Urban Churches and the Challenge of Sustainability市区的教堂和挑战的可持续性

Many churches that portray themselves as “urban churches” are really “city churches.” Urban churches focus on particular urban neighborhoods or populations.许多教堂描绘自己是“市区教堂”真的是“城市的教堂” 。市区教堂的重点，特别是市区街道或种群。 City churches happen to be in an urban area but have a metropolitan draw.市教堂发生在城市地区，但有一个大都市借鉴。 City churches seem to increase as gentrification increases.市教堂，似乎增加绅士增加。 In Minneapolis at least, urban churches continue to be in the decline, in spite of the growing sensibility that urban churches are noble, neccessary, and desireable.在明尼阿波利斯，至少，城市教会继续成为在下降，尽管有越来越多的敏感性，市区教堂是崇高的，必要的，而且是可取的。 Some folks think that urban churches are on the increase because they simply don’t understand the difference between an urban church and a city church.一些乡亲认为，市区的教堂正在增加，因为他们根本不明白之间的差异，市区教堂和一个城市的教堂。

But does the difference even matter?但不同的，甚至此事？ If a church in Neighborhood X is a city church and has a large number of congregants from all over, doesn’t it still serve and benefit Neigborhood X?如果一所教堂附近的x是一个城市的教会和有一大批congregants来自全国各地，并不它仍然服务并从中受益neigborhood x ？ Sure.当然。 But not as much as an authentic neigborhood church would.但不作为得多作为一个真实的neigborhood教会会。 City churches are not indigineous.市教堂是不是indigineous 。 They are usually lead by middle class folks and have middle class leaders.他们通常是铅的中产阶层的乡亲，并有中产阶层的领导人。 Often, these churches operate with a power differential, where the haves minister to the have nots, but not vice versa.通常，这些教会的运作与权力的差别，如果有部长向富人和穷人，但并非反之亦然。 And the church culture is determined by the affluent, rather than upon the ministered to in the neighborhood.和教会的文化是由富裕的，而非后ministered ，以在居委会。 Urban churches are much more likely to be indiginous or at least to operate with less of a class power differential.市区教堂得多，更容易被indiginous ，或至少与少一类的权力差别。
In our increasingly pluralistic, fragmented urban areas (and suburban areas too by the way), we need more localized urban churches.在我们这个日益多元化的，分散的城市地区（和城郊地区也由单程） ，我们需要更多的本地化的城市教堂。 Why aren’t there more?为什么不有更多的呢？ Because there are no self-sustaining urban churches.因为有没有自我维持的城市教堂。 At least not in poor neighborhoods.至少不会在穷人社区。 Dispute me if you want.争端我如果你想。 The truth is that if a church is made up of neigborhood folk, they won’t have the resources to adequately serve the neighborhood.事实真相是，如果一所教堂是成立的neigborhood民歌，他们是不会有资源，以充分服务的居委会。 Urban churches often rely upon the good graces of suburban Christians.市区教堂，往往依靠良好的青睐郊区基督教徒。 But more and more folks seem to believe that if a church is a good one, it will pay for itself.但越来越多的人们似乎相信，如果一所教堂是一个很好的一个，它将支付本身。

And because we have such a mentality, people would rather serve urban areas by starting City Churches rather than urban ones.因为我们有这样的心态，人们将，而不是服务，城市地区的出发城市教会，而不是城市。 And insodoing, they don’t empower indiginous leaders and they have churches that don’t adequately reflect the host culture.和insodoing ，他们不授权indiginous领导人和他们有教堂，没有充分反映东道国的文化。 What has long been considered inappropriate on the foreign missionfield is ok at home.什么长期以来一直被认为是不恰当的对外国missionfield是确定在家里。

If you want to do urban work, you must secure outside funds.如果您想要做城市工作的，你必须确保境外资金。 Urban areas have big needs that cost lots of money but are populated largely by folks without means.城市地区有很大的需求，成本很多钱，但人口主要由乡亲，没有手段。 In response to this dillema, one may either start a city church hoping against hope that the diffuse congregants can all focus their hearts, minds, and money enough to adequately serve the needs of the neighborhood.为响应这一困境，可能不是一开始一个城市的教会，希望对希望弥漫congregants都可以集中他们的心，头脑，和金钱不够充分的需要服务的居委会。 Or one could start an authentic urban church and seek additional funding.或一个可以启动一个真实的城市教会和寻求额外的资金。 A middle ground is to encourage gentrification and draw upon the new urban gentry.中间是鼓励绅士和借鉴新的市区士绅。

Here’s my question for you all: Is it better to be a city church with a big draw that “adopts” a neighborhood or an urban church that is of the neighborhood?在此，我的问题，大家：这是更好地成为一个城市的教会与一个很大的借鉴“采用”以一个街道或一个城市的教会是居委会？ Is this a false distinction?这是虚假的区别？ Am I misguided in my belief that a church like Missio Dei will never be self-sufficient and will rely upon outside funding to do some of its neighborhood ministry?我在误导，我相信一所教堂一样，使命dei绝不会自给自足，并会依靠外部资金做它的一些居委会部？

for further reading .为进一步读。 . 。 . 。

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