Urban Missionary?

URBAN MISSIONARIES

 

The Caleb Center is calling for Urban Missionaries (UMs) to move into the city not as outside visitors bringing short-sighted solutions, but as residents developing relationships and collaborating with others to discover God’s solutions to entrenched lifestyles and cycles of dysfunction – cycles that are both personal and cultural. UMs who live, work and worship in Maryvale…

  • make the prayer “Thy kingdom come” a reality in Maryvale.
  • answer the call from God, “Who will go for me?”
  • are the salt and light that preserves and illuminates a neighborhood.
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INTERESTED IN URBAN MISSIONS WITH CALEB CENTER?

COMPLETE AN APPLICATION FOR URBAN MISSIONS

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CHARACTERISTICS OF AN URBAN MISSIONARY

 

An Urban Missionary is one who seeks to reverse the trend of abandoning the inner city; one who desires to work for the transformation of the inner city – its people, neighborhoods, cultures, and institutions. A UM …

  • has the vision of the pioneers of the American Revival movement who looked for the worst place in town – the area of greatest need – and said that is where we will plant a church and that is where we will launch our ministries
  • has a burning call from God and passion to see a city transformed and who understand Jeremiah’s call to seek the peace and prosperity of the city (Jer 29) and the necessity of being anointed to preach good news to the poor (Is 61:1-2)
  • Isaiah’s vision to be oaks of righteousness who renew ruined cities (Is 61:3-4)
  • understands the need to live out the incarnational doctrine – Christ moved into the neighborhood to live and work among the people (Phil 2, John 1). The Good Shepherd went out to seek the lost … Mother Theresa left security to serve amid the poor of Calcutta
  • does not consider safety as the first priority but like the disciples in Acts 4 who, after floggings, prayed for boldness and courage – UMs are energized by the challenge of sacrifice and radical adventure
  • that to retain a lifelong ministry of sustainable sacrifice it requires living in covenant faith community out of which will spring numerous reformation initiatives.
  • will work together to develop a compassionate ministry to meet the needs of at-risk youth and their families, ex-offenders, homeless, etc.
  • cares for the whole person – body, soul, and spirit
  • desires to see the imago dei restored in each person – reconciled to God, to family, and community. The mandate to model and “preach” the whole gospel of salvation without shame places a priority on contextual evangelism
  • is not repulsed or dismayed by the stench and the chaos of sin-bondaged people but see in them the spark of divine life and individuals who are to be respected and valued – not to be thrown away discarded and deemed unworthy… but a treasure in Gods sight.