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Training a New Generation A final paper for Viv Grigg
Submitted by: Scott Yetter Class: Theology and Practice of Mission Among the Urban Poor Scott Yetter - 1356 S. Albany St. - Los Angeles CA - 90015 - Table of Contents Introduction..............................................................………………….…………………..3
Part I: A Theology of Training
..............................………..………….…...…...….5
Part II: The Practice- A Training Model for
Medium-Term Incarnational Urban
Ministry...............………..………….…...….....................................….13 INTRODUCTION “Lord, send us more workers,” my wife and I prayed from our small church in inner-city Los Angeles. We were tired from our ministry and saddened by all the kids who wanted tutoring and encouragement, all the parents and families crying out for help with no one to hear, and the young people hungry to hear about Jesus. Our congregation of about 20 people who mainly lived far from the neighborhood gave what they could, but the needs seemed so great. It wasn’t long before workers began to show up out of no where. Initially, I was shocked by the enthusiasm and commitment of many who came and immediately wanted to relocate to our community. In fact the number of young people deciding to relocate began to snowball until we had to wonder how many “outsiders” it would be healthy to have in the community. God had certainly answered our prayers! We gave them a minimum of training in various ministries and set them to work. It seemed that God was sending laborers to his harvest field and we were to put them to work. It didn’t take long, however, before crisis began to strike. Workers burnt out. Wives crumbled under emotional strain. And we were left wondering what went wrong. As some returned to their suburban settings, church leaders who had been in the neighborhood for years shared stories revealing that this had been a pattern in the church for years. It seems that many were wounded by their experience in the inner city, not to mention the wounds that many must have left on a community that longs for consistency and committed love. The church leaders also shared that training people in urban ministry had long been an undeveloped vision. As we sought the Lord during that time, two became clear. One is that God was really doing a work among young middle class believers giving them a heart for the poor and a desire to relocate. This was not isolated to our community; other local ministries were experiencing similar interest among the young middle class. The second thing that became clear is that those who relocate need training and support which cannot come at the expense of developing indigenous leadership. I wrestled to reconcile what the Lord was doing in bringing so many “outsiders” with my burden to develop indigenous leadership. It was then that God gave a clear vision for what was later to be called The Nehemiah House – a community house of both urban and suburban young people choosing to relocate or remain in the neighborhood for a 10-month “incarnational trial period.” It made sense to bring together a team from different cultures, classes and backgrounds as both Paul and Nehemiah seemed to do intentionally. But after bringing them together, how should we train them? The Church in America has largely become powerless and indistinguishable from the world because we are praying for revival but unwilling to change our ways to trust and obey the Lord. God seems to be raising up a new generation in America across cultural lines with concern for the poor and the willingness to take risks for the kingdom of God. It is essential that we heed God’s command to Israel that we “tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord” so that “they would put their trust in God” (Psalm 78:4,7). We must find ways to train the next generation in America that they might fearlessly and creatively live out the whole gospel of the kingdom – a generation who will renounce all possessions to follow Christ, a generation who will start movements of simplicity to renew the church. In this paper, I seek the beginnings of a theology and practice of training the next generation in urban America. There are three “pillars” which seem essential for training in urban ministry: Community Life, Ministry/Service and Spiritual Life. These pillars overlap in many ways, but it seems that development in each area is important if we are to avoid the exodus of incarnational workers that we began to experience. In Part I, I will develop a theology of training in these three areas based on Jesus’ training of his disciples. In Part II, I will develop a training model for incarnational urban ministry by reflecting on the theology of Part I and our experience in the first semester of the Nehemiah House. PART I: A THEOLOGY OF TRAINING In developing this theology of training, I will use Christ’s example in sending out his disciples from different gospel accounts. The intention is not to reproduce Christ’s method, but to understand the principles underlying Christ’s method of training in light of other Scripture.
