Matthew 9:35-38
     'And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." (NASB)

          I never quite understood this passage of Scripture until I spent 4 days in New York City . The "city" had always been a place where I enjoyed the theater, restaurants and the night-life but I had never even considered the possibility of ministry in the city. In fact, with the exception of a few individual ministries that I was aware of, I thought the church had abandoned the city and it's people. To me, those who ministered in the city were either real religious fanatics, over zealous 'do-gooders' trying to prove themselves to be 'super-spiritual', or believers who lived in the city themselves and who wanted to minister to those who lived around them. The city ministry was not something that just any 'normal'  suburban believer would voluntarily enter into.

         My brief stay in New York City has helped me to understand what Jesus was saying to not only His disciples but to us...to me, today.  If I am to have the goal to be like Christ, which is our Biblical directive, then I am to be like Him in all areas of my life and His. This would include His love and deep, heart felt compassion for the people of the city. This is not the same as saying that all believers should minister in the city , as God has a work to do in all the world , but that all believers, including me, should have a heart-felt compassion for the plight of those living in the city and should be open to any call by God which He may put into our hearts.

         My visit to New York City has helped me to see the city in a new light, God's light of love and compassion for the spiritually lost of the world, for the weak and downtrodden and for those who are powerless in a system which thrives on power. Seeing the people of the city and seeing  God at work in the city has plucked at the heart-strings of my life and has sparked an interest of the need to reach our city, my community for Christ.

         It is the intent of this paper not to give the reader an inscribed tour of the city and it's spiritual position before God, but to develop a Biblically based theology of  community life and ministry in the city. With this theology in mind, I will also examine ways in which we can  reach the city for God. I have read Robert C. Linthicum's book  City of God, City of Satan  and I have also read Floyd McClung's book  Seeing the City with the Eyes of God .  I have learned much about God's view of the city , the authors  theology of community life and about very practical ways to minister in the city.

        I am, however coming at my own theology from a different perspective then theirs. I have been deeply touched by Matthew 9:35-38 and I can see a Biblical theology for community life and ministry coming out of this passage.

Matthew 9:35
        " And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness."

         First, in developing a Biblical theology of community life and ministry in the city, we must be willing to GO ! Jesus didn't stay in His hometown and encourage the people to come to Him so that He could minister to them... He went to the people in any and all places where they were found.  Jesus taught in the synagogues and on the road both in the cities and between towns.He not only went to those who were like Him, the Jews,  but he also spoke to those who were alien to His cultural and ethnic heritage, such as the  Samaritans and  the Romans among others.

         We too must be willing to GO. We must be willing to minister to those who are both like and unlike us culturally and ethnically. We must be willing to use the church as a base and  also to venture out into the community where the people are and  speak to them to reach out and touch them for Christ.

         My idea of community is much broader than what is inside the doors and walls of my own church.  In-house ministry / evangelism has it's place but to really reach our communities for Christ we must GO out into the community. Practical ways to reach out into the community could include a 'door-to-door' evangelism project, renting a booth at the local mall and having church members hand out tracks and information about the church, sponsoring an outdoor concert or festival in a local park open to the community. There are numerous ways to reach out into the community, the most important thing to remember is that if you don't get a plan and do it... it won't get done.

       Not only did Jesus go and proclaim the kingdom of God in the synagogues and on the streets, but He touched lives in very tangible ways. Jesus healed the sick and touched the lives of the hurting people of His time. He was not afraid or ashamed to walk among and care for the socially , spiritually and physically 'unclean' of His day.

       It is not the intent of this paper to confront the issue of healing.  But I will say that we can be the instruments where healing; physically, socially and spiritually can take place.  We can get involved in providing a network of assistance for the poor and needy, for the physically and emotionally handicapped in our communities. We can assist those in need by providing  connections between them and the agencies that already exist to help. If no agency exists, we can be the catalyst to begin one. Whatever we do, we must do something as individuals to help.

