Urban Ministry in the 21st Century

The Urban Ministry in the 21st Century is a series of monographs that addresses key issues facing those involved in urban ministry whether it be in the slums, squatter communities, favelas, or in immigrant neighborhoods. It is our goal to bring fresh ideas, a theological basis, and best practices in urban mission as we reflect on our changing urban world. The contributors to this series bring a wide-range of ideas, experiences, education, international experience, and perspectives on the study of the growing field of urban ministry. These contributions fall into three very general areas: (1) the biblical and theological basis for urban ministry; (2) best practices currently in use and anticipated in the future by urban scholar/activists who are on the front-lines getting their hands dirty (3) personal experiences and observations based on urban ministry as it is currently being practiced; and (4) a forward view toward where we are headed in the decades ahead in the expanding and developing field of urban mission. This series is intended for serious academic educators, graduate students, theologians, pastors, and serious students of urban ministry.

More than anything, these contributions are creative attempts to help Christians think about and strategize on how we can better reach our world that is now more urban than rural. It is our goal that these contributions will both encourage the reader to interact with with the latest urban mission literature, examine current methods and practices, and point a way to a future that will require the best possible theology and practice in urban mission. We do not see theology and practice as separate and distinct. Rather, we see sound practice growing out of a healthy vibrant theology that seeks to understand God’s world as it truly is as we move further into the twenty-first century. Contributors interact with the best scholarly literature available at the time of writing while making application to specific contexts in which they live and work.

Tracks in the Series:

  1. General Urban Ministry
  2. Diaspora Ministry in Strategic Urban Centers
  3. Immigration Issues in Urban Ministry
  4. Biblical & Theological
  5. Global Faiths
  6. Vital Christian Movements and Church Expansion
  7. Getting to Know Christianity In _______
  8. Kingdom in Context
  9. Bakke Graduate University Series
  10. Justice
  11. Youth Ministry
  12. Urban Church Planting
  13. General Urban

Polis Bible Commentary Series

The Polis Bible Commentary Series is a new Bible commentary series designed to be global in scope, urban in focus, and missional in perspective. This commentary is not just another commentary on the Bible. Each book of the Bible will be examined by a team consisting of a trained biblical scholar and an experienced urban specialist. These scholars will work in dialog to produce a reading of Scripture that addresses the concerns of our increasingly urbanized world. The format will include two sections:  the text, with discussion and scholarship from a global missiological context (written by the biblical scholar) and an urban contextual application (written by the urban/missiological scholar).

The authors will be from many countries and different evangelical backgrounds. It is expected that his approach will produce a rich tapestry of fresh theological material designed to serve the 21st century church.

“Polis” is the Greek word for “city.” The editors of this series are convinced that cities, which are now home to the majority of the earth's residents, represent the mission field of the future. The Polis Bible Commentary is anticipated to be 30 volumes, with the first volumes being published in the 1st quarter of 2016. This will be an 8-10 year project, with a target of four volumes being published each year.