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God's Mission in the Cities of the Bible
(Feb. 17, 2021)
Charles E. Van Engen
Explore the complex kaleidoscope of characteristics that make up the cities of the Bible. What might we learn from these cities for urban mission? To develop a contextually appropriate and biblically grounded mission theology in the city, missional workers need to take history, context, and biblical text seriously. It is not enough to know God’s heart for the city. We must also understand both the gospel and the city. We hope the readers of this work will increase in their love for the cities of our world and gain new insights and deeper understanding of God’s unique contextualized mission in the city. This book will inspire and encourage the reader to look deeper into the cities mentioned in the Bible and learn from them, for a wider and more robust understanding of God’s mission in the ever-expanding cities of our world today.
CITY. STORY. US.: A Journey of Resistance, Hope, and Surrender
(Dec. 22, 2020)
Susan Spousta
The population, diversity, and complexity of the world's cities are growing. CITY. STORY. US. is based on the premise that urban influence and the need for urban ministry has never been greater. Reaching our cities begins with the stories they offer, collective and individual stories. This book challenges preconceived ideas, paralyzing fears, and residues of indifference to urban need . . . and urban blessing. Through the author's story and the story of urban practitioners, the city reveals itself as a place of personal and community transformation—journeys that reveal there is no longer "them" and "us," there is only "US."As you share the journey, you'll find that both the practice and neglect of Kingdom principles are addressed with insight, compassion, and Scriptural authority. The author humbly communicates her own resistance to the city as good and the gospel as whole—a message that transforms people and places. With hope she addresses the sin entrenched in the systems and institutions of cities longing for the viable alternatives revealed in Christ. Lastly, she illustrates what it means to surrender to Christ's just mission and risk tackling some of the toughest issues the city faces.
(Aug. 19, 2020)
Kaylene Powell
This book serves as a collection of insightful ideas about Chinese spirituality, from a mixture of various writers. Combined, these Chinese and non-Chinese writers help readers embark on the journey of better understanding. Readers will learn more about traditional Chinese beliefs, values, and ways of thinking. The journey is one of encouraging questioning and further exploration. Readers are encouraged to join this journey on the misty path with an open mind—free to learn, ask questions, and gain perspective.
Kingdom in Context: Missiological Interpretation, Genesis 1 and the City
(July 28, 2020)
Adam D. Ayers
From the Genesis account, we can see that the divine goal for human existence is to display the image of God. Urban missiology has a calling to represent God in places and ways that lie far beyond books and analyses, and when it does, it must adapt, innovate, and express things which cannot be discussed on pages alone. Still, there is merit in thinking about practice in preparation for such work. Kingdom in Context traces a seven-step path to introduce missiological interpretation in ways that can be understood and reproduced by undergraduate and graduate level students from multiple disciplines and is a public invitation to ongoing conversations about mission, biblical interpretation, and the city.
Nurturing the Sanctified Imagination of Urban Youth
(July 25, 2020)
Annie Lockhart-Gilroy
Youth can transform their lives and therefore transform their neighborhoods and their cities, and when a congregation imagines together, they can work together to transform their current reality. The stories in this book come from experience with youth from different racial and economic backgrounds and different genders. This books is for those who work with youth that for one reason or another feel hopeless. This text gives you a way of fostering hope by nurturing their imagination so that they can live into a personal future that is divinely inspired. As we work together with youth, we can build a context of hope and possibility. We can be fueled by the sanctified imagination. We can see where theological reflection & personal experience embody vocation.
Playing for the City: The Power of Sports for Christian Community Development
(July 23, 2020)
Jeff Biddle Jr.
Can sports be a tool to harness the passions of young people and create lasting, positive change? Absolutely—in many ways, organized sports are designed perfectly for the job. In some neighborhoods, youth sports leagues are the best-organized youth programs in existence, and one of the only places where mature men and young boys interact in a structured way.Athletes are often social leaders in their schools and peer groups, and sports teach emotional regulation and leadership. In neighborhoods where public places can be dangerous, sports teams can be one of the safest outlets for energy and self-expression. School teams are publicly funded and community teams have connections to business sponsors. High school, college, and professional teams inspire a sort of civic pride that crosses nearly every demographic boundary. In North America, sports opens up countless opportunities at educational institutions through schol-arships and other programs. The possibilities for community trans-formation through sports are nearly endless. One of the greatest tools for the development and enrichment of communities across America is sitting right under our noses.
Visions of Urban Transformation
(June 25, 2020)
Aaron Smith
This book is intended to meet the need for a resource on urban ministry that is hopeful. Scripture's record of the transformation of urban wastelands is a spring of hope that change is possible. This book is mainly for those already involved in urban ministry, but it can also be useful for anyone desiring to become more involved in ministry in their communities. Lasting improvement in the lives of a city's residents, particularly the most vulnerable in society, does not usually happen by addressing single issues. The issues of the city are so extensive they must be addressed holistically.When thousands of small acts of love are combined, a movement begins that has the power to transform society. The prophetic passages reflected upon in this book are meant to put flesh and bone on understanding urban transformation and ways in which we can honor God by faithfully loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Lost Faith: A Practical Theology for Post-Christendom Ministry
(June 8, 2020)
Seth Bouchelle
Many people are lost in the sense that they are searching for something. They are searching for a home, for identity, for relationship, for love. They may have a feeling of emptiness and they do not know what to look for to fill it. Whatever it is Lost people are seeking, they have not discovered a way to find it. This searching quality is what makes them Lost, but it is also what qualifies them for discipleship. Seeking tends to make people good soil. It is my hope that, by the end of this work, you are better oriented and equipped to navigate life and ministry among the Lost in our post-Christendom Urban context, and that the thoughts and reflections contained here are a blessing to you and to God’s church.
