
helping the wider Church to touch the
emerging frontiers of God's Kingdom
present in our environment. They are
the visible expressions and the foundation
blocks of Church witness and ministry
in our racially changing communities.
They provide the passage for cross cultural
mission experience, and the footing
for worshipping The Lord of All.
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Our
response [Part B]
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We respond by committing to and materially
binding ourselves to the understanding
that
The
Church moves forward in networks to
stay firmly on the ground. One way of
doing this is through Metro
Church Networking
(MCN). Metro Church Networking affirms
congregational inter-dependency in the
city. It is a functional expression
of the unity for which Christ prayed.
It is foundational for our success in
urban mission, particularly as we respond
to the three major things that we recognize
God doing.