 Matthew 9:35 tells us that to have a theology of community life and ministry it must include the following:
 1. We need to be willing to go where the people are.
 2. We must open the doors of our churches and teach faithfully the Word of God to all those who enter our doors.
 3. We need to venture out of our church doors  to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His kingdom to all who would
     hear, meeting them where they are, to all nationalities and cultures.
 4. We need to be willing to minister to and be an advocate for the physical, emotional and  social needs of the poor, powerless
     and hurting in our communities.

Matthew 9:36
        "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd."

         It is difficult, if not impossible to stay within the sacred walls of the church and feel a deep compassion for the people of the city, or even your own community! Jesus, after venturing out among the people in the cities and towns, after living and walking in the midst of the multitudes, felt compassion for them. He saw the need and understood their pain. He saw their need for someone to lead them to the pastures of God's rest. He saw their need for a savior.

         "Oh, to have the heart of God, to love like Jesus loved". This is a prayer often heard in many churches throughout the country, yet many of those praying this prayer are unwilling or unmotivated to do what Christ did... to go where the heart can be deeply moved with compassion for others. Many people silently say to themselves..."as long as the people are like me". We are afraid of those who are different than we are, culturally, ethnically, socially, economically and physically.

         One way to counter the fear is to begin a relationship with someone different than you. Remember the story of the good Samaritan? He was the only traveler on the road who felt compassion for the injured Jew. The Samaritan didn't open a shelter for beaten and abused travelers, he met the needs of one beaten and abused traveler. He entered into a relationship with one man. We can cast out this fear of  'differentness' one relationship at a time and in the process develop a heart of compassion  for our neighbors in our community and in the city as a whole.

 Matthew 9:36 tells us that to have a theology of community life and ministry it must include  the following:
     1. We need to be in relationship with those in our communities.
     2. We need to feel a deep compassion for all  living  in our communities.

Matthew 9:37
"Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

       They key found here to a theology of community life and ministry is in the word disciples. Jesus taught his disciples. They followed Him and saw what He saw.  They became a part of His plan and worked to fulfill His mission. Jesus trained His disciples for mission work and communicated His compassion for the people to them. Jesus led and taught by example.Most seminaries  don't prepare church leaders for urban ministry. Most seminaries don't get to involved in teaching of the social structures , economic barriers and ethnic diversity that make ministry in the city successful. So where can we find relevant teaching on life and ministry in the city?  We can find it in those who are actively perusing urban ministry; the city pastors and parachurch organizations.

        I had the opportunity to spend 4 days with an urban pastor with a heart for and ministry to the city. Pastor Bill Malick of Immanuel Baptist Church is Queens, NY is a man with compassion for the people of the city and his community and who has a vision of reaching his community and city for Christ. His vision is communicated to the leadership in his church and they are invited to take ownership of that vision for themselves.

        Pastor Malick began his ministry for his community and city by starting an action group of interested individuals on his board with a vision for evangelism. They studied the Biblical emphasis on evangelism and missions, they built up each other in prayer and were taught evangelism skills and methods of reaching people for Christ. The goal of this group was to eventually split up and reform to make more action groups with the former members being the leaders / disciplers in the new groups. It all starts with a vision and a plan.

       The churches largest undertaking is called their 'Summer Missions Project' where teams of youth are brought in from churches throughout the country and housed in the church. They are given  a tour of the sights and sounds of New York City as well as training in evangelism techniques and in relationship building.  They are involved in mission and evangelism projects while making their stay in the city an enjoyable one. The idea here is to teach youth that God is alive in the city, that through evangelism and missions projects they will gain a compassion for the people of the city and that they will take what they learn back to their home churches and begin to reach the people in their own communities for Christ. Pastor Malick's theme for the 'Summer Missions Project' is "Called not to hold the fort... but to storm the heights!" We need this type of enthusiasm if we are to reach our communities for Christ!

        This is only one example of a practical way to teach others about the plight of the people in the city, there are many more ways to teach this. The important thing is to be willing to be taught and  exposed to the need for ministry in the city or to your own community.

