For decades I have had a fascination with
cities. I live in the suburbs, but am much more interested in the urban core.
Not just my city of Windsor, but cities everywhere. That sense of curiosity and
adventure led me to move here and plant New Song Church twenty years ago.
It’s the same seed of awareness that led me
to start Urban Cry School of Mission.[i]
It is our small attempt to equip people in ministry within an urban context.
I have been now commissioned by the
Pentecostal Assemblies Of Canada to represent us as the Urban Ministries
Coordinator. This is part of the Mission Canada dream, to promote and develop
Great Commission strategies for our nation.
Here’s what it says about urban centers on
the PAOC website:
Nine cities. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver,
Ottawa-Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton. More
than half of Canada’s population lives in these nine cities. And, because a
majority of immigrants choose to settle in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver,
over 35% of Canadians live in these three cities alone.
Cities have unique social and cultural dynamics
and share common issues: population density, social and ethnic diversity,
economic disparity, immigration needs, the meshing of commerce, education, and
the arts, homelessness and poverty, wealth and prosperity. Life in the city
core is complex. 'One size fits all' rarely applies to ministry in the urban
core.
Because four out of five Canadians live in a
metropolitan area, Mission Canada needs more workers in Canada’s cities. We
need fresh expressions of the gospel. We need more Christ-followers who
are willing to share life in meaningful ways with those who call the city home.
We must be about engaging the stranger on the street and finding ways to do
life together. People are everywhere in the city. Jesus always found
Himself among the people, and so must we, integrating daily life with ministry
and mission.[ii]
I am looking for people who will dream of what their cities can be with God on the ground. Send me a note at krogers@paoc.org
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