atlanta
Spent most of the day with Tim Wolfe. Tim is an urban strategist working in Atlanta within the Perimeter. Inside the donut for locals. Anyway we spent some obligatory time at Starbucks and then headed out for a quick 2 hour tour of the city. Looked at neighborhoods like Morningside, Ansley Park, Castleberry Hills, Little Five Points, Old 4th Ward, and Kirkwood. There were one or two others but don’t know their names.
I love the city. If I were 30 and had a chance to start again I would head to the city. When I was growing up Atlanta was pretty much low income housing projects and urban decay everywhere. But today I saw a lot of new lofts, apartments, condos, and houses being redecorated. Eclectic population. Still majority African American but a good mix of races, lifestyles, and incomes all in the same neighborhoods. I love shopping where people actually live, restaurants, coffee shops, and stores where people know your name.
There is an idea that you can’t do “attractional ministry” in the city and make it work. Tim indicated that he wishes someone would come to Atlanta and make it work. I think it can be done. Here is what I think would make it happen. 1. A superstar leader that moves to the community, he cannot be an outsider; 2. A fully paid/full time superstar staff of at minimum 4 other than the lead pastor that moves to the community, and must reflect the ethnic mix and make-up of the community, they also must not be outsiders; 3. a ton of money, $500,000 – $1,500,000 the first two years; 4. Begin with a multi-site strategy in neighborhoods; 5. begin with a small group strategy in communities in neighborhoods; 6. start these small groups in public places; 7. an advertising campaign that begins 6-9 months before launch; 8. a servant ministry campaign (social justice, serving the poor, homeless, medical, and serving the neighborhoods) during the same 6-9 months. (now to get spiritual) 9. Prayer and lots of it. 10. Engaging the business, social services, arts, and educational communities (think domains of society). That is my strategy, any takers?
A strategy such as this means thinking outside the box. The worship gathering of all the neighborhoods may be just once a month in the beginning. The neighborhood groups for worship would meet weekly in their neighborhoods. I would call a guy strong in apologetics and encourage some meetings that are just q/a. I would try to find a catalyst for every condo, loft, apartment complex in the area to start groups in. Oh, well a lot more than most of you asked for. I must be honest. Never done, never seen it, don’t know if it would work, but would be interesting to find out. The church must reengage the city if we are going to see change in America and the world.