COMMUNITY LIFE AND TRAINING Another important reason to minister in groups is because there is such power in diverse individuals lovingly coming to agreement and serving together in unity. Adam Clarke says that a part of Christ’s reason for sending the disciples two by two was “to teach them the necessity of concord among the ministers of righteousness” (Clarke 430). This is extremely difficult for any missionary team. Simply getting along with one another is a challenge. But in learning to deal truthfully with one another and put off falsehood (Ephesians 4:25) and in loving one another deeply and sincerely (I Peter 1:22) there is great power. Among the younger generation, we must foster a willingness to walk through the refining fires that precede this sincere love. We must nurture them in love, helping them to deal in a right and loving way with conflicts. We see also in Luke’s accounts that there were many different types of groups who were working together in the ministry of healing, deliverance and preaching: Jesus, the 12 disciples, the 72, and the other followers. First, there is Jesus who is set apart from the other groups. Jesus modeled the ministry of healing, deliverance and preaching and then he sent his disciples to do it without him. Jesus did not just teach his disciples. Most of his discipleship was by modeling. Even his teaching was very experiential. This is very different from education-centered training that disciples often receive in America. Robert Smith, noting that there are almost no seminaries or Bible colleges located in the inner-city, says that “Bible schools and Christian colleges need to provide an opportunity for urban ministry students to live in the inner city while doing their studies” (emphasis in original, in Fuder 1999:134). We also notice that Jesus was “doin’ the stuff” right along with his disciples. Though he was organizing and overseeing their work, he kept doing what he was called to do. Apostolic leaders must not become so consumed with administration or deaconal duties that they forfeit their apostolic work (Grigg 2002, Lecture Notes). The second group was the Twelve. They had more access to Jesus than the other disciples. They were sent out alone initially (9:1) and then along with the seventy-two (10:1). They most likely had a modeling role among the larger group since they had already been sent once. The third group of seventy-two had a lower-level commitment than the disciples, yet were a part of the ministry of healing, deliverance and preaching. Then, it seems there was a fourth group. Luke 10:1 says the Lord “appointed seventy-two others.” This implies that there were probably more present who were not appointed. This represents another level of commitment – those who followed Christ yet didn’t participate in the ministry. It is important to recognize that Christ intentionally provided structure and the opportunity to minister for groups of differing commitment levels. Finally, we see in Jesus’ training the importance of sharing what God has done in our ministry with the community of faith. When the Twelve returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done (9:10); and when the seventy-two returned spontaneously praising God, it drew the whole community into worship and gave Jesus opportunity to further instruct the disciples through their experience (10:17-24). Jesus was often able to teach valuable lessons through the disciples’ experience in ministry. Especially for those new to ministry in the city, debriefing ministry experience has been invaluable to the disciple’s learning. People come to the city with various blind spots and pre-conceived ideas about ministry based on a narrow world view. It is only through trying experiences that these views are unveiled and seen for what they are. Robert Linthincum such a learning experience in his pilgrimage: “Manifestations of raw corporate evil almost beyond the power even of its perpetrators to control, made nonsense of a doctrine of sin perceived as individual acts of wrongdoing” (Linthicum 1991:20). It is important to look for these peak learning experiences and process them together. MINISTRY, SERVICE AND TRAINING The ministry to which Jesus sent his disciples was that of healing, deliverance and preaching. It is clear from the variety of ministries that he called his disciples to do holistic ministry. Jesus did not just ask his disciples to preach; he asked them to be concerned for the physical, mental and emotional needs of those they