The 'Wiki Encyclopedia of CityReaching' is collaboratively sponsored by the 'Center For Urban Innovation'... "Producing Innovative Multicultural CityReachers."

 

Big Questions:

 

[Indianapolis will be attempting to initiate a 'Great Commission Series' ... a thought-leadership forum to discuss some of these 'big questions' and develop actionable conclusions.  Ideas anyone?]

 

 

"Are we in fact actually accomplishing the Great Commission?"

 

"Are we even doing it faithfully?"

 

That is, are we actually doing what Jesus commanded us to do... or are we merely 'winking at it'?  The very fact that we hardly ever even think that way pretty much betrays the answer... "No, not really."  Barna Research reports that of all U.S. adults, less than 9% even hold a 'biblical worldview'... much less put it into practice daily.  Point is, we're effectively getting beat 9-91...  And our cities look like it. 

 

All this to say...

• Something HAS TO CHANGE.
• And that 'something' is us... The Church.
• How will that occur?
• Perhaps by asking ourselves some hard, foundational questions.

 

 

 

Some other big questions...

 

• What does CityReaching look like in YOUR city? 
• Your neighborhood? 
• Who's really working together? 
• Is the Church called to be multicultural?  [Or a myriad of homogenous groupings according to favorite self-interests?]
• How effective is the Great Commission in your community? 
• What's your cityreaching plan? 
• How can we know whether we're really DOING IT or not? 
• How wide is the (biblical) circle for collaboration?  "Who's Truth?"
• How can we measure progress? 
• How can we encourage one another along the way, and hold each other accountable for progress?

 

Answers anyone?  Or just more questions?

•  
• "What should a 21st Century urban leader know... and be able to do?"
• Do any of our cities even have a 'plan' (ie, intentionality) to reach our cities for Christ?    Indianapolis is working on one.   And here's a draft from the Greater Wichita area.  And here's a new wiki-page to actually start planning toward a 'Model City Plan' (ie, template for city-planning).
• TEAM... What's that mean in the cityreaching context?
• Would it help to hold a City Impact Roundtable (CIR) in your city?
• Chicago weighs in -- especially see their 'Bless Your Block' plan.
• Center For Urban Innovation is starting to weigh-in... re training cityreachers.
• Indianapolis weighs in -- especially see their "State of the Church at Indianapolis Report" in progress.
• Research clearinghouse page here within CityReaching.org.
• Is the Geo-Church biblical????? 
• Kinda begs the question... "What is the Model Church?"
• What is the role of the Holy Spirit?
• On the road to 'change', how does 'information' play a role in 'change'?
• Overcoming Objections To Technology? 

• Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen's "Helix Model" for analysis
• Neil Cox's "Christian Scorecard" model for CHANGE analysis (drafting)
• Article:  "The Role of Critical Thinking in Learning"
• Bible FAQs?  Here's Darrell Bock's answer to at least one great apologetics question:  How did we get the Bible?
•  

 

 

Stray thoughts, ideas, questions, possible answers and links...

 

• "What's REALLY going on here?"  (a great generic research-based question to ask in many situations -- Thanks go to researcher Heidi Unruh for this question.)
•  Define 'Biblical Worldview'
• 'Worldview Toolkit' -- we're building here in the wiki, quickly defining all the major 'worldviews' (and the anti-dotes **smile** for the non-biblical ones)... for use as any of us need to quickly pull out (best-practice) apologetics tools.
•  And how SHOULD the work of the Church be funded?  "Follow The Money" (our wiki-page surrounding that 'big question')
•  
•  

 

These questions were in a brochure from the Aspen Group (Ed Bahler)

• Why is the church’s voice not being heard in today’s culture?
• What underlying movements are causing a disconnect between younger generations and the church?
• How can you make your church a powerful transformational force in your community?
• What are some practical ways to tell your story in a way that engages people?
• How to move from an Acts 2 to an Acts 17 approach.
• What implications does all this have for your church facility?

 

 

 

[The new 'Center For Urban Innovation' seeks to stimulate such change by producing innovators & innovations for cityreaching.]