Jesus Grieved over Jerusalem, What about Your City?

There are a lot of new churches being planted in the DFW area.  Unfortunately, most of them are in the suburbs.  That causes me to ask: What about the city?  Many American consider themselves to be "city people." A good portion of those urban dwellers are millennials.  It is not just Dallas.  I recently read a magazine article about the revitalization of downtown Detroit, Michigan.  The new spirit in Motown is being led by millennials who want to live close to where they work.

A recent report from the Urban Land Institute profiles where millennials live.  It almost an even split between those who consider themselves "city people" (37%) and "suburbanites" (36%). Among minorities, things are a little more skewed in terms of urban living.  51% of Hispanic millennials and 47% of Black millennials consider themselves to be "city people."  From my perspective, the urban environment is a ripe mission field.  So, why are we not planting more churches in the city.

I will admit a bias when it comes to urban ministry.  Barb and I are part of a worship community that bills itself as "being passionate about the city."  Our son, Mark, is the lead pastor at the Crossing Church - Dallas.  Mark has an inbred love for the city and the "lost souls" who live there.  He spent seven years running New Hope Community Center in east Dallas.  When that ministry came to an end he felt called to plant a new church.  He looked at suburban communities but ended up planting a new Lutheran Church in the City of Dallas.  It is a challenge.

Church planting, even in the suburbs, can be difficult, but an urban ministry that focuses on reaching millennials has some unique challenges. Urban dwellers tend to live in apartments or condominiums. That can make it more difficult to connect them.  Many millennials  consider themselves spiritual but they are not anxious to connect with a church.  For the most part, millennials are also not big financial givers.  Many are saddled with college debts that limit their financial resources.  To make an urban ministry work  you need a core group of individuals who are willing to support the church and open to relating to individuals whose lifestyles and value system might be very different than theirs.

I truly believe it is time for the church to renew its commitment to the city.  If Jesus grieved over the City of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37), I truly believe he is saddened at our response to urban ministry today.  Suburbanites need Jesus, but so do urban dwellers.