ministered to as well by healing them and setting them free by Jesus’ authority. It is important to develop and teach a holistic theology of ministry and development so that the community can share this vision. The ministry that Jesus sent his disciples to do was not only holistic, but filled with power. In sending out the disciples, Jesus gave them power and authority to be manifest in the works of the Spirit that accompanied their proclamation. “An anointing of the Spirit and dependence upon his power is the starting point for ministry to the poor” (Grigg 1992:147). We see in Jesus’ training that he freely gives his authority and power to all who trust in him. In training, we must help believers understand the authority they have been given and nurture the development of God’s anointing through periods of fasting, prayer and waiting on God. Each of these ministries, however, do not seem to be equally prioritized by Jesus. He says in Luke 10:9, “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’” And in Matthew’s account Jesus told his disciples to preach this message wherever they went. It seems that to Jesus there was a preeminence to proclaiming the gospel. As Viv Grigg says, “The gospels are clear. The establishment of the kingdom is accomplished not primarily by political change, economic change or social change. It is accomplished by people preaching the good news that the kingdom of God has come, and people repenting of their sin against God, of their economic exploitation and their social hatreds, and submitting themselves to the teaching of the King” (Grigg 1984:99). Thus, service and signs and wonders should be done, but the gospel should be preached along the way. In Jesus’ proclamation of the gospel, what he taught his disciples to preach is also significant. Both accounts in Luke and Matthew record Jesus teaching his disciples to preach, “The kingdom of God is near.” The account in Mark says the disciples “preached that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Jesus did not teach his disciples to preach a spiritual gospel of salvation that they should repent of sins so that they could go to heaven. Certainly this is included in Christ’s gospel. Rather, he taught them to preach that God’s kingdom is coming bringing wholeness, forgiveness, justice and healing; and repentance is what people needed to do. Sometimes the repentance was social, sometimes economic, but it was to result in a true turning and reformation of the individual’s life. Zacchaeus gave half of his possessions to the poor when he repented (Luke 19:8). Preaching this gospel of the kingdom is important for those ministering in urban settings because the felt needs of the people are often not spiritual and they relate to a gospel that addresses all of life. Finally, in sending out the disciples, Jesus gave them boundaries on what they were to do. In Matthew 10:5, Jesus instructed his disciples, “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.” This was certainly not because Jesus did not want the Gentiles or Samaritans to hear the gospel. He had very special plans for both of them to hear and receive his gospel. Apparently, it was not the right time. It is quite likely that the disciples were not ready for this kind of ministry. It took Peter much time to fully understand God’s plan for the Gentiles (see Acts 10). Burn out and disillusionment will occur if we send out disciples to do tasks that they are not ready for. In these ministry training excursions, the disciples were successful. Though that was not always the case, it is important to provide ministry experience where disciples will experience some success and fruit. SPIRITUAL LIFE AND TRAINING Perhaps the most important area of training among the younger generation of Americans is the area of spiritual life. If we are to see a new generation truly live out the gospel, they must pass through the fires of purification and see and learn to live in a place of humble submission to Christ. Viv Grigg says, The sincerity of our desire to win the world to Christ is measured by the yardstick of self-conquest. Men and women back home ought first to direct their zeal to the conquest of their own relationships, possessions and delights by the kingdom. You cannot wage war in a dark land, on a dark devil unless war is first directed against egotism and self-love. For the man of God works frequently from a bed of sickness, in the midst of loneliness and bitterness, and in God we must conquer with joy (Grigg 1984:60).
