Displaying items by tag: city mission fields

People crowded onto Jacob Riis Beach on a hot July afternoon to witness an unusual event - 51 people presenting a public witness for Christ through baptism. As exciting as it was, for the Journey Church, one of the city’s largest Southern Baptist churches, it wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary. The Journey is on track toward 140 baptisms this year - close to the church’s average over its 18-year history. Since its founding in the days following 9/11, the church has baptised more than 2,750 people. On a typical weekend it draws 1,000 people for worship in three Manhattan locations. Kerrick Thomas, its lead pastor, said that New York is one of the most unreached cities in America. They see reaching people with Christ as their primary mission, focusing on training and equipping believers to talk about their faith with their friends and co-workers.

Christian mission is no longer restricted to going overseas. Interserve have 36 full-time missionaries and 21 associates who are working with the least reached people in many UK cities. They are touching the lives of those of Asian and Arab background in culturally appropriate ways. They are helping the ‘hidden communities’ to see, hear, understand, and respond to the good news about Jesus. Serving cross-culturally can be like a roller coaster, but as experienced missionaries help the local church in mission by sharing their experiences, many lives can be saved. Pray for more individuals willing to learn the culture and language of their neighbours, so that they can see the Kingdom grow amongst the local unreached people groups.