A PAPER PRESENRATION ON URBAN MISSION

1. Introduction
Migrating is a major phenomenon in the developing countries now it is not anew thing as well
as in India. So indeed people so fast to reach the city and leave there so i am hear giving little
explanation about the urban mission. Mainly about mission and its relevance in Urban for that I am
mainly using Biblical back round of city and challenges of urban mission. It could help all us to grasp
the power of urban mission.

2. The Mission & Definitions

2.1 World Mission
The world mission is derived from the Latin terms ‘Missio’ and its verb is ‘mittere’ its Greek
form is ‘Apostalos’. The Latin and Greek world means “send one”1. It is a general secular word. In
same way “mission is inactivity of sending someone with a particular purpose”2.

2.2 Christian Mission

Mission refers to the total Biblical assignment of the Church of Jesus Christ. “Christian
mission is the end over by which the church is trying to win others to the Christian faith, especially
through the mission program of the church and through a selected group of workers called
missionaries”3. It is involves various activity like preaching, teaching, social charitable and such other
humanitarian works.
To define the mission we need to use the Bible support or back round. Then there will be a
question who was the first missionary or from where it begin? The people will answer Abraham,
Mosses, Paul and other Apostles. All of these persons were good missionaries but all they for
particular time only but the mission started from ‘God’. Because God is beginning of all things and
mission begins with God. So the best evident is ‘GEN 3’ God revealed as the form of creator. There
we can see God Came in it the garden, He took the initiative, God providing, God seeking, Finding
and restoring. Here is the Gospel in the garden and god took initiative in mission and His care directed
toward the human race4. Then after only God sent Abraham Mosses etc. they all where for particular
era and foe special purpose.

A. Biblical and Theological concern of Mission

 The crisis concerned the theological foundation of the Christian mission and God has
specially concern of mission. Theology must serve the mission so that the missiology is giving series
attention to theology as well as to means. The William Carey, father of the modern missionary
movement who proposed use of means but carefully laid the Biblical/ theological base for his
proposition. The Biblical concern of mission is well described in NT commission of our Lord and the
obedience of the disciples and in the early church. If we look in too deep the bible there we can see
the Biblical concert of mission. Missioners they answer to contemporary questions and numbers of
Issus. The Arthur Glaser (1973) suggests four essentials for sound theology of mission: the issue of
authority, our unending of the Gospel, the role of the church and the question of responsibility; all of
this is necessity of a Biblical mission.

B. Responsibilities of mission
The Sovereign God equips the people to acting responsible obedience. Sovereignty of God and
human responsibility: both in balance so the balance providing a day for engaging in mission. That’s
why the charge is the best example of responsible missionary obedience. God’s children’s are
appointed to responsible mission and they were sent to all nations to make His disciples. The
responsibilities of missionary is preach, teach, serve, etc. they are to be taught “to observe” everything
the lord has commanded (Matt. 28:20).5 The gospel is for all but not all are for the gospel because
missionary responsibility is to all people for the gospel; because harvest is plenty. Part of our
missionary responsibility is to discern repent fields, then deploy resources to the harvest. 6 the task of
mission is unreached people.

C. Need of mission
According to NT “mission is assignment given by Jesus Christ” His disciples, apostles, and
followers were working for the fulfillment. The world is filled with unreached people or hidden
people ‘MARC’ unreached people serious contain a long list from India about cast, tribes, and people
groups. Cross-cultural missionary and other missionary group they are limited the numbers of the
gospel do not reach the place so the mission is important.

3. Mission in urban
3.1 Definition of urban mission
Urban mission is about working to further God’s kingdom of living justice, mercy and peace
by seeking local and city wide solution to the social, economic and spiritual poverty found in urban
areas, especially town, city centers, multi -cultural inner city and other areas. In other words “urban
mission is being set up to serve mission in urban areas”. It is being developed by a steering group of
agencies and denominations, using the working little the Christian coalition urban mission”.7
3.2 Urban population of India
No one can deny the fact that today people are migrating to the cities. In India, for instance “each
year and estimated five million people lead for the cities in search of employment (AICOME report)
according to David Barrett, in 1980 there were 227 cities which had a population of more than one
million, but by 2000 they will be 433 out of these 183 will be in Asia. And again outside of these, 79
cities will have more than five million people’s world class cities and world evangelization.8 the 75%
of people in the world will live in cities by the end of these centuries it is so value for us to do
missions in urban areas.

4. The Biblical Base of Urban Mission

4.1 OT Concepts
A. God’s plan of Nineveh
God has miraculously worked for Nineveh but the instruments of God’s action are different.
The prophet Jonah was against to Nineveh but God makes him as a favor through the incident of vine
(Jonah 4:1f). God then goes on to say that His relationship with Nineveh is far more serious than
Jonah’s relationship with vine.9 But Nineveh has more than 120000 people who cannot tell their right
hand from their left and many cattle. But the God realize city people (Nineveh people) as a people in
need they are not innocent, but they are ignorant. God is concern for them not because of their
inherent wrath but because of their needs.10

B. Nehemiah’s attitude to city

Nehemiah was seeing royalty in his immediate context while own his city was in runs. The
city was reign he brought back to life. Nehemiah 1.4-11, here is summary of Nehemiah’s method.
First he prayed for God’s guidance. Secondly he did a survey, research and analysis to understand the
need of the city of Jerusalem. Then he planned a strategy for its restoration. Thirdly he inspired and
mobilized family units to be involved in the building of the walls of the city. Forth he built the
community by organizing the demographic patterns of the Jerusalem city11.

