Encountering God in the City Highlights

Last night I wrapped up teaching another round of Encountering God in the City at the North Way East End ministry center in East Liberty. Last fall at E.G.I.T.C. we built a foundation of why it is so important for followers of Jesus to engage cities in our modern world. This time around we selected a different topic each week, I introduced some concepts on those topics, and then we had some great dialogue. The various topics were:

• History of Urban Ministry
• Calling and Theology of Work
• High Risk Youth and Orphan Care
• Asset-based Christian Community Development
• Reconciliation and Multi-ethnic Church

We learned about the rich history of 2,000 years of Christians mobilizing around the world with various urban ministry models that were uniquely contextualized to different eras and cultures. We learned that each of us has a unique calling to participate in God's redemptive mission, and that we can find joy at work by being stewards of our time and talent while advancing the kingdom of God. We learned about God's heart for children and young people living on the margins of our cities in the U.S. and around the world, and appropriate responses from Christians. We learned how to focus on the assets in urban communities instead of the needs, and how followers of Christ can impact the process of transformation in cities through engagement in real estate development. Finally, we had a meaningful discussion about how Christians should be leading the way in our culture when it comes to reconciliation instead of dragging our feet and lagging behind. 

Last night's class was one of the most open conversations about race and class that I've ever been a part of thanks to the transparency and heart of the group. That has been a theme throughout each of the E.G.I.T.C. sessions... everyone's openness and willingness to learn from one another. The goal isn't just to learn with our heads, though. The goal is to be transformed and mobilized to make a difference in our city. Will Pittsburgh be a better place because of E.G.I.T.C.? Only time will tell. I have high hopes for these passionate followers of Jesus Christ, though. They're a group of world changers. I'm blessed to be around such amazing people in a world class city like Pittsburgh. 

Raising Children to be Involved in Orphan Care

Every year I look forward to the opportunity to lead a breakout session at the North Way Orphan Care Expo. The big event is coming up this Saturday, November 9th. I usually teach on a different topic each year, and this year I'll be talking about raising children to be involved in orphan care.

We live in a culture that encourages us to provide the best things for our children, and to go to great lengths in order to be able to distance them from the brokenness that exists in this world. We seek the best schools, neighborhoods, and other opportunities for our kids. If we distance our children too much from the difficult realities of this world, though, including the national and international orphan crisis that exists, then how will our children grow up to be passionate about impacting the difficult people and places of this world with the profound, transformational love of Jesus Christ?

Just like any other part of life, our children need to be equipped by their parents in order to be prepared for adulthood. In this breakout session we'll be exploring how to empower and equip our children now, at a young age, to make a difference with their lives with regard to caring for orphans. We'll discuss how to catch our children up in God's adventure to redeem the world. We'll see what the Bible has to say about raising children to be spiritual champions, and we'll explore practical examples of how families can care for orphans together.

If you're reading this blog post, I hope you'll plan to attend the Orphan Care Expo and participate in the breakout session. Even if you don't come to my breakout session, the entire event is going to be amazing. God is doing an incredible work through this annual event, and I'm excited to see what comes out of this year's event. I hope to see you on Saturday!