More on Urban Evangelism

Years ago I read the following in Real Hope in Chicago, Wayne Gordon's great book on urban church work...and it has stayed with me. It supports from a different angle the previous blog entry's call for fresh, contextualized ways to talk about the Gospel.

Before long I realized that "get saved" evangelism was designed for suburban folk. It had little meaning in an urban context. The needs of people in the city are not the same as those of people in the suburbs, where material and social needs are met and where people can be more easily motivated by feelings of guilt. People in teh city are not encumbered with feelings of guilt. Their deepest feelings are of hopelessness.

If the Christ of the suburbs is the Christ of forgiveness, the Christ of the city is the Christ of hope. Ultimately, of course, Jesus offers both, but recognizing difference in perceived needs plays an importnat role in forming strategies for evangelism. (p. 170)

A new evangelism question?

One of the most exciting things about new churches is the potential they have to reach people who don't know Jesus personally yet.

Below is one suggestion for a fresh approach in evangelism. If God's given you other ways that spark authentic and relevent conversations about the Gospel, share them with us in the "Comments."

from "An Efficient Gospel" blog entry at http://christianvisionproject.com/2008/02/an_efficient_gospel.html

People are not asking the traditional gospel question much anymore. Asking, "If I died tomorrow, where would I end up?" does not generate much life. But asking people, "If you had just a few years left, what kind of life would you want to live?" generates enormous energy. It is a question of hope, something our balkanized world sorely needs. And perhaps not surprisingly, Jesus has a response to those who are asking such a question and on just such a quest. To them he says, "Wake up." "The kingdom of God is at hand." "Come, follow me."

Going Public!

I've been a secret blogger for a while.

I've used it less for opining and more as sort of a collecting place for items I didn't want to loose track of.

For what it's worth, you are welcome to check out this fairly eclectic compilation at http://www.dbamissionsandurban.blogspot.com/. (Missions and Urban was the name of the DBA division I previously worked with.)

Beginning this week, look here--http://www.dbachurchplanting.blogspot.com/--for any thing new that catches my interest. Much about church planting, but likely lots of other things, as well.

And please comment if you'd like. We'll see if God might use this to promote some thought provoking online conversations.