This cultivation of self denial was also an important aspect of Christ’s training of his disciples. In Luke 9:3, Jesus instructed the disciples, “Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.” St. Francis of Assisi followed this instruction literally (Englbert 1965:65), though it seems that Jesus did not intend for it to be a rule (Luke 22:36). Why did Jesus ask this of his disciples-in-training? It is first clear that Jesus was not solely concerned with the disciples’ completion of the task, but also with the manner in which they did the task. This poses a challenge to western society in their focus on performance as an end product. We see the task and think of the best and most efficient strategy to accomplish it. That was not Jesus’ way. The disciples could have moved more efficiently and perhaps reached more people with more supplies. Yet Jesus was clear that His way was different. Training the younger generation must involve instruction on the ways of Jesus. Jesus focused on the process of ministry rather than the end product. The disciples were sent by Jesus empty so that they might learn to rely on him in simple trust. The quality of their childlike trust and faith in God to provide for them would determine the fruit that came from their ministry rather than their methods or strategies. God wanted his disciples to rely on him not just for fruit in their ministry, but for their very sustenance. Isn’t trusting God for ministry results enough? Why does God demand this childlike faith? God’s desire for the childlike trust of His people is seen even more clearly in the Israelites’ rebellion against God in the wilderness. In route to the Promised Land, Israel repeatedly complained against God and Moses whenever they were forced to go without food or water. They were not able to trust God to provide. In Psalm 78, the psalmist gives us a picture of what was going on between God and His people: “They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved …When the Lord heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance” (18,21-22). Why did God allow his people whom He loved so much to go without food and water for days at a time (see Exodus 15:22)? Did God want to make the Israelites to needlessly suffer? They could not see why God was making them suffer so intensely and chose to mistrust the goodness of God. But what was God’s purpose? In Psalm 95, the psalmist uses the word “rest” to describe what God wanted to impart to the Israelites. God wanted to usher his people into a place of rest and complete confidence in Him as their Father. God wanted their trust to be so strong that they wouldn’t have to worry at all about the day’s provision. Jesus made this the norm for the kingdom life of His disciples saying, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear” (Luke 12:22). God desires a childlike trust that asks God for the day’s provision and receives it joyfully from Him whether it is little or much. The richness of this childlike trust is so much better than temporal comfort that God is willing to allow his beloved people to suffer in order to enter that rest. I Peter 1:7 says of trials in the life of the believer: “These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” This childlike trust flies in the face of Christian America’s self-sufficiency. The self-sufficient Christian demands what he craves, sees that he has the power to get it, and takes it for himself. When David was rebuked for taking Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah killed, it was not adultery or murder that seemed to displease the Lord most. Rather it was that David abused his power by taking something God had not given him. “I anointed you as king over Israel,” God said, “and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more” (II Samuel 12:7-8). David had lived in this place of rest and childlike trust having passed through many trials. Yet still his heart wandered to go after what he craved rather than asking his Father and trusting in what was given. This shows how much more difficult it is to abide in simple trust when we have the means to satisfy our craving on our own. A lifestyle of simplicity – inner simplicity and humility – must be an essential part of training the younger generation in America. We desperately need to see movements of simplicity of lifestyle spring up in middle class America in order to see renewal, repentance and reformation bring the American Church back to this childlike trust in Christ. This is an aspect of incarnational ministry which is more difficult than mere external relocation: How easy to live as a poor man; how hard to be a poor man’s servant! How easy is external poverty; how hard is poverty of the spirit! External identification must always be matched by inner humility. (Grigg 1984: 57)
The American Church has seen society become so complex that the Biblical call to simplicity is discarded as too difficult to apply. We need to raise up a generation who will take the Scriptural mandate to simplicity seriously, a generation who will renounce all and be willing to pass through the refining fires of self-mortification.
PART II: THE PRACTICE – A TRAINING MODEL FOR MEDIUM-TERM INCARNATIONAL URBAN MINISTRY Jesus was very deliberate in the way that he trained his disciples. He chose a diverse group of middle and lower-middle class men and trained and discipled them in the context of ministry and life among the poor. And his training of the Twelve resulted in an exploding movement of Christianity that went to the ends of the earth. It is in this spirit that we seek to develop a training model for the younger generation of urban America – that God might spark movements that would renew the Church and reach the poor to the ends of the earth. For years the Church in America has called out for revival in fasting and prayer. But God will not bring revival in response to our prayers if they are not accompanied by genuine repentance and reformation of our ways: Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear (Isaiah 58:6-8).
