Density, Intensity, Diversity, Influence, and Community
Preparing Missionaries for the Global Urban Context
Keywords:
urban, training, theological education, densityAbstract
Today, over half of the world’s population lives in cities. Global mission strategy should focus more on urban areas due to these growing numbers and because of the strategic communities that live there, including influencers, the under-resourced, immigrants, and young people.
This article develops an evangelical, holistic model for training missionaries to work in the density, intensity, diversity, influence, and community of global cities. This model teaches missionaries how to study complex urban contexts, prepares them for the intensity of urban life and ministry leadership, and helps them understand strategic urban communities and apply holistic methods for urban ministry. Studying in diverse learning communities has been found to improve this model as well.