Everywhere I go, I meet people who become my teachers. Recently, I ate lunch with a colleague who has been holding focus groups with Christian young adults in eight different countries. He shared with me the powerful lessons he learned from his research. He became my instructor.
Just a few weeks earlier, I attended a pastors’ conference during which I presented a workshop. I looked at the selection of presentations being offered during the same time slot and wished I could attend several of them as well.
Professional growth is vital, but I want to encourage you to press on as a lifelong learner in another area of your life. Peter expressed our need and privilege with these words: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18, NKJV). We are called to be lifelong learners in the school of Christ.
God desires each of His children, including pastors, to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so that we can more fully reflect the beauty of His character to those around us. During a recent conversation with a pastor, as we spoke about the challenges of ministry, he shared a story with me that made me sad. Several individuals had joined the church where he serves as pastor. However, when he returned from a brief holiday, these new members were nowhere to be found. When he visited their homes and asked what happened, they responded, “There is no love in the church.” They sensed such a loveless atmosphere that they felt like they needed to leave in order to survive spiritually. What a tragedy, and what a painful reminder of the need to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
If you were to more intentionally enroll in the school of Christ for the next 30 days, what lessons would He teach you about Christlikeness? Would He call you to be like Him in His love, His patient endurance, His service, His mission? What chains would He ask permission to break? What wounds would He seek to heal? What burdens would He offer to lift?
We know deep in our hearts that Christlikeness is the will of God for each one of us, so what holds us back from continued growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Fear? A desire for control? Pride? What would it take to experience a breakthrough as a student in the school of Christ? I’m reminded of a powerful prayer embedded in a 3,000-year-old Scripture song: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23, 24, NKJV).
We all have much to learn regarding the theme of this special issue of Ministry: Mission to the Cities. More than 50 percent of the world’s population now lives in large urban centers. How can we reach these teaming masses with the good news about Jesus? Gary Krause and Gerson P. Santos help us to see the big picture as we consider the challenge of ministering the love of God to the large numbers of unreached people in the huge urban centers of the world. Miroslav Pujic encourages us to consider fresh new approaches in order to connect with postmoderns. Timothy P. Nixon challenges us to believe that we can take the big cities for God. Johnny Wong isn’t just a promoter of mission to the cities, he serves on the front line, in downtown Melbourne, Australia, and his passion for urban ministry, especially to young adults, is contagious.
As you read this issue, we pray that you will be blessed and equipped for continued fruitful service in Jesus’ name. We would also like to hear from you. What important lessons have you learned about urban ministry that might be helpful to your pastoral colleagues around the world? Write to us at [email protected]. Let us learn from each other; and most of all, let us continue to be lifelong learners in the school of Christ.
