V. To Do:
Walk around your target urban ministry community slowly for one hour. Take along a pad of paper and jot down the following pieces of information, looking especially for “street signs” as Bakke defines them:
- What demographic details can you identify that would inform you about the nature of the community? Residential? Commercial? Industrial? Mixed? Old? Young? Culturally mixed or ethnically identified?
- What is the ecological context or topography of the community? Hills? Rivers? Parks? Public space? Highways that intersect?
- What are the compelling interests of the community? Business? Education? Social services? Street vendors?
- What attitudes seem most apparent? Thriving? Defensive? Hostile? Entrepreneurial? Despairing?
- What symbols seems to characterize the community? Security and ‘Keep Out’ signs? Names and labels? Trash and graffiti?
- What institutions are important in the community? Social services? Educational? Bars? Beauty salons? Entertainment centers? Financial enterprises such as banks?
Organize your thoughts and share them with a church leader. You might want to try a composite PowerPoint presentation of your “snapshot” of the community and show it to a group of leaders who are interested in ministry in this community.
VI. To Think:
Imagine what your target community might look like if indeed you had a magic wand that could change everything to conform to your Christian-informed vision of the City. What would you keep that is intrinsic to your community currently? What would need to change? Arrange in rank order the five things you would change, from the most important down.
Continue with Session 1