4.2. N T concept
A. Jesus approach to urbanized people.
 Reading of the gospel shows how frequently Jesus visited, ministered, preached and taught in
the city and to the city people. The very fact that Jesus was born in the city of David and went around
preaching all the cities and towns and a great multitude of people came to listen to Him from every
city12. It’s indicates the important God attributed to the city. Jesus appointed and sent His disciples in
to every city [Luke.10:1]. Apart from the Jewish people, Jesus also has seen dealing with Gentile
urban people. Strikingly he talking with an urban Samaritan woman from the city of Sychar [John.4:1]
and in the case of widow in Nain [Luke. 7:11-16]. A frequent reference to the urban places and urban
people indicates Jewish concern and love for the city people.

B. Paul’s approach to the Urbanized People.

The world in which apostle Paul ministered was an urban world. Paul was an urban person,
and partially depended on the city for his livelihood. He chose and primarily ministered to the urban
dwellers of his time. “All the cities or towns, in which he planted churches, were centered Roman
administration of Greek civilization, of some commercial importance13”. The centers he selected for
establishing his churches were all centered of high influence. Another Paul’s approach to the urban
people was family based. Wherever he continues to equip and train family members for effective
ministry he established churches. The Gospel moved across cities and spread from family to family.

5. Importance of city
The human history begins with the Garden of Eden and it end’s the journey from Eden to new
Jerusalem14. A number of missiologists have appointed out the great important of the city for the
churches mission. David Barrett recently published a study of the 20th century rise and fall of urban
Christianity. The church, Barrett claims, are losing the battle to disciple the cities at a rate of 29.5
million new urban non-Christians every year15. The lord is urbanizing His world it is a fact for the
Christians. When the gospels become spread in the world then there is a spiritual globalization. ‘The
world is under the one umbrella’ which means one city or under the Christ. It we could say the
spiritual globalization so it’s going to happening; when the mission will complete it will fulfill. If we
fail to win the cities we shall have fail indeed so our Christian strategy should be in the cities.

6. Challenges of urban mission

The challenges to urban mission namely the new elements and new problems in urban
missions. Before considering these matters we should be aware of the fact that essentially mankind
has the same old problem down in his heart in spite of superficial differences. And sometimes rapid
changes and piled-up problems in vast urban areas make us very passive in our ministry. Because
urban areas have big problems for us to face. The economic challenge and social challenge is
important challenges to urban mission mainly related to the social challenge the social
disorganization, social heterogenetic, diversity and divisions, globalization exploitation of population
and slum areas indeed all are the strong challenge to urban mission.

7. Conclusion
This project has good place in our society because people are looking high facility and they
expect this first class thing. So they are living in city. So it’s good to know the ways for the urban
mission because we here define the urban mission. It will help the missionary to deliver the Gospel
among the city people or ministry among them. And here we understand the Biblical base or God has
special purpose for city and challenges of urban mission. So it’s a good topic in Christian ministry to
do the best urban ministry.

8. End Note
1. Costas.E. Orlando,p.12.
2. A Scott Moreau, p225.
3. Costas.E. Orlando,p.12-13.
4. Roger.E, Hellund, Evangelization and church growth, C.G.R.C, MC Gavran institute p.10
5. Ibid, 9
6. Ibid
7. Shyjan. T.A, A research paper on ‘challenges and possibilities in urban mission’, I.B.S, Paippad,p.9
8. JunVancer, World mission The Asian challenge, P.446
9. John E. Kyle, urban mission, Downers Gorowe, intervarsity press, p.67
10. Ibid, 68,
11. Tom Marshal. Understanding, p. 206
12. Ken hnanakan. Bible and urban mission, p.22-23
13. Ibid,24-25
14. Roger.E, Hellund, Evangelization and church growth, C.G.R.C, MC Gavran institute p.161
15. Ibid 161

9. Bibliography

Hedlund, Roger .E, Evangelization and church growth, C.G.R.C, MC Gavran institute, India, 1992
Hnanakan, ken, Bible urban mission, Michigan, 1991
Kyle, John.E, Urban mission, Downers Gorowe, intervarsity press, 1988
Marshal, Tom, Understanding, leadership, England: sovergn World, 1991
Moreau, A. Scott, Evanglical dictionary of world mission, Michigan: Baker book, 2000
Orlando, Costas.E, The church and its mission, London: Coverdde house publication, 1974
Vancer, jun, World mission The Asian Challenge