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District Urban Initiative

For more information, read our DUI brochure
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Urban Ministries exists to develop strategies and provide resources to assist churches and districts in the task of holistic evangelism in urban areas through starting, strengthening, and stimulating congregations that seek to transform broken lives and impoverished communities.

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With a growing recognition that cities represent the epicenter of God’s abiding grace, Mission Strategy USA/Canada has initiated urban strategy workshops with district superintendents and their leadership team in an effort to formulate designs for an increased holiness presence in the city.

What is the District Urban Initiative Process?
This process is designed for districts and churches to help them become more aware of their contexts, more attuned to headquarters’ resources and the needs of people in the urban community, and more focused on the specific mission and ministry they are best suited to carry out as a district. The goal is to encourage, organize, and help develop strategy to minister effectively in the urban area.

We recognize the urban crisis calls for new paradigms to engage in ministry with the city. This crisis opens the door for grace and transformation, provided we develop an overarching strategy. District leadership may nurture such strategy by coordinating its churches into new partnerships, by brokering and developing available resources, by developing the ethos of listening/action/reflection, and by creating a format where a dynamic process can take place.

The workshop begins at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and concludes at Noon on Saturday. Most department participants are available to speak at congregations on Sunday morning.

District Urban Initiative – A Collaborative Resource
Ministry leaders from the USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism department are available to present a menu of options for effective ministry. District superintendents are encouraged to determine the ministry focus that is a match for the respective district. Options are:

  • Starting new churches 
  • Ethnic-specific ministry
  • Compassionate ministry
  • Strategic evangelism
  • Cross-cultural strategies
  • Ethnic ministry leadership development
  • Demographic research analysis
  • Community development

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why is ministry in the City that important?
  • What do we mean by “Urban” and “The City”?
  • Is Urban Ministry just ministering to people who are poor, and reside in the ghetto?  
  • How does ministry in the City differ from ministry elsewhere?
  • What does the Church of the Nazarene uniquely “bring to the table” in ministry in the City? 
  • What are the theological resources that help us to minister in the City?
  • Where does one find additional resources to create or enhance ministry in the City?  
  • How does one fall in love with the City?
  • What are some of the issues one must face in the City?
  • How do I get started in learning to care for and serve those in the City?

The District Urban Initiative is a resource of Mission Strategy USA/Canada.
For further information, or to schedule an event, call Susan Grube – 800-738-7167

 

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