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#044
KINGDOM ASSETS FOR OUR CITIES
by John Quam
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KINGDOM ASSETS FOR OUR CITIES
John Quam
Mission America Cities & Communities
Prayer Transformation Ministries
Building a City for God
What makes a city great? What contributes to the "quality of life"
that really fulfills both human and divine expectations? On the secular level,
people reference the presence of the arts, good education, safety and economic
stability among other factors. But what would not only please men but bring
honor to God? This question has caused us to reflect on what "Kingdom
Assets," when present in a city would help represent the fulfillment of
Jesus' prayers when he said, "They Kingdom come, they will be done, on
earth as it is in heaven."
Most of us live in and relate to cities as a basic geographic unit that provides
corporate resources for work, education, recreation, worship, etc. Even those
who do not live in cities, relate to a key city for important services. Larger
cities represent a number of smaller communities but also have an identification
with the total metropolitan complex from which common media, economic, political
and communications vehicles inform and service their common needs.
Just as we find corporate good in cities, we find also corporate evil. Abuse of
power, concentrations of poverty, educational inequities, violence and many
other negative factors can make cities unattractive places to live. People seek
opportunities to flee the city and thus create a negative trend that makes
matters grow worse. The good things in the city become outweighed by the bad.
Many of us, if not most, have experienced this first hand or have watched it
happen to the cities where our family or friends live.
Restoring the balance is what this study is all about. How can sufficient assets
be built into a city that might counteract the negative trends and bring
restoration and hope, leading to city transformation and most of all people who
love and want to serve God? We are convinced that a careful, thoughtful approach
will result in appropriate and effective initiatives that will bring glory to
God and blessing to many cities across our nation.
Creating Assets for our Cities
Definition: Summarizing the dictionary, an asset is something that
has exchange value, that is desirable that represents a resource and is usable
to pay debts. On a personal financial level, when our assets are less than our
liabilities, we are in debt and our options are extremely limited and ultimately
if our situation does not change we become dependent on others. In other words,
we lose our financial freedom.
The Search Institute, a secular consulting organization, applied this concept to
healthy individuals, especially young people. They determined that there are 40
assets that contribute to a young person's well being. Through careful research
they discovered a direct correlation between the lack of some of these assets
and the propensity for negative and destructive behavior. They encourage
different forces in our culture to work for building these positive assets into
their young people in order to create a stronger resistance to negative behavior
as well as resources for positive behavior.
We have taken this concept of positive assets and applied it to cities. In
addition, we have applied a clearly Christian framework for this study. We
believe that the ultimate power for city transformation comes from God and the
ultimate assessment of how transformed a city is reflects how he is glorified in
that city. We believe that foundational assets of Christian influence have the
fundamental roles of both building longevity into a positive community and also
direction for worship and honor to the one who truly makes it all possible.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."
These words from the New Testament reflect back to us the truth about assets and
liabilities. We were clearly created for freedom but our sins (liabilities)
enslaved us in destructive behaviors that hurt us and others. The overwhelming
significance of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is that when applied
to our liabilities (sins,) our debt is canceled. It is more than enough.
However, just as we have been set free through the sacrifice of Christ, so we
are to live in freedom by applying the ongoing assets of his life. This ongoing
living dependence on his assets brings personal liberty and freedom. It isn't
just about having choices but being able to make good choices that bring quality
of life.
Corporately we face the same problem. Bad decisions in community create
liabilities and good decisions create assets. God's salvation work was not only
for personal sin but corporate sin. God clearly meant us to live in community
and summed up the law as loving him and then loving others. In fact, the church
is supposed to represent God's idea of a redemptive community. It is not
supposed to be walled off from and isolated from society in general but rather a
transforming force, a "light set on a hill".
When the church fully engages the community, the Bible says that "the gates
of hell will not prevail against it." The problem of the church is that it
has had too narrow a role in society. It has not engaged all aspects of life and
it has shied away from citywide thinking. Our independent congregational
thinking has prevented us from making a corporate impact. Today God is asking
the church to re-connect, to begin to think how together we can be a positive
influence for his kingdom. By defining and presenting these Kingdom Assets for
our cities, we hope to offer a positive approach for Christians to actively
engage their cities and bring about healthy change that honors God, expands his
kingdom and gives hope to all. Believers and nonbeliever alike would both say,
"this is a great city to live in; there's such a sense of freedom
here."
