We recognize that God is the Divine Conductor within the cities of the world. He calls men and women in all spheres of society to participate in His movements and accomplishes His purposes through believers and non-believers alike.
Understanding God’s Kingdom
The term “kingdom of God” refers to the realm over which God is sovereign. God’s kingdom is both in heaven and on earth, which is why we pray “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
We live out our faith in all aspects of our life: family, work, church, community, etc. God, as both Creator and King, owns it all and has given all believers a stewardship responsibility for his kingdom on earth. It can be said that everything is sacred to God! The whole world is the arena of His divine activity. This is the beginning of what we call “holistic” thinking.
God Selects the Leaders He Wants
God has already selected leaders in every city and supplied them with the resources they need. In some circumstances God selects non-believers to participate in His work in the city. God called King Nebuchadnezzar “my servant” because of the important role the King would play in God’s plan, despite the fact that he did not worship Jehovah.
Similarly, God may work through leaders who do not yet have a relationship with Him but may already be involved in good works in the community. God may also select non-active believers to take a more active role in ministering to their city. Just as Gideon’s story is a mixture of fear and valor, these individuals will need to be challenged to take greater steps of faith and use their positions of influence in ways outside their comfort zone.
We recognize that God will continue to work through strong believers within the city—”the eyes of the Lord are looking throughout the land for those fully committed to Him.”
Becoming Students of Your City
There must be a recognition that the work God is doing in a city is not the property of any one organization or entity, but indeed belongs to God alone. To this end we must become students of the cities in which we minister to discover what groups and individuals are already at work as well as to base our plans on accurate assessments of the culture and its needs.
This will require individuals who are active learners. It will also require the additional ministry skills of analyzing, networking and coaching. This is the foundation for understanding how God orchestrates transformation in cities through His divine conduct.