Why Are Cities Hard To Reach? The New Urban Reality & 4 Postures To Move Us Forward

By S. Crawley

Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

The growing urbanisation of our world is well documented.

Growing numbers of disciple-making movements (DMMs) are also well documented.

What's missing is well-documented DMMs in urban contexts.

Anecdotally, there are few urban instances of DMM, and those that exist are taking place primarily within sub-groups who have preserved a rural social structure. Sustained replicating discipleship is still rare amongst majority populations in our cities.

Why Aren't We Impacting Our Cities?

This is an important question. God knows His timing and His plans for the cities of the world, and we can't presume to speak for Him.

However, He has clearly communicated His ultimate goals, His heart's desire, and His standing instructions. In light of these things, we can and must reflect on our contribution and what we can do differently.

What is clear is that we are facing a rapidly urbanising world, and the urban environments we are dealing with are radically different from those of one or two generations ago.

Cities Have Changed

Developments in technology over recent decades have had a snowball effect on population. Technological advancements mean more people can inhabit a given space (think sewerage, engineering, electricity) and simultaneously provide more educational and economic opportunities. These opportunities draw a greater number of people to cities, driving economic growth and innovation (along with crime and social dysfunction).

What we call "a city" is actually thousands and thousands of social systems and networks interacting and bouncing off each other and economic, political, transportation and communication systems.

Our cities are complex on a much higher level than urban centres in earlier ages and any attempt to serve God’s vision for our cities must wrestle with this reality.

Navigating Complexity Demands A Fresh Approach

We can be confident that God is at work in our cities and His plans to saturate them with the knowledge of His glory are as sure in the city as it is in the countryside. We can also be confident that Jesus' strategies are fit for purpose.

The question that needs attention is what wineskins will best facilitate spreading discipleship through the complex social systems that make up our cities. However, recognising that we are dealing with a complex environment can help us adjust our posture to maximise our learning.

The distinction between “simple”, “complicated”, and “complex” environments can help us as we think about our cities.

In simple environments, cause and effect are predictable, and best practices have already been established through trial and error. Once the situation is understood, we know which category it belongs to and can confidently choose the best response based on policy or past experience.

In complicated environments, cause and effect are harder to discern because more factors are at play. However, the dynamics are predictable if someone has sufficient experience and knows what to look for. Solutions can be found by bringing in an expert to analyse and recommend appropriate responses.

In complex environments, our context is unpredictable. There are no definitive answers. So many different factors are involved that cause and effect can only be identified after the event has taken place, and they are unlikely to repeat themselves in exactly the same way in future. Experience may be helpful in identifying broad patterns that reveal themselves over time, but there are no guaranteed solutions. Navigating these contexts requires experimentation – an incremental process of observation, experimentation and implementation followed by further observation.

The difference in how we approach challenges can be summarised in this way:

Environment                                    Appropriate Response

Simple                                                           Sense - Categorise - Respond

Complicated                                            Sense - Analyse - Respond

Complex                                                      Probe - Sense - Respond

4 Postures for Approaching Urban Complexity

Where does this leave us? No formulae or cookie-cutter solutions, unfortunately, but a clear direction that is perfectly consistent with the discipleship walk that the Word and Spirit of God invite us into. Here are 4 postures which will serve us well:

Prayerful

A complex environment is never truly stable or predictable, and our vision is always cloudy at best. Fortunately, our Father is far above our limitations, has a plan and knows the next steps! We need to keep leaning into Him as we go.

Curious

We need to focus first on understanding what we are seeing. We can be quick to assume we know the problem and the solution. When we are conscious of urban complexity, it keeps us humble and listening.

What is actually happening? What might we be unable to see? What is God saying and doing? What are those around us seeing and experiencing?

Experimental

As we probe and question, we can form a tentative understanding of the situation and attempt a response. We then observe what follows, ready to quickly adjust or pivot as the situation requires.

Collaborative

The Kingdom gains will be greatest if we learn alongside peers and co-labourers in other contexts. Their perspectives and experiences can provide valuable insights we otherwise have to generate through our own trial and error. Together, we can more rapidly discern the patterns and trends across different urban contexts.

God has worked and is working through our existing and historical wineskins. However, their inability to significantly impact the lostness and complexity of our urban environments shows us that new wineskins are going to be needed.

There are no definitive answers to this yet, but insights will continue to emerge as teams and leaders wrestle with these questions and seek to address them in urban contexts around the world.

Getting Practical

1. What complexity do you see when you look at the harvest God has placed you in? How would you break down that complexity into smaller pieces?

2. How might the "Probe - Sense - Respond" approach serve you in your context?

3. Who else do you know who is wrestling with similar challenge or environment to you? How could you learn with/from each other?

Note: The “Simple, Complicated, Complex” categories and descriptions are based on Dave Snowden’s “Cynefin Framework,” which is very relevant to our urban environments. For a more detailed explanation in the context of decision-making, read this article.

Discipling the Urban Harvest provides practical insights and encouragement to walk with God in multiplying discipleship in an increasingly urban world - growing as children of the Father, serving the communities He has called us to, and discipling those hungry to know Him.