Thousands of churches in urban contexts are ripe for revitalization—but church revitalization isn’t easy! James Fields has spent nearly two years working with a congregation near Churchill Downs in Louisville, seeking to revitalize a once-thriving church. He joins Timothy Paul Jones to discuss what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what he’s learned. For more information about […]
[Read More...]Urban Ministry Podcast: Church Planting in the Inner City
Brian Davis serves as a pastor at Risen Christ Fellowship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed a church planting internship at Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina as well as a pastoral internship at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Brian joins Timothy to discuss the distinct dynamics of planting a church in the […]
[Read More...]Urban Ministry Podcast: The Role of the Pastor’s Wife
What is the role of the pastor’s wife? Amber Williams and Karen Cheong serve faithfully as members of Sojourn Church Midtown in inner-city Louisville, Kentucky, and they join Timothy Paul Jones to discuss the unique role that the pastor’s wife plays in the urban church. For more information about Sojourn Church Midtown, please go to […]
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Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones: Job, Jesus, and the Existential Problem of Evil + “You Found Me” (The Fray)
If you’re a Christian who’s suffering or if you want to help people who are suffering, this episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast—“Job, Jesus, and the Existential Problem of Evil”—is the most important installment in this entire series about the problem of evil. This time around, the focus is the existential problem […]
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Urban Ministry Podcast: Revitalizing Churches in Urban Contexts
Raymond Johnson serves as senior pastor at Christ Church West Chester in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and he’s also the author of I See Dead People: The Function of the Resurrection of the Saints in Matthew 27:51–54 (P&R). Christ Church in West Chester has experienced a profound revitalization under Raymond’s leadership. In this episode, Raymond Johnson […]
[Read More...]Urban Ministry Podcast: Working with Local Businesses to Empower Urban Communities
Nathan Ivey is president and founder of Seed to Oaks, a non-profit organization that brings real and lasting change in communities through collaborations between local churches, businesses, and civic agencies, filling the space between the three. These initiatives are proven, strategic and straight forward to implement; designed as a sustainable means for community change that […]
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Sean McDowell: Getting the Gospel to Generation Z + “Baba O’Riley” (The Who)
“Generation Z.” “iGen.” “Centennials.” Whatever you happen to call this generation, the children who drew their first breaths in the years between Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic” and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” are the first generation of digital natives in human history. But how secure is the faith of these teenagers and young adults? And how […]
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Russell Moore: The Search for a Satisfying Story + “He Went to Paris” (Jimmy Buffett)
Sometimes, the best defense of the gospel isn’t a better argument but a better story. That’s why the previous episode about Josh Chatraw’s book Telling a Better Story and this episode with Russell Moore both focus on narrative apologetics. Also: after an episode in which your intrepid cohosts dredged the depths of some of the […]
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Family Ministry: What Should We Do with Children in Community Groups?
One question that I frequently receive from churches runs something like this: “There are so many children in our community groups! We want to do something with them, but we can’t figure out what to do. Right now, groups are just hiring babysitters, but there’s got to be a better way. What do we do […]
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Family Ministry: Leaving Behind the One-Eared Mickey Mouse Model of Youth Ministry
In the late 1980s, one student minister depicted the relationship between his ministry and the rest of his congregation as a “one-eared Mickey Mouse.” To understand this analogy, imagine with me the most basic depiction of Mickey Mouse in three circles—the two smaller circles represent his ears, while the larger circle is his head. Now, […]
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Family Ministry: Pursuing Diversity in Your Church
Pursuing the Discipline of Diversity “It gets you out of your solitary conceit.” That’s how C.S. Lewis described the impact of worshiping and cultivating Christian community alongside people who are different from us. And yet, in too many local churches, authentic diversity in which people from dissimilar sociocultural and ethnic backgrounds pursue Christ together remains […]
[Read More...]Podcast: Helping Your Church to Share the Gospel with Refugees, with John Barnett
GUEST: John Barnett More than 68 million individuals are currently displaced due to religious persecution, war, or other violence. Globally, one out of every 110 people is either seeking asylum, displaced within their own country, or a refugee. Many of these individuals seek refuge in cities throughout the United States. But how should Christians respond […]
[Read More...]Podcast: Developing Multicultural Worship Experiences in Urban Contexts, with Jonny Barahona
GUEST: Jonny Barahona God’s people are called to sing to one another! In the words of Paul to the Colossian church, “Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts.” But how should […]
[Read More...]Urban Ministry Podcast: Developing an Urban Missions Ministry in Your Church
How could your church begin to engage the poor, the suffering, and the marginalized? And what might God do in your church, if this became part of your vision for the future? With us today is Jesse Eubanks, the founder and executive director of Love Thy Neighborhood. If neighborhood outreach is part of your church’s vision, you won’t want to miss this episode of Urban Ministry Podcast.
[Read More...]Podcast: Diversifying the Church’s Discipleship, with Kevin Jones
GUEST: Kevin Jones One of the most beautiful aspects of urban ministry is its diversity. Ethnic diversity! Racial diversity! Socioeconomic diversity! But this diversity can also be a challenge when it comes to evangelism and discipleship. The gospel and the Word of God are the tools that God uses to transform people’s lives, no matter […]
[Read More...]Urban Ministry Podcast: What Stands in the Way of Diversity in the Church?
GUEST: Jamaal Williams Click here to listen to this episode of the Urban Ministry Podcast. There is in the New Testament a trajectory toward diversity. Jesus begins by calling together a group of Jewish males and then his circle of disciples expands to include women and Samaritans and then the risen Christ commissions his disciples […]
[Read More...]Podcast: How Christians Can Become Partners in Public Education, with Kevin Jones
GUEST: Kevin Jones Click here to listen to this episode of the Urban Ministry Podcast. In 2010, for the first time in human history, more than half of the people on this planet lived in urban contexts. In the past, many churches have taken a “rescue mission” approach to lower-income urban areas, providing charity for […]
[Read More...]Urban Ministry Podcast: Loving Your Neighbor in the Inner City
GUEST: Jamaal Williams Click here to listen to this episode of the Urban Ministry Podcast. If you’re the pastor of an inner-city church, should you live in the same neighborhood as your church? And, if so, what are some of the unique challenges and opportunities of living in the inner city? That’s what we will […]
[Read More...]Podcast: Learning to Love Your City
Click here to listen to this episode of the Urban Ministry Podcast. God did not create us as disembodied or decontextualized creatures. He created us as physical beings who live in particular places. And, in the beginning, he called Adam and Eve to cultivate their physical space and to create culture in the context where […]
[Read More...]Podcast: Caring for Your Family as a Church Planter
What you do for God beyond your home will typically never be greater than what you practice with God within your home. Whether you’re single or married, with children or without, your family has a profound impact on your ministry. That’s why one of the qualifications that Paul gave for pastors was “to manage his own household well.” So how can you as a pastor or a church planter care for your family well? I have with me today two urban pastors–Charles Shannon and Nick Nye–to discuss this topic. If you want to lead your family well as a pastor, you won’t want to miss this episode of the Urban Ministry Podcast.
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