Churches that love the city

Nowadays cities are more important than ever. Their relevance lies not only in the growth in size, but also in the growth of their level of influence. The Bible shows that God designed the cities with a purpose. God's future redeemed Universe and World are described in the form of a city. The cultural command given at creation was to build the city. The city is a benefit when it serves humanity as a refuge from the condition in which it has fallen.

The challenge, then, is to establish churches that are committed to the different realities of each city. The gospel must be incarnated and communicated in such a way that the neighbors of the city can understand it. Tim Keller mentions that a church committed to the city must have respect for urban sensitivity. The city is full of diversity-loving and anxious people with great tolerance for disorder. These people value adrenaline and accessibility more than comfort and control. They appreciate well-thought and well-argued presentations and cities that offer opportunities for communication and feedback.

That is why churches must also be sensitive to cultural differences. No church can be everything to people. There is no culturally neutral way of doing ministry. The urban church must choose practices that reflect the values of some cultural group, and in doing so it will communicate in such a way that different cultural groups will see and hear differently.

Urban churches need to study neighborhoods and at certain groups of people, looking for ways to strengthen the health of their neighbors to make cities safer and more human places to live.

But urban churches also need to form networks of believers within their vocational fields and assist them in solving the theological, ethical and practical issues they face in their work. Urban Christians need a broader vision of how Christianity gets involved and influences culture.

The urban church must not only commit to evangelization, but also to its complexity. There is no single method or message. Urban evangelization forces us to know the hopes, fears, perspectives and objections to the Christianity of different cultures. It demands a creative variety of means and paths, and it requires a lot of value.

Urban people often seek the spiritual world, yearn for human connection and for having a sense of belonging. The challenge is to share the message in such a way to form and engage believers, while evangelizing non-believers at the same time.

Professional artists live mostly in big cities, so the arts in the city are much appreciated. Urban churches must take this into account. At first, they may get into trouble for including the artistic language in their worship services and ministries. Then, they shouldn't only think of artists as people with skills they can use. They can also be seen as worshipers and listeners, telling them how valued they are for the work they do and for their presence in the community.

God has given us cities for His purpose to be fulfilled, and, although sin has damaged them, we should use the resources of the gospel to repair the things that are destroyed in them. Let's answer the urgent call to be in the city and for the city. The vision for the city acknowledges God's intentions for each city and extends its call to the people of God who needs to be the city of God within the city of man.