 Matthew 9:37 tells us that to have a theology of community life and ministry it must include  the following:
    1. We need to demonstrate a desire to be taught / discipled by someone with a vision for reaching your community and the
         city for God.
    2. We need to share this vision with others and multiplying the size and influence of our group.

Matthew 9:38
"Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

        Jesus told His disciples to pray for workers for the harvest of  the souls in the city. Jesus ends with the most important aspect of community and city ministry and life...PRAYER! Throughout Scripture we are exhorted to pray. We are told to pray for people; 2 Cor. 13:7,9; Matt. 5:44; for open eyes; Eph. 1:18, for the healing of the sick and suffering: James 5:13-16 , for the spread of  God's Word among the people; 2 Thess. 3:1, and we are told to pray at all times and for all things; Eph. 6:18  and 1 Thess 5:17. Prayer is the basis of all our life in Christ. It is the foundation for our vision and our mission.

        Practical examples are numerous so I will only mention a few. First, Neshaminy Valley Baptist Church has a prayer group which meets on the fourth Wednesday night of the month to pray specifically for the needs of the church and it's members. It's called G.A.P. "Guardians Actively Praying" It's purpose is to stand in the gap as intercessors for the church, it's ministries and it's people. This is an effective prayer session directed primarily  to those inside the walls of the church. Second,  Both Pastor Malick of Immanuel Baptist in Queens and Pastor Shoemaker of Valley Stream Baptist on Long Island  commit consistent time to walking around their communities and praying for all the homes and families that are in their immediate communities. Often these men are joined by others in the church and prayer meetings are often held while walking about the community.  What a witness and testimony this must be to those living in the houses  as church members walk by their homes and openly pray for them. Third, Pastor Malick meets weekly with several pastors of churches of differing denominational backgrounds in his community for prayer. The purpose is to drop denominational baggage and to both pray for the souls of the city as well as network resources  and ministries to effectively reach  their  community and New York City for Christ. Finally, there is a program headed by Campus Crusade for Christ called 'Here's Life Inner City". This is a multi-functional inner city missions ministry started with the expressed purpose of winning the city for Christ. Foundational to this program is it's metropolitan prayer network. Monthly  prayer letters are sent to hundreds of individuals and churches in the metropolitan New York area. The letters contain Scripture to meditate on as well as prayer requests for specific needs in the city. This is an inter-denomination outreach with a heart for God and His people, whose base and foundation is prayer.

        Whatever we may choose to do as far as outreach into our communities, it must have a strong foundation of prayer. Prayer for the people God has given us to minister to, prayer for the hearts of people to develop compassion for the lost, prayer for the workers  who are ministering in the field and prayer for God's overall plan of evangelism for your community  that it might be reached for God.

Matthew 9:38 tells us that to have a theology of community life and ministry it must include  the following:
   1. We are to pray fervently for our community, the city, the workers and potential workers.
   2. We are to break down denominational barriers and join together to reach our cities and  communities for Christ.

 1. We need to be  willing to go where the people are.
 2. We must open the doors of our churches and teach faithfully the Word of God to all those who enter our doors.
 3. We need to venture out of our church doors  to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His kingdom to all who would
     hear, meeting them where they are, to all nationalities and cultures.
 4. We need to be willing to minister to and be an advocate for the physical, emotional and  social needs of the poor, powerless
     and hurting in our communities.
 5. We need to be in relationship with those in our communities.
 6. We need to feel a deep compassion for all  living  in our communities.
 7. We need to demonstrate a desire to be taught / discipled by someone with a vision for reaching our community and the city
      for God.
 8. We need to share this vision with others and multiplying the size and influence of our group.
 9. We are to pray fervently for our community, the city, the workers and potential workers.
 10. We are to break down denominational barriers and join together to reach our cities and  communities for Christ.

         Finally, John 20:21 says ' Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." '.  If we are to be molded into the image and likeness of Christ, then we must be obedient to His calling. Evangelism, whether in our own community or in the inner city is the job of all believers. We are not solitary individual Christians going through life in a vacuum, we were created for community and to share Christ within that community. It is my prayer that I can be faithful to that calling.