Nine cities. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa-Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton. More than half of Canada’s population live in these nine cities. And, because a majority of immigrants choose to settle in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, over 35% of Canadians live in these three cities alone.
Cities have unique social and cultural dynamics and share common issues: population density, social and ethnic diversity, economic disparity, immigration needs, the meshing of commerce, education, and the arts, homelessness and poverty, wealth and prosperity. Life in the city core is complex. 'One size fits all' rarely applies to ministry in the urban core.
Because four out of five Canadians live in a metropolitan area, Mission Canada needs more workers in Canada’s cities. We need fresh expressions of the gospel. We need more Christ-followers who are willing to share life in meaningful ways with those who call the city home. We must be about engaging the stranger on the street and finding ways to do life together. People are everywhere in the city. Jesus always found Himself among the people, and so must we, integrating daily life with ministry and mission.
Who will go to the urban core of Canada's cities? Who will lead? Who will innovate? Who will pray? Who will plant? Who will partner? Who will embed themselves for the sake of those who need to see Jesus lived out? Will you?
Kevin Rogers is the lead pastor at New Song in Windsor, Ontario since 1994 and founding member of the band 2Fish. He serves as the Mission Canada Urban Ministries Co-ordinator along with a stellar team of urban sojourners. To join us on the urban “quest”, connect with Kevin.