Fasting and prayer should not be dismissed, but room must be given to God to radically reform our lives and Church. Perhaps it would be more pleasing to God if we would live out the fullness of the gospel in humility, simplicity and trust in a small corner of the world and plant mustard seeds of faith in the emerging generation. Perhaps the little seeds will grow into God-sized movements. In developing this model, I will not attempt to develop any “method” for training or raising up leaders or disciples. I will attempt instead to develop a structural model applying kingdom principles and our Lord’s example to a medium-term incarnational training ministry that might be developed in a variety of settings. The Nehemiah House is a ministry “on the way.” The House ministry just started last semester and is very much a work in progress. I will, therefore, share some successes and failures in different aspects of the ministry and suggest some answers to difficulties. PURPOSE AND OTHER GENERAL COMMENTS We set out in our first semester to be united around the goal of “knowing Christ and seeking his kingdom.” Within this goal is bound up the ideas of a passionate pursuit of God, allowing him to reign in us (obedience) and cooperating with him to bring his kingdom in our community. We sought, as a staff team of six, to practice the simplicity of knowing Christ and doing what he asks, focusing our ministry on prayer and relationships. As we considered our purpose, it had to be something that united us as staff and students. It also had to capture the spirit of what we wanted to be about. We decided that our purpose would be general and our structure loose. Our purpose statement is: an intern house seeking God for the restoration and discipleship of a new urban generation. We wanted to keep our purpose general because we have yet, as a community, to determine together our shared lifestyle and values. This is something we felt should be decided upon by the whole community (staff and interns) when the time is right. In developing our shared lifestyle and values, we will agree upon a common values and a common lifestyle in different areas of life. For example, we may agree together that we will live at the income level of those around us in order to identify with them. This is a commitment my wife and I share. The reason we decided on a loose structure is that the staff team wanted the flexibility to operate out of the simplicity of listening to God and doing his will. We did not want to limit ourselves by a certain curriculum so that we decide in advance what it is important for the students to learn. We didn’t want to reject classroom or book education completely; but we did desire to have the flexibility to see what God was teaching the interns and what they needed. THE MODEL Our model for a medium-term incarnational training ministry is centered around three pillars: Life in Community, Ministry and Service, and Spiritual Life. Biblically, and in experience, these three pillars seem to be essential areas of training for those who would minister in the city. There is much overlap in these areas and some areas may be higher priorities than others. For example, one might say that the Spiritual Life is all that needs be developed; one who is healthy spiritually will learn Community Life and Ministry and Service as an outflow of his or her walk with Christ. This may be the case, but these pillars are not meant to be equal in priority or in time that they consume. These are simply three areas where training is needed for the incarnational minister. Not only training in each area, but a balance of these three areas is needed for the development of the incarnational worker. If one devoted himself completely to developing the spiritual life (though one may do this in seasons), he would become an ascetic like the desert fathers no longer living “in the world.” Similarly, neglect of any of the pillars results in an imbalance in the life of the worker. Many of those who came to minister in the city and left had neglected either their spiritual life (leading to burn-out) or their community life (leading to isolation and loneliness). Each one of these pillars also represents a way to know Christ more intimately. Traditional theology affirms that we know Christ through our spiritual life as we spend time reading the Bible, praying, worshipping, journaling, etc. We affirm this and seek to practice these disciplines diligently. We also affirm that we can know Christ, like Mother Teresa, through learning from the poor and our service among the poor. In addition, we seek to know Christ through our ministry to one another (Ephesians 4:15-16).
The diagram above shows each of the pillars making up the base of a pyramid. Through each pillar we know Christ and grow in Him as we balance these areas of our lives. Now we will begin a treatment of each of the pillars and explore some training principles in each area that contribute to the development of the incarnational worker. Life In Community Tiers of Community As was the case in Jesus’ training of the disciples, we have found it helpful to have different tiers of community groups involved in community life at different levels. We have a staff team of six who are ministering incarnationally along with the interns as Jesus did. Most of the staff have the responsibility of mentoring one or more of the interns. The next tier is composed of the staff and interns – the house community. There is a high level of intimacy among this group. We think of ourselves as a community of brothers and sisters learning from one another. Though we are equals as brothers we have found it necessary to make distinctions as to the roles of leaders. The next tier is composed of two groups: the first is the larger Christian community - made up of other believers from our church and neighborhood - and the second is short-term ministers - those who join our fellowship for a time on a short-term basis or commute to volunteer in ministries. Members from this large group take part in ministries as volunteers (lower commitment) and participate in Bible Studies,celebrations and fellowship events. Finally, there is the friends of the ministry tier. Some of the members of this community do not live locally, but support the ministry in various ways (financially, prayer). Some of our interns raise a minimum of support. All interns and staff are encouraged to develop a prayer team which would be represented at this level.
