Lausanne World Pulse – Theological Education for Ministry with City-Regions
By Randy White
It is necessary to affirm formal, non-formal and informal methods of education for ministry and influence in the city.
|
Christians play a major role in transforming a city-or region. |
Formal Training
Time-bound classroom settings, academic expectations, scholarship, the transfer of information and the organized interaction of ideas exemplify formal education. The Apostle Paul used formal androgogies in the urban context. He wrote letters to his churches which were essentially formal instructions and a contextualized theology to Christians in cities. Paul also conducted forums in cities (e.g., the School of Tyrranus), and interactions with educated elite leaders (e.g. Mars Hill in Athens). Contemporary examples of formal urban education are city-centre Bible schools, seminaries, certificate programs and colleges.
Non-Formal Training
Non-formal training in the city is characterized by immersing an apprentice in direct ministry experience, and correspondingly by seizing the serendipitous, teachable moments that arise in the context of ministry by a mentor or leader with more experience. Paul’s androgogy included this tool. For example, he conducted non-formal training when he took urban disciples with him on his mission trips, sometimes as individuals and sometimes as small, multi-ethnic teams, or, for example, as he exercised individual influence with key disciples during his imprisonment in Rome.
Informal Training
Informal training in the city uses orchestrated, experiential learning pedagogies that combine hands-on ministry in the city with reflection, debriefing and interactive instruction. Jesus often used this method as he sent his disciples out and debriefed their experiences upon their return. He used urban experiences as teaching tools (Mark 13:1-2, Luke 13:4-5). Contemporary examples of this form of training might include urban service and learning projects where college students spend from one to eight weeks serving and learning alongside indigenous ministry partners. These are to be distinguished from merely service projects, which do not incorporate intentional learning and debriefing components, as well as evaluation, follow-up and introduction of the students to further opportunities for service.
Each of these forms of training must be fashioned for various levels and kinds of leadership in the city, including both clergy and lay leadership, both indigenous (originating from within the city) and those who will become indigenised (that is, relocating to the city).
Content
All forms of training must expose the leader to several foundational, biblical components related to carrying out an effective ministry in cities. These begin with basic biblical literacy in general; that is, knowing the text. They continue with the biblical record regarding the presence and prominence of the city in the Bible and God’s concern for cities. There are many elements of content that are relevant to ministry in cities. What follows below is by no means comprehensive; there are many ways to engage and train leaders. Below are six examples of these and corresponding action steps.
1. Holistic Urban Transformation. Each leader must be grounded in a holistic understanding of urban transformation and an image of what reconciliation might look like between classes, races, castes and sectors or systems of the city. Urban training must ground the leader in a theology of shalom, which pursues wholeness, completeness, righteousness, justice, reconciliation and flourishing of all that God has created in all of its remarkable diversity. This includes placing all material, physical, social and spiritual systems under the lordship of Christ. And each leader must develop a mature understanding of how the biblical themes of love, grace, justice and judgment get worked out in these systems.
|
Dr. Randy White is the USA national coordinator of Urban Projects for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He holds a doctorate of ministry from Bakke Graduate University. |