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To Transform a City Eric Swanson & Sam Williams Session 1
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To Transform a City
Eric Swanson & Sam Williams
Session 1
The greatest migration in history
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
Finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
Psalm 107:4-7
God is bringing the people to cities
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
Acts 17:26-27
The ends of the earth have come to the city
Cities today and tomorrow
• In 1900, 8 percent of people lived in cities
• As of May 2007 half the world’s population are now urban dwellers
• More than 400 cities with population over one million
Migration to Cities
Shenzhen 1979 pop 25K Shenzhen Today: Pop 11m
What is a city?
“A city is a walkable, shared, mixed-use diverse area. It is a place of commerce, residence, culture and politics.” Tim Keller
Your place in the city
“Since the earliest origins, urban areas have performed three separate, critical functions—the creation of sacred space, the provision of basic security, and the host for a commercial market…. Generally speaking, a glaring weakness in [in any of] these three aspects of urbanity has undermined life and leads to their eventual decline.”
Joel Kotkin
Will you provide that sacred space?
City Transformation
Is the integration of the good news and the good deeds of Jesus so as to bring about spiritual and societal transformation
City Transformation
Spiritual transformation occurs when people loving God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength
Societal Transformation occurs when people are loving their neighbors as themselves
Matthew 22:37-39
City Transformation
Spiritual Transformation—Matthew 23:37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem….”
Societal Transformation–Isaiah 65:17-25
Like personal transformation…
• I have been transformed—2 Cor 5:17
• I am being transformed—Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 3:18
• One day I will be transformed—Phil 3:21
City Transformation
Spiritual transformation begins when believers have the same attitude towards a community as God has
Societal transformation occurs when the secular society begins caring about the needs of the community as much as the church does
Short---------------------------------------------------------------------------Long
LENGTH OF TIME
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Knowledge
Values
Behavior
Cultural Transformatio
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How Transformation Occurs
City Transformation occurs when….
the whole church
takes the whole gospel
to the whole city
The Whole Church
Doesn’t include every church but can’t exclude any church
Unify around purpose not program
Unity of FamilyEphesians 4:3-5
Unity of Fellowship Romans 15:5-7
Unity of Function (purpose)
John 17:23
Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace…one body…one spirit…one hope…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all….
May the God…give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify God…Accept one another then…
May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me
Purpose: to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me
Congregation #1 Congregation #2
Bu
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Govern
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Soci
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Healt
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Ch
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Bu
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Govern
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Art
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Soci
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Healt
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C h u r c h
Do you believe like I believe?
“Centered Set”
Do you care about what I care about?
“Bounded Set”
They partner around concernsThey partner around concerns
People of good faith working together with people of good will
A city movement…
• …is a collection of centered sets
They unify around blessing
This is what the Lord…says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon… “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because as it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Jeremiah 29:4-7
Needs and Dreams of
the City
Mandates and Desires
of God
Callings and Capacities of the Church
Common Grace
Salvation
Service
ControlControl
Evangelism is our ultimate motive, not our ulterior motive
They understand the power of serviceThey understand the power of service
To Transform a City
Eric Swanson
@ericswanson
Sam William
@willysam43
Question
From the video what applications / links can you make to your personal life & ministry?