Ministry in Teams Although we allow students to choose their ministry (within a framework), we have made it mandatory that there is at least one other member of the house community involved with them in the ministry. This seems to be a principle our Lord followed. In addition to the obvious benefits mentioned in Part I, there is great benefit to the shared experience of members of the house community and their ability to process together. Diversity The diversity of the house community can greatly enhance the training of the incarnational worker. In our research before beginning this ministry we were unable to find any similar ministry intentionally joining suburban and urban young people in a live-in training environment. Though differences have posed many problems, we have found our diversity to be a huge blessing. The greatest challenge has been that the suburban believers feel comfortable treating issues and theology in a very academic way, whereas this tends to threaten and silence the urban believers. This challenge has only made the community stronger as we have had to deal with pride, insecurity, differing worldviews, etc. In our experience, this has seemed to speed the process acculturation for the suburban workers and spiritual growth for the urban workers who have been challenged to be more disciplined. One of the challenges of diversity of any kind is the management of conflict. We found it very worthwhile to do some workshops on dealing with conflict before beginning our time together in the house. It is also important to have times where members of the community can share conflict issues in positive ways. Creating an atmosphere of humility, love and vulnerability seems to be a key to conflict becoming a growth agent. Debrief Learning from experience seems to be a critical part of any incarnational ministry. Debriefing these experiences needs to happen formally and informally.
There seems to be a critical period after impressionable experiences when truth gleaned from the experience is either internalized or lost. We have found it important to formally debrief with the community every two weeks. In these times, we spend time worshipping as well in the pattern of the Master. Ministry And Service Holistic It is important that incarnational workers are involved in holistic ministry that includes proclamation and loving service. We have structured our ministry opportunities to be whole-life discipleship ministries. Most of our students are working with youth of some age. In addition to being involved in whole-life relational discipleship with youth, they are expected to interact and spend time with families. All of the ministries involve some structural component (i.e. after-school program) and opportunities to meet people in their space. This has provided many opportunities to proclaim the gospel and to serve and minister to the broken. This year has brought opportunities for interns to minister to a dislocated family looking for nightly shelter and to bring a new mother home cooked meals. Though interns seem to grasp intuitively the need to minister holistically, I believe we need to teach a theology of holistic ministry that allows them to see how transformation takes place in individuals and communities. In this theology of holistic ministry, we also need to help students see both the role of proclamation and the gospel of the kingdom. Interns are having numerous opportunities to proclaim the gospel in their ministries, but I believe we could do a better job encouraging them in informal settings. Understanding and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, a new concept to me, will also increase opportunities to share the gospel in a variety of circumstances. Power Of The Spirit It is very important that workers experience the power of the Spirit in their ministries and lives. This has been difficult in our community because of theological and experiential barriers. As staff, we have simply prayed that God would break through and celebrated when we saw obvious divine intervention. It has been very exciting to see God begin to break through. One of the interns was sitting down alone to eat fast food when God told him about something he was to do for a homeless man behind him. He turned around and sure enough the homeless man was there and everything was exactly how God had shown him. We trust that ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit is an area in which each of us will grow this year. Boundaries And Ministry Structure We set a minimum and maximum number of hours for the workers to be involved in ministry. We did this because we had seen too many workers overextend themselves into ministries which are too intense or too emotionally consuming or time consuming. It seems to work well to have well-structured positions where the interns know what is expected of them. It seems to be important as well to place interns in a position where they will have some degree of success. When we allowed some students to be involved in pioneering a ministry, it proved to be too unstructured, too discouraging and too difficult for this time in their lives. Spiritual Life Spiritual Disciplines For our purposes of knowing Christ, spiritual disciplines are very important. The younger generation is a generation of “doing” not very accustomed to the contemplative life or spiritual disciplines. It is difficult to develop young people in this area because making spiritual disciplines obligatory can kill their power. We met at 6 am each morning for prayer last semester. Our hope was that this would encourage students in their own devotional life in addition to giving life to our family. It was difficult however, making prayer mandatory, to keep it fresh and not just a ritual – especially when everyone was usually extremely tired.
