Making Your City Smaller

I have spoken to numerous church planters whose battle cry is “I want to change a city.” This vision is incredible and often God-inspired, but practically speaking, how does one person possibly impact an entire city?  With that idea in mind, I wanted to give a few thoughts on making your city smaller and more manageable:

• Identify a community in the city and strive to reach that first. Cities are comprised of numerous smaller communities.  It’s very difficult to reach an entire city all at once, but one community at a time?  That you can do (with God’s help, of course!).
• Establish routines in your city. Go to the same grocery store, the same barber, the same auto mechanic.  When you go to a different store every time you need groceries, you’ll never develop meaningful relationships.  Relationships take time and regular interaction…so does influence.   In establishing routines, you’re establishing a sphere of influence in your city and gaining an audience.
• Partner with other outreach-driven churches. One church is not meant to reach an entire city.  It’s meant to be reached through cooperation and partnership.  One large church will never reach an entire city, but a number of growing, healthy churches definitely can.  Impact is greater when partnership is stronger.

Are you feeling called to reach a city?  How about Pittsburgh?  Email me at nickp@mcmnetwork.org