Engage the City to Reach the City

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham meet with Darryl Speers, Send Relief missionary to Los Angeles, California. Tune in to discover how the Lord interrupted this church planter’s plans for the good of the church and the engagement of their community—all for the glory of God alone. Listen to learn why engaging the city is a core value of Send Network and the first step in biblical missiology.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

  • How Send Network’s missionaries are engaging, gathering, empowering, and equipping their communities with and for the gospel
  • How church context shapes the way we approach ministry in urban areas
  • Ways to establish personal relationships and ministry partnerships in your community
  • Why Jesus’ name is set apart from the spirituality offered by the world
  • How eavesdropping can be a tool of evangelism!

Helpful Resources:

  • Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
  • Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

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Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

A real church planting missiology from Scripture begins by engaging the city with the gospel so people can come to Christ and disciples are made. Churches are born as a byproduct of engaging the city with the gospel. — Vance Pitman

The urban area is very spiritual. But we’ve learned to be specific with the name “Jesus.” Because saying “God” in Los Angeles can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. It sparks conversation, but it has to come down to who Jesus really is. — Darryl Speers

There’s only one way to God, and that’s Jesus. But there are a thousand ways to Jesus. You find relationships, resources, and needs that become those ways for people to discover Jesus. — Vance Pitman

Meaningful relationships mean laboring with people, carrying their same burdens, and loving the city as much as they do. — Darryl Speers

It doesn’t have to be rocket science. Figure out who God made you to be, what your unique skills and abilities are, and how to use them to build relationships. Our ultimate motive isn’t just meeting needs; it’s seeing the gospel impact lives. — Vance Pitman

“The greatest opportunity is not just something we point people to, but something we invite them to. The same way we get people into the church is the same way we get them out of the church.” — Darryl Speers


Published April 2, 2024

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