Inner Simplicity And Childlike Trust We saw in Part I that God desires for us to trust him deeply with our daily needs. It is interesting that as Jesus trained his disciples, he gave them a simulated state of simplicity. They had money and he said, “No, try it without your money.” These times of simulated simplicity seem to work very well in helping people learn to trust and rely on God. We have put young people through a simulated poverty where they were ministering for four days while sleeping outside, not showering and eating very little. This was an incredible learning experience. Almost every single student had some testimony of how God had met them as they learned to rely on him. Hudson Taylor conducted similar experiments with God while learning to trust him. It is imperative that we learn creative ways to trust God in childlike simplicity and avoid the easy-going Christianity of our day. For this is the way of Christ’s servants. It is very difficult for young people to really grasp this risky life of truly trusting God with all. “Trusting God” for most refers only to the spiritual life of prayer and ministry. As college students, the city workers need to see their utter need for Christ in their studies. I can remember at times God asking me not to study for an exam because of some other work he had for me. It was painfully difficult to trust him and let that go without anxiety. These mundane things of life seem trivial and unrelated to God in the western mind, yet “if we are faithful to God in the little things we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more serious trials of life (Taylor 1989:38). Prayer-Centered Ministries It is important for the spiritual development of the worker that ministries are truly grounded in corporate prayer. This is applying a correct understanding of God’s desire to work through his people as they listen and do what he asks. Programs and strategies are fine and necessary at times. But it is important in the process of training that it is clear to the worker that the ministry is grounded in prayer and trusting God. This means that as failures come the leaders spend special time seeking God rather than turning to a new strategy (see I Samuel 4). Perhaps the most influential aspect of training will be the modeling of trust in the leaders. Working Toward A Balance It seems that the demands of ministry and the need for purification would mean that workers should spend at least equal time in prayer and ministry. Yet prayer seems to get crowded out especially in places of great need. Mother Teresa’s workers spent only five hours working so that they could dedicate their days to prayer and the Word (Grigg 1992:118). Ministers in the city need to find ways to spend much needed time in prayer. CONCLUSION One generation of Israelites would not trust God in childlike faith and they perished in futility. A second generation inherited the Promised Land. But what of the Promised Land of the cities that God is concerned for (see Jonah 3:11)? Who will inherit the cities? May God raise up a new generation who would know him from their youth and courageously follow him to the city. May he train them in righteousness and justice. In the words of John Perkins, “My fondest dream for my country is that God would raise up an army of Nehemiahs who would relocate in communities of need throughout the land and live out the gospel that brings freedom and justice” (Perkins 1982:210). BibliographyClark, Adam Est. 1840 Clark’s Commentary: Matthew- Revelation. Nashville: Abingdon Conn, Harvie M. 1994 The American City and the Evangelical Church. A Historical Overview. Grand Rapids: Baker Books Englebert, Omer 1965 St. Francis of Assisi: A Biography. Ann Arbor: Servant Books Foster, Richard J. 1981 Freedom of Simplicity. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers Fuder, John 1999 A Heart for the City: Article by Robert C. Smith: Training College Students for Urban Ministry. Chicago: Moody Press Grigg, Viv 1984 Companion to the Poor. Australia: Albatross Books Grigg, Viv 1992 Cry of the Urban Poor. Monrovia: MARC Lawrence, Brother c. 1605-1691 Practice of the Presence of God. Philadelphia: The Judson Press Linthicum, Robert C. 1991 City of God, City of Satan: A Biblical Theology of the Urban Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House Perkins, John 1982 Justice For All. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co. Taylor, Dr. & Mrs. Howard 1989 Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. Chicago: Moody Press
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© Viv Grigg & Urban Leadership Foundationand other materials © by various contributors & Urban Leadership Foundation, for The Encarnacao Training Commission. Last modified: July 2010 |
