City Impact Roundtable - El Paso Texas

This is the first time I have attended the City Impact Round table. I decided to attend this year because of the invitation of Glenn Barth who serves as the convener. This year's focus is The Dynamics of Transformation, A Consultation for City-Reaching Practitioners. Glenn has recently agreed to serve as the president of the ministry that was founded by Jack Dennison known as CitiReach International. Sam Williams and Eric Swanson of Tango have been working with Jack to launch a "Good Cities" initiative which Glenn will lead.

Another reason I wanted to attend is that I am gathering information about city reaching so that I might use that information in resourcing the growing number of city reaching movements including the growing Denver Metro movement where I live. My interest has been growing because of my relationship with leaders from around the world who have been part of the Global Learning Community at the Lost Antler Ranch in Estes Park, Colorado. Another reason my interest has grown is because I also served as the lead facilitator in a Leadership Network Leadership Community on the Externally Focused Church that Eric was directing. I sense that God is working in the lives of the leaders and churches to bring about a new way of communicating the person, presence and power of Jesus Christ to the unbelieving world.

I have often thought that the Old Testament example of Israel when they were in exile is the example for the church in a "Post-Christendom" world. Therefore, the words of the prophet Jeremiah serve as a statement of mission for the church "...seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Jeremiah 29:7.