{"id":32564,"date":"2022-09-10T16:14:29","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-does-it-mean-to-be-for-the-city\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:14:29","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:14:29","slug":"what-does-it-mean-to-be-for-the-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-does-it-mean-to-be-for-the-city\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does It Mean to Be “For the City”?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Dean Inserra<\/em><\/p>\n

In a ministry culture where we\u2019re told to be \u201cknown more by what we\u2019re for than what we\u2019re against,\u201d it has become increasingly popular to claim our churches are \u201cfor the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

While I believe churches should be known both for what we\u2019re for and against, it\u2019s certainly good news that the cities and towns where we find ourselves ministering are places we love and desire to see reached with the truth of the gospel.<\/p>\n

At the church where I pastor in Tallahassee, Florida, our mission statement is to be \u201cfor the gospel, for the city.\u201d Because of our unwavering belief in the good news of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for sinners through His death, burial, and resurrection, we are compelled to love Tallahassee, and that is the only possible option when one believes the gospel.<\/p>\n

Loving and being \u201cfor one\u2019s city\u201d is easy to claim. But it must become a cultural value in our churches, rather than simply an annual service project, if we\u2019re going to have lasting impact in the places God has placed us. For a church to actively love a city, it\u2019s not so much a strategy or a plan, but a culture in which church members continually immerse themselves in the life of the city.<\/p>\n

A local restaurant owner, who is not a believer, recently told me, \u201cYou City Church guys are everywhere.\u201d That\u2019s the point. We\u2019ve created a culture of loving our city, and by God\u2019s grace, Tallahassee has taken notice of our people immersing themselves in the culture without resembling unbelievers.<\/p>\n

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In creating this culture, we\u2019ve intentionally followed some principles and missional convictions that are helpful for churches to consider:<\/p>\n

1. Do life with your neighbors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Christ\u2019s ambassadors, we don\u2019t want to resemble the city; we believe distinct lives point to our distinct God. At the same time, we believe that to remove ourselves from the city is equally ineffective for mission.<\/p>\n

We want our members playing on city league teams with their co-workers and participating in neighborhood events, rather than creating Christian alternatives. We encourage our college students to live on mission by joining traditional sororities rather than \u201cChristian\u201d ones.<\/p>\n

Loving your city means going to it, not removing yourself and expecting it to come to you. Most Christian alternatives are created with good intentions by the church, but to truly be in the city, you have to create a culture that\u2019s intent on leaving the church property to join life where it\u2019s already taking place.<\/p>\n

2. Be the biggest champion of your city.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you think Tallahassee is lame and can\u2019t wait to move to a bigger city, our staff is not for you. We need people who love Tallahassee and want to help make it a better place. We try to be vocal champions for new restaurants, high school sports teams, local business, and anything that makes Tallahassee a better and more exciting place to live.<\/p>\n

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See also  What Sparks Evangelical Generosity? Discipleship<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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We encourage college students to look for jobs locally after graduation and follow all of the new developments in Tallahassee. We host a monthly networking event for the Chamber of Commerce. Our city is growing and changing, and I believe the local church should be in the center of all that\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n

3. Get out of the office.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year, the high school down the road from one of our church campuses invited our youth pastor to play in the faculty vs. student basketball game at their homecoming pep rally. That\u2019s how involved he is in the school.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s difficult to grow a ministry from the office. While there\u2019s certainly \u201con site\u201d work to do, there\u2019s more work to be done outside the doors in the city.<\/p>\n

4. Be careful what you post on social media.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once again, this is about culture more than strategy. The leadership of a church that loves the city never posts anything negative about the life of the city.<\/p>\n

I am strict with our staff about never posting any complaints or grievances about a local business or restaurant. Someone reading the post might be the owner or manager of that store, and could have visited for the first time the Sunday before. That\u2019s how we must think!<\/p>\n

5. Focus on the Christian and his or her vocation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In his book The Next Christians<\/em>, Gabe Lyons rallies believers to see their work as a mission field and to see themselves as being \u201ccalled, not employed.\u201d Every job might not be ideal or directly tied to someone\u2019s passions, but church members go on a mission trip each time they leave their homes in the morning and drive to the office.<\/p>\n

Discipleship in the church should focus on equipping church members to see themselves as missionaries in the very places where they spend a significant portion of their time.<\/p>\n

6. Become involved in your kid\u2019s school.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether in a public or private school, Christian families have an incredible opportunity to connect with others outside of the church through their kids\u2019 schools. The parents of your children\u2019s friends will become your friends. This provides great avenues for making personal connections in the city.<\/p>\n

The wife of one of our staff is the president of a local school PTO. As a stay-at-home mom, she\u2019s using her role to live on mission.<\/p>\n

Loving your city is first a culture that\u2019s created. Let your gospel convictions fuel a desire to create a culture in your church where seeking the welfare of your city is an essential aspect of your church\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

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Dean Inserra<\/h2>\n

@DeanInserra<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Dean is the founding and lead pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Florida and author of\u00a0The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n