How to Reach the West Again

Neil Powell, director for The London Project, shares the story of a work he was part of in Birmingham, and the origins and impact of the city-wide network there. He shares his vision for a similar movement in the great city of London. 

Stephan Pues, Kelly Seely, and Jason Lim, collaborators at the Center for Church Planting in Frankfurt, Germany, tell how they started working together for gospel renewal in Frankfurt and offer a helpful tool for assessing the level of partnership in your city.

City to City New York trainers Robert Elkin and Kristian Hernandez talk about the unique challenges of urban ministry and rethinking ministry metrics in post-pandemic New York City.  

Nilza Oyola, Executive Director of City to City Miami, describes how she helps Hispanic pastors root their ministry concretely in their local context through the community-based model of church planting and connect to a broader spiritual context by exposing them to the theological resources of Hispanic practitioners and thought leaders.

Robert Guerrero, church planting catalyst for City to City North America and the Caribbean, discusses how centering the margins in church planting could reshape our imaginations for what successful city ministry looks like.

Bishop Raymond Rivera explains his framework of “captivity theology” and the models of ministry in the city that become possible when we recognize we all minister in the context of captivity.

Tim Keller discusses “City Theology,” summarizing the Bible’s teaching about cities. Andrew Katay, from Sydney, Australia, explains the missiological value of recognizing that cities are made up of smaller cultural and geographical units, each with their own unique spiritual and practical needs.

Tim Keller discusses “City Theory” by summarizing several secular theories about what cities are and how they change. He draws some conclusions for ministry. Novelist and nonfiction writer Thomas Dyja suggests a city theory by telling the story of New York City, and offers insights into the role each of us plays in changing our city for the better. 

Tim Keller articulates City to City’s “city vision” by explaining why we must reach cities, how we should go about it, and why we are confident it can be done. Caroline Millar and Girma Bishaw discuss the mission and vision of The London Project and their work to catalyze Christian collaboration across the city. 

In the final episode, Tim Keller shares the important role of grace in today's Christian witness, encouragement about the hope our mission carries, and a brief personal update on the gospel's role in his life.

Tim Keller explains why Christians living out their faith in vocations and other public spaces is crucial for a missionary encounter. Missy Wallace casts a vision for viewing our jobs as one of the primary venues for putting our faith into practice. Artist Makoto Fujimura invites us to see artists as bridgebuilders between the church and the world.

Tim Keller discusses how to deconstruct cultural narratives and reconstruct them with biblical teaching, and the broader community necessary for Christian formation. Amsterdam pastor Tim Vreugdenhil describes a creative form of evangelism that has led him to reimagine Christian formation in a secular context. Guest Dennae Pierre shows how citywide, trans-denominational church planting networks can serve as moral ecologies.

Tim Keller casts a vision for a Christian community marked by the early church’s ethical commitments, which don’t easily fit into modern categories of “liberal” or “conservative”. Guest Sam Allberry explores how even though Christianity’s sexual ethic seems like a challenge to both the church and broader culture, it holds fundamental good for our benefit and affirms our self-worth. Then, Efrem Smith discusses the obstacles to creating multi-ethnic ministry, the importance of different cultures of Christians interacting with each other, and how the church can attain a biblical view of justice rather than views given to us by cultural rhetoric.

Tim Keller outlines the elements of a post-Christian evangelism dynamic that moves beyond traditional evangelistic methods. Guest René Breuel shares how his church attracts non-Christians through fellowship and friendship that demonstrates the power of the gospel. Apologist Lisa Fields explains how she equips churches to address the unique apologetic questions raised by Christians of African descent. 

Tim Keller describes how a Christian high theory can assess and respond to the narratives that dominate our culture. Guests Pete Nicholas and Tim Coomar share how they navigate modern viewpoints of self-identity, as well as how Christians can respond to criticism toward the church in a graceful and thoughtful manner.

Tim Keller defines a “missionary encounter” and describes the unique challenges of evangelism in the Western world today. Giotis Kantartzis and Stefan Paas explore generalizations about Western secular society and living as priests in exile.