Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART III: P LANTING U RBAN C HURCHES • 297

d. Jurisprudential involvement as a way of life: Few urban families are not affected by the police, the courts, and the prison system.

D. Implications and conclusions

1. The US urban poor field is one of the largest, toughest, and most reachable fields on earth: They do not align or compare to many other urban fields. 2. Extreme difficulties posed by diversity, violence, shattered families, and spiritual alienation make American cities formidable and intimidating. 3. Church planting movements targeted to reaching the world’s lost must seriously take advantage of the challenges represented by the American urban poor. II. WHAT Are the Central Distinctives of American Inner-City Contexts, and How Might They Affect Our Understanding of Church Planting Movements for Them? Discerning the particular, specific elements in American urban neighborhoods may greatly impact the ways in which we interpret and apply the various insights learned about the nature of spirituality, missions, church planting, church growth, and urban ministry. 1 Chron. 12.32 (ESV) – Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. Eph. 5.15-17 (ESV) – Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

A. Urban America is plagued by deep-rooted spiritual alienation and neglect.

1. “The root cause of all alienation – from God and from each other – is sin. The antidote to sin is a personal relationship with God through Christ. This leads to hope, reconciliation, and healing. God usually initiates a personal relationship