City-Centre Churches
Is our Church's Central focus and vision to minister locally (in this 'parish'), to minister to certain groups or sub-groups, to draw people from a wider (regional) area?
Some people drive from various distances but they tend to live, work, enter into and experience community elsewhere (i.e. nearer to where they live and / or work). Why do they drive back 'downtown' for church? Should they? Will they bring others with them from their own community? Will they come help in this 'parish' in mission to this community?
A bring strategy may gather to events in the church's building (youth, seniors, dinners, music, preaching, etc.). They may well they expect certain things of a city-centre church:: excellence, a wide(r) variety of ministries, numerous choices for personal or family involvement. They will look for some sense of overall vision and direction and they will hope to find unity, energy, passion (not necessarily 'uniformity), for just as a city gives more and varied options (than a small town or rural area), so do city churches.
What To do ?
A city-centre church offers a variety of ministry - for spirtual nurture and formation, groups for fellowship, spiritual accountability and personal growth, for praxis and discipleship development, for mission and local community outreach and involvement.
A city-centre church faces decisions about only using those who are the most gifted, as they strive for excellence (trying to avoid mere 'performance') and / or daring to risk 'playing their third and fourth line’ (to use a hockey metaphor) in which those who are inexperienced or with talents and gifts not yet formed and developed actually get to be involved, practice, fail - in a loving, accepting community.
City-centre churches may have concerts, larger events, with opportunity to give resource material and religious helps, to develop ways of following up the contact with those who attend, giving invitations to other opportunities for growth and service. There is a danger, however, that a city church, with its excellence, its many options, its varied programs and opportunities - may become merely a dispenser of ‘spiritual goods and services’ for the already converted but who are not all that involved.
Local Church Emphases
Some people live and/or work nearby. How will the city-centre church impact their lives? In order to know who lives, works, has needs - nearby, a city-centre church must 'exegete' its community (must research and discover who's there and what are the issues, challenges and opportunities they face; who else is seeking to minister to them?)
A city-centre church may be in proximity to people and places of power: in government, business, education and similar city-influencing aspects.
A city-centre church may be near areas largely populated by the poor and marginalized of the city. Other churches ill be near parks, recreation or entertainment districts. Others will be near areas where the poor have been displaced by a new, evolving (regentrifying) and upscale development. There may be many bars and clubs or places that cater to the worlds of music, drama and the arts. Who are these people? Do they live here? Do they visit here? Do they invest here? Can they be reached, here?
Again, who else is ministering to them (social and secular as well as religious agencies and ministries)? Can the city-centre church partner, share resources, help coordinate ministries and care responses? Can its leadership learn from the involvements and responses of the local police, social agencies, schools and from those who are seeking to lead and respond who serve in various areas of government that represent this community?
Resources - Effective city-centre churches minister out of their own resources: ‘What is that in your hand?’ The city-centre church that exegetes, responds and initiates ministry to the people in its community will do asset mapping of what gifts, talents, money, buildings, contacts are available - in order to reach out (and minister on its own campus) to those to whom they can bring Gospel influence and witness.
Money can be linked to overall vision through a unified budget, although various aspects of the vision can be 'broken down' into specific components, based upon various needs, challenges and opportunities, so that constituent heart and gifted response can be reflected in the more 'targeted' areas of the churches ministry and outreach.
In the context of city-centre ministry, followers of Jesus may discover, develop & deploy their spiritual gifts, passions, talent and experience in the service of others. Those boards that manage and direct the fiscal and spiritual affairs of the church might well major or giving permission and enablement, rather than in controlling, restraining and killing passion by too much 'red-tape.'
Staffing - Staff for growth - not to ‘help the pastors do their work’ Staff to help equip, enable, mentor your gifted and called people in their tasks.
