How does a Holistic Gospel bring peace to a violent city?

Sometimes it's easy to forget that Chicago is a violent city. At least, it's easy to forget when I'm sat in a trendy coffee shop typing on my Macbook and listening to the latest pseudo-folk band sing about love and faith and lion men. Yes, it can be easy to forget.

However, for many people, families and communities over the last couple of days in Chicago, it's not so easy to forget:

Regina

Boy, 17

Two Men

Man, 19

Quentin

Man, 21

Two Women

Whilst these recent stories offer a mere snapshot of the violence in our city, they do serve to raise an important question:

How does a Holistic Gospel bring peace to a violent city?

Week 2 Review

Comments and Quotes:

“Perhaps, at the core of these issues (meeting the needs of the poor/maintaining a 'gospel' ministry) is a need to redefine the gospel more biblically and understand its true depth?”

“Maybe meeting the needs are a segue to the Gospel, or maybe meeting the needs serves as part of the Gospel? At end of the day…must come with sacrificial love for others, the same sacrificial love that drove God's Suffering Servant to such lengths as the cross.”

"Simply stated, wholistoc ministry is applying the whole gospel into the context of need. In this modern age, given the context of need in our inner cities, given the seperation by culture that exists, given our history - what would Jesus have us do?" (Glen Kehrein, A Heart for the City, 1999)

The Quest:

If you need a reminder of this week's journal reflections or a catch-up, the follow this link and click of the relevant days.


Question:

Is meeting the needs of the poor a bridge to the gospel or the gospel itself?

Week 1 Chicago Focus

According to research carried out by the Heartland Alliance:

In 2007:

520 140 people in the Chicago area were living in poverty. More than 6% of the region’s population were living on approximately $200-400 to feed, house, educate, clothe and provide the necessary daily essentials for a family of four.

416 119 people were living in extreme poverty. This means that a family of four would be living on less than $200 a week.

Since 2007 it has been estimated that:

253 000 more people are living in poverty...

...87000 of them children.

160 000 more people are living in extreme poverty...

...54 000 of them children.

How does the gospel you seek to share meet these needs?

In comparison to global poverty, are these truly needs?

Which is more important: feeding a child or teaching them a Bible story?

What does God say about helping these families?

What strategies have you seen being used by Christians to tackle these issues? Do they work? What IS success in the realm of urban poverty and the gospel?

How can YOU begin, today, to present a whole gospel to those living in poverty in the US?

Week 1 Review

Due to unforeseen circumstances the blog is a little behind schedule. However, hopefully you aren’t! If you have started the six-week quest already, then please check back later in the day for our Chicago Focus for the week.

If you’d like to start the quest now, then follow the links below (these take you to an on-line version of the journal many of you already have).

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8

Please stop by later as we look at poverty in our own city of Chicago and seek to shed light on our own 'blind spots'...

Are you in?

You’ve got the prayer journal, you’re ready to begin the quest towards discovering a holistic gospel…now what?

We don’t want you to take this journey alone! If you are ready to make a commitment to the six-week quest, we’d love to begin to build and accountable and praying community. Some of you may wish to meet for lunch each week, or perhaps your small group is taking part... whatever your commitment and circumstances we’d like to have you as a tangible part of our shalom seeking community!

Please post a comment below to tell us how you are going to take part in our quest! You don't need to sign up to any email account or blog network, just click the button that says 'Anonymous' and place your name in the body of the comment.

Suggestions for comments:

• Are you planning to use the prayer journal personally, with others, in a church setting?


• Would you like to meet with others taking part in the quest?


• Will you be using the blog as part of our on-line community?


• How can we help you make the most of this quest?

Service in the City

Service in the City 2010 Sites (click to enlarge)

This Saturday Moody Theological Seminary and its extended family will be partnering with other organisations across the city of Chicago. Our annual Service in the City event seeks to share the love of Jesus Christ through both word and deed.

We want to make sure that this day isn't just a one-off, but rather the beginning (or continuation) of a quest to seek the shalom of the city.

Using reflective journals, donated by World Vision, we hope to engage biblically and practically with how to fully share the good news with our neighbors in the city. By thinking globally, we hope to act locally…

Methodology:
As a community we wish to engage in this quest on a number of levels and through a variety of means:

Individually:
The prayer journal and on-line resources will allow individuals to meditate on God’s word and their response to Him.

Communally:
As a community we hope to interact with the material, prayer together and encourage each another in this quest. We hope to do this creatively through small groups and the internet.

Chicago Focus:
By exploring a range of resources, we will endeavor to reflect locally on the issues raised and practically apply our reflections in our particular communities. This blog will be a key place to draw together resources and consider how the good news of Jesus can impact Chicago!

What Next?
After SITC every student will receive a prayer journal and after Spring Break our on-line community will begin and small groups will develop accordingly.

Please pray about how you (and others you know) can be involved. Check out the resources on-line at http://www.thegospelquest.com/