Cities are Complicated
As Christian leaders we often analyze things from the framework of our training,
usually limited to institutions led by full time Christian administrators and
instructors. We often lack significant exposure to the systems and services that
make up the cities where we will seek to have an impact for the kingdom of God.
In addition, we usually experience no training in maximizing our resources as a
citywide church or developing a mentality for our whole city. In essence we are
trained with a small group mentality, with expectations limited to the health
and well being of our small group, our congregation.
In contrast, our cities struggle with adequate ways to collect garbage,
distribute water, plan parks, provide safety, pave roads, educate children, care
for the elderly, provide medical services and many other issues that grow more
complex as the city grows. Immigration brings new cultures and languages,
natural disasters stretch resources, major employers decide to shut down plants,
demonstrators disrupt the peace and there seems to be a constant assault against
what would seem to be good sense and good morals.
How can the church really make a difference? Was Jesus really right when he said
the gate of hell would not prevail against it, or was his application only
individual and not collective? For our part, we cannot accept that God was not
just as interested in demonstrating redeemed society as he was in demonstrating
redeemed individuals. Our fatal mistake is to think that we can be the answer to
Jesus prayer concerning God's kingdom being present here on earth just as it is
in heaven without living out the answer to his other prayer in John 17, that we
should be one, just as he and the Father are one. Without unity we cannot
impact our cities for Christ, but together there is much we can do.
The Church has many gifts.
The church is much more than the events that take place in a certain location.
Our view of the church, and I am speaking especially of pastors and Christian
leaders, is often limited to our program worked out at the local congregation.
The church, however, is the talents and gifts of all those who have placed their
trust in Christ, and some of these are quite substantial. They are found in
people managing companies, serving medical roles, running for and winning public
office, directing the finances of a bank, and on and on. Educators, lawyers, and
union leaders are the stuff of the church and it is God's intention to transform
society by their Holy Spirit directed service for his kingdom. When Christian
people of various walks of life begin to come together on behalf of their
city, major changes can take place and the blessings will be felt by all.
This calls for a new mentality for pastors and Christians leaders. It is not the
task of the fulltime Christian worker to do the work of the ministry, but to
equip the saints for the work of the ministry. And just as important is
releasing them to do what God is equipping them to do. More importantly for
citywide impact, pastors and Christian leaders have to release people to a
citywide church. Their gifts are not just to make a congregation bigger or
better, but to serve the whole Body of Christ for the larger victories of his
kingdom.
Citywide impact takes citywide thinking.
Many are calling for a new type of thinking for today's church leaders. We need
to begin to ask questions that we have not asked before. What are the systems
and institutions of our city and society that surround us? What are our
collective Christian resources, not just inside the church but out there in the
secular context? What can we do better together than we can separately? How can
we think and act like a citywide church? How can our differences and
distinctives help us rather than hinder us and divide us? It is only when we
begin to address the collectivity of our city and the collectivity of the church
that we can really make the difference God desires.
City planners are a good source of information for the church. How many pastors
have considered gathering and meeting with city planners, not just to find out
where they might plant churches, but to learn about the complexities of city
management. What are the best ways to exhibit Christian values in zoning and
planning? How does public safety and the work of the gospel intersect? What will
be the medical needs of our community in the next 5-10 years? What are the
trends? We raise these questions to help force us to think in a broader pattern
that embraces our city and sees the various assets that when added together make
a positive impact on our collective and individual lives.
In addition it is important to see the various churches in our community in the
same light. Most pastors assess the various gifts and talents of their
congregation and determine that these various gifting represent the various
needs of the Body of Christ and thus are positive and helpful. However, few
pastors apply the same type of thinking to the many congregations that make up
the Christian community (the Body of Christ, of their city.) Could it be the
different styles of worship, prayer, preaching, organization, etc. are all part
of God's unique gifting to each the whole city? If we think so in theory, how
can we begin to apply that theory to our ministries?
Relationships from the foundation of a citywide church
While pastors and fulltime Christian leaders are not the source of all ministry
of the church in a city, it is up to them to point the way to partnership and
cooperation. This calls for relationship building that goes far beyond the
occasional gathering of a ministerial association. Understanding the issues that
are close to each leader's heart, the family struggles, the insecurities and
personal challenges, help to build a bridge of identification between pastors.
Prayer is often the starting point for this relationship building. Many cities
are experiencing the practice of pastors praying together on a regular basis.
