Relational authenticity isn’t a performance. When leaders drop the fig leaves, something opens in community.

A practitioner reflects on what genuine honesty between generations actually builds.

What else is left to do?

In the final article of this current series, David shares a critical step that sets up his team to keep learning and growing in effectiveness.

In the last blog we talked about adopting a coaching posture to empower urban mission. In this article we’ll dive into some practical ways our team is learning to do this.

As we wrestle with the complexity of cities, what insights can we gain from the early Christians? What about other significant movements throughout church history?

The idea of ‘love languages” could apply to those whom we serve.

See how we can imitate Jesus who spoke to unique groups of people and individuals about God’s kingdom in a way that they understood.  

“Why don’t people grow up?” 

As pastor of a church, David often found himself asking this question in frustration. His congregation members seemed unmotivated and apathetic.

God has an army. The army is not made up of pastors, professors or theologians, but it is filled with ordinary people … like every single one of us.

Books like 'Bhojpuri Breakthrough’ record the successes of these leaders and others like them.

The Indian leader of this movement reported being challenged recently while he was praying… now he and his team are looking at the cities in his country with fresh eyes.

What are they noticing about the differences and similarities between rural areas and cities?

"That might work in African or Asian villages, but it can't happen here."

Yet in Finland, one of Europe's most secular and individualistic nations, a different story is emerging.

We previously looked at how population growth and technology have increased the complexity of our cities.
These changes have important implications for urban ministry. These implications confront us with pressing questions that must be addressed if we want to see God’s vision for our cities fulfilled. We will look at three of them here.

God's Gospel invitation is often framed primarily as an invitation to have sins forgiven, receive eternal life, and/or enjoy a more prosperous life. Each of these invitations distracts and confuses those we are inviting. These things might be by-products or consequences of God’s invitation, but they’re not the main thing. God’s central invitation is for us to step back into a surrendered and trusting relationship with Himself - the loving Father King.

God’s end-vision for Creation is a Biblically explicit, universal constant. He is restoring His Kingdom and bringing all things back into harmony and unity under His loving reign and rule. At the human level, He is inviting us to participate in His Kingdom as beloved Sons and Daughters who join with Him to help others do the same. In essence, this is discipleship that replicates.

The introductory post for the Discipling the Urban Harvest blog.

It outlines the blog's vision of God's restoration of creation, the three audiences it serves — followers burdened for discipleship, leaders mobilising others, and those wrestling with urban challenges — and key concepts that will shape future posts including replicable discipleship, DMM, urban villages, and movement thinking.