Keller: Ministry in Major City Centers — Part 2

I came across this excellent article of Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC entitled Our New Global Culture: Ministry in Major City Centers. In this Part 2, I focus on his analysis of what it will take to be an effective church in the major global cities, like Chicago. As Park’s vision is to renew the city, through sharing the Gospel, serving the city, expanding through church planting and multi-site with live teaching, it is helpful to use Keller’s excellent analysis and years of trying out different things to re-look at how we do ministry in the urban environment. What do you think as you look at your ministry in the city?

KELLER: CHURCHES WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN CITY-CENTERS IF THEY:

1. Hold the historic Christian gospel—orthodox and biblical in doctrine and practice, but are neitheregalistic nor liberal, neither doctrinalist nor ietist, neither individualistic nor collectivistic.
2. Have a positive regard for the city; recognize that it is the most strategic possible place for ministry.
3. Neither over or under adapt to the culture of those in their surrounding neighborhood and culture.
4. Are arts and culture-friendly; both supportive of Christian witness in “secular work” and willing to train people for cultural leadership, not just church leadership.
5. See church planting as a ministry as natural and important as discipleship, music, education, and pastoral care.
6. Are intensely, creatively evangelistic and effective in reaching not just people who are already raditional or conservative but who are very secular.
7. Relentlessly emphasize and seek to build strong, “thick” counter-cultural Christian community in cities, especially through cell groups.
8. Are holistic, ministering in both word and deed to their community and the poor in extremely creative and generous ways.
9. Have a bias toward being multi-ethnic—seek to be at least as multi-ethnic as their neighborhood.

We spend lots of time at Park thinking about these sorts of things as we grow and expand the work that God is doing on the northside of Chicago in the city.