Some have weekly prayer and some have monthly prayer. Some do both with small
weekly gatherings and large monthly gatherings. In addition, many cities have
hosted 3 or 4 day prayer retreats for pastors and Christian leaders. Without
exception these pastors attribute these prayer activities for giving them a
greater sense of the citywide church. In addition, many personal victories are
won, keeping pastors in the ministry, saving marriages, defeating addictive
sins, etc. Of all the signs of change in the American church today, this is
by far the most visible and the most significant.
Pastors need more than a context for prayer, however, if they are truly going to
cooperate together for God's kingdom in their city. Assessing the city,
determining needs, weighing assets and determining appropriate actions cannot be
done in a vacuum. Creating a context for such discussion is far more difficult.
No one has received any seminary training on how to do this. None of the values
they were taught included success factors for this kind of interaction. Their
time is at a premium, their churches don't understand, (they didn't hire him or
her to serve the city,) and immediate church growth results are hard to
determine. While long term impact and transformation of a city benefits
everyone, it is hard to get those long-term results without some short term
sacrifices.
Christian kingdom structures are now emerging
In a few cities we are already seeing the emergence of new structures that have
as their purpose to serve local pastor and Christian leaders in mobilizing
prayer, covering leaders for citywide thinking, encouraging needed initiatives
and assessing needs and progress. They have different names and different slants
but seem to be addressing similar issues in the cities they serve. Financing
these structure and those who serve them is pushing out the envelope for local
Christians and congregations. They want and need these services but they are not
sure if they want them enough to pay for them. There is still a feeling that
somehow this should be done in a volunteer fashion, however, it has become more
and more obvious, in larger cities at least, that it cannot. Again, this
is forcing us to think outside our congregational and denominational
lines. While not abandoning our roots and those historical distinctives that
have helped form us, we must also look courageously to the future. New alliances
will be needed to serve the emerging citywide church.
Determining Kingdom Assets and Liabilities in a city
We now come in our thinking to the process that allows us to corporately employ
needed resources in a true city building fashion. Many at this juncture would
point us to the problems of our city in order to find the remedies. Our approach
is different. We would like to begin on the positive side. What are the assets
in a city that make it a positive place to live and worship? What positive
forces help to drive forward the Kingdom of God? After seeing these in a clear
light, we can look at the forces that inhibit this Kingdom growth, our
liabilities, in the light of the lack of these Kingdom Assets. That task then is
to build up the assets rather than attack the liabilities.
This approach is the approach of Jesus. In the scriptures he constantly
challenged the religious approach of the day. The Pharisees had many laws and
regulations but they were not able to produce righteousness. Jesus always went
for the motives of the heart. Why did Jesus challenge the Pharisees'
interpretation on divorce, why does the scripture tell us to honor our parents,
why do we give money or pray or pay taxes? Jesus taught us that love summarizes
the law and provides the only adequate way to relate to God and to others.
So how do we build up love in our hearts and in the Christian community?
Ultimately, how is love reflected in our society at large? As we began to look
at this question in depth, the answer began to take a very practical turn. In
our cities, we see love expressed in our institutions and initiatives, our
communication, our education, our distribution of wealth, our creativity, and
our leadership structures. Love has a very practical face. As we consider how to
express love in this way we begin to see how our Christian intentions intersect
with the many influences in our city and culture. Building up our cities is a
true act of love.
Block by Block
The Book of Nehemiah is a powerful example of building up a city. Jerusalem lay
in ruins and people's lives were in disarray. Building up the wall of the city
was connected to reordering and establishing Godly rule over Jerusalem. The
process involved the cooperation of all the people. Priests, authorities,
commercial leaders, families and clans all worked behind their home and on the
gates. They developed a mutual communications and defense system. They demanded
fair practice and rooted out abuse. Block by block they built up the city. They
established the reading of the law and the presence of worship. They worked hard
but they also celebrated. Together they made a difference.
In the same way our cities can be built up block by block. In our conversations
with pastors and Christian city leaders around the US we discovered God at work
in many ways building up cities. We have identified 55 building blocks that
together would contribute to building a "City for God." We would like
to share them with you. Our process is quite simple and is captured in the
following four steps:
1. Identify the Kingdom Assets for building a "City for God."
2. Define each Kingdom Asset and provide a tool for measuring the presence of
that asset in the city.
