Theological Approach on Strategic Relevance for Urban Ministry

1. Since Growing cities and urban modern life styles cause
individual and 2. social problems to both 3. physical and mental
health. But 4. The church as a religious institution, however, still sits
in its comfort zone to enjoy its religiosity without any attempt to
answer these social needs. The church leaders still use the ancient
formula, through preaching and teaching the Word of God. For many
special occasions it does work well and still much desired. 5. But the
real needs are much higher than covered. Most people need the
language of genuine loving touch by creative actions not just
donating or socializing but rather transforming their life to meet the
real need of this society. Churches are called to serve the
metropolitan society. This is called urban ministry.
In his book A Theology as Big as the City , Ray Bakke, eight
percents of the world’s population lived in cities. This was a
Improving the Quality of Human Life:
Theological Approach on Strategic Relevance for Urban Ministry
M.P.Santoso
PETRA Christian University,
Surabaya, Indonesia
ABSTRACT:
cybernetic era, We must be aware, that not only do half of the earth’s
nearly six billions persons live in cities, but the other three billions are
also being urbanized. The challenge of migration is called
missiological. The majority of the worlds who needs to know God and
His love, is no longer distant peoples geographically, but rather
culturally, Mission, therefore, is no longer about crossing the oceans,
jungles, or deserts, but rather crossing the streets of the world’s
cities.
6. When Jesus Christ was on earth and lived among His people, He
was deeply concerned with urban ministry in those days. Why should
the Church as a Christian community who modeling Jesus Christ does
not do the way He did to meet the needs of our society today? The
church must learn how to go up to the urban powerful and down to
the urban powerless with equal integrity.