3. Identify ways to resource each Kingdom Asset.
4. Initiate thinking and action to meet the need.
On the next page we have provided a list of the 55 Kingdom Assets. They are
grouped in 6 categories. In the following chapters we will look at each of these
categories and assets and seek to provide enough information for the reader to
enter into a process of evaluation and have some connection with available
resources. Ultimately, however, these resources cannot be seen in a vacuum. God
is constantly resourcing his people for the building up of his Kingdom. In the
end, we must always look around to see how God is at work and seek to join him
there.
Prayer Assets - A City Talks to God
1. Churches become "Houses of Prayer"
2. Community and City Prayer Gatherings
3. Pastors Prayer Groups and Prayer Retreats
4. Intercessors Pray for their City
5. Business Leaders Meet for Prayer
6. Families Pray Together
7. Youth Prayer Groups
8. Children Learn to Pray
9. City Leaders and Officials are Prayed For
10. Corporate Prayer in Song and Movement
Christian Leadership Assets
1. Presence of Pastors with Citywide Vision
2. Presence of a Theology for the City
3. Presence of Pastors with Long Positive History
4. Structure for Pastors & Leaders to Pray, and Plan
5. Presence of an Administrative Structure
6. Presence of a Research and Assessment Vehicle
7. Pastors of Larger Churches Pray and Partner
8. Business Leaders Lend Expertise to Projects
Christian Communications Assets
1. Presence of Christian Radio
2. Presence of Christian Television
3. Presence of Christian Newspaper
4. Leadership Newsletter
5. Email Networks
6. City Web sites
7. Strategy to use Secular Media
8. Denominational and Parachurch Publications
Christian Partnership and Cooperation Assets
1. Partnership Training Initiatives
2. Effective, Cooperative Evangelistic Efforts
3. Effective Urban - Suburban Partnerships
4. Presence of an Ethnic Ministry Network
5. Cooperative Urban Recovery Efforts
6. Denominational Cooperation
7. Cooperative Mission Outreaches
8. Broad Based Bible Study Training
9. Broad Based Evangelism Training
10. Cooperative Church Planting Efforts
11. Children's Ministry Network
12. Youth Ministry Network
13. Women's Ministry Network
14. Men's Ministry Network
15. Effective Marriage and Family Ministries
16. Effective Reconciliation Efforts
17. Partnerships for the Disabled.
Christian Institutional assets
1. Christian Seminaries
2. Christian Bible Schools and Colleges
3. Christian Schools for Children and Youth
4. Headquarters for Denominations
5. Headquarters for Christian Ministries
6. Presence of Christian Foundations
City and Community Assets
1. Friendly Economic Environment
2. Fair Judicial and Law Enforcement Systems
3. Positive Political Environment
4. Friendly and Fair Educational Structure
5. Secular Foundations open to Religious Efforts
6. Fair Housing Policies
7. Church Sensitive Zoning Policies
8. Friendly Secular Media
9. Fair and Wide Spread Medical Services
Prayer Module
The Pittsburgh Prayer Offensive
In Dr. pastor of the
Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh launched a
unique vision for his city. He declared that he wanted to make Pittsburgh,
"more famous for God than for steel." Many churches and individuals
entered into a commitment to pray for their city, something that is still going
on today. In the scriptures we are encouraged to pray for our leaders and civil
authorities. The people of Israel who were carried into captivity were also
instructed to seek the peace of the cities where they were to reside.
A number of cities have made this a central activity for their churches and
committed believers. In the city of Fresno, our friend Gordon Donoho has helped
give leadership to the "No Name Fellowship." These pastors and
Christian leaders have been meeting for several years in various city locations,
praying for the police, educational leaders, city officials, medical centers,
etc. They didn't want to take on a name that called attention to themselves so
they became known as the "No Name Fellowship." Many positive results
have come from these strategic prayer meetings, and a higher trust level has
been established between the church and the city leaders.
Of course, prayer can take on many shapes and forms in our cities. Individuals,
families, congregations, special gatherings, and many other contexts can fuel a
citywide prayer movement. Prayer can be expressed through radio, TV, the
Internet, publications and even billboards. Groups can gather at work, in
schools, and in public venues a well as in church buildings. Prayers can cover
officials, current events, inner city problems, economic issues, and many other
items of public life along with the ongoing working of the church in that
community. We have discovered 10 key ways prayer assets can be built into a
city. While this list is not meant to be exhaustive, we do believe that these 10
prayer assets will significantly impact a city and enhance the chances of that
city becoming a "City for God."
We will give one page to each of these assets. After a brief description we will
look at ways to assess the presence of that asset in your city and then present
some basic information on resources that can increase the vitality o this asset
in your city.
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