DISTINCTIVES OF URBAN MINISTRY

1. Incarnational presence of ministry and workers:
2. Shalom - seeking the peace of the city at structural, community and individual levels of reality with the practise of justice and compassion:
3. Street level projects derived from the context and with the people:
4. Locals and workers worshipping together in locally based, relevant and connected faith communities:
5. Ministry that identifies 'Every project a congregation and every congregation a project':
6. The appropriate empowerment of people to take control of their own lives and ministry:
7. Development of participatory contextual bible studies for the people and of the people:
8. Practise is evangelism (not simply words):
9. Conversion is radical life-style change (not merely interior):
10. Theology as an 'urban' theology (Christ and Gospel centred) - developed through reflection on our experience and practise in the urban context in light of our faith:
11. Equality of discipleship of service for all people regardless of race or gender or socio-economic status:
12. Being open to participatory organisational change, always through rigorous analysis of context and ministry, and asking of any change proposed whose social, spiritual, political and economic interests such a change is serving:
13. As Christians engaged in the practise of urban ministry, critically and selectively utilising the practise and insights from secular business, welfare, management and academic sectors, but only as they enhance the purposes of the ministry and do not compromise these urban distinctives:
14. Small, focussed and effective; committed at the core, open at the edges:
15. Encouragement of 'reflection' : facilitating time for both self-reflection and community -reflection:
16. Partnerships with funding bodies and churches that do not compromise these urban distinctives:
    

1. Incarnational presence of ministry and workers:
   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1: 14). The story of Jesus is the story of a God who was so passionately concerned for creation that in Jesus, God chose to become one with humanity. This concept of incarnation - a being, with, a living amongst, a 'humbling of oneself', translates in the urban context to a practise of mission and ministry that is distinct from paternalism. Incarnational ministry is the practise of one's faith with others, not 'to' or 'for' others. Incarnational ministry means that those of us who come from the dominate middle class in our society, and who seek to be engaged with people who are on the margins of our society, or 'the poor', must first seek to listen to, and be grounded in the inner city context, in order to practise our faith in a way that empowers those with whom we share our lives and faith. Incarnational ministry is about living and being in the context, and earning the right to be identified as part of the context. This does not mean that those of us who come from middle class life experiences cannot engage in ministry to those outside our culture, but it does mean we must earn the right to do so in humility, and without an arrogant evangelism or paternalism. It means knowing the context, listening to those who live in it, and developing models of ministry with those who are there. It generally means a long term commitment to work in places where the church has been absent, or only present in the language of judgement. This approach does not project an image of 'we have the answer for you' by those in 'professional welfare or ministry' or by 'incoming suburban professionals'. It is not a place for ‘parachute evangelism', for those who come in for the evangelistic 'hot drop' without first earning the right to speak in the context.
   
   
2. Shalom - seeking the peace of the city at structural, community and individual levels of reality with the practise of justice and compassion:
   The Old Testament concept of shalom is one that identifies a way of being. that embraces all aspects of life into a state of peace and harmony, both with God, fellow humanity and creation. It is about wholeness, about being at peace with God, each other and the world in which we live. Such a state of harmony is however often shattered by sin, sin that is both individual and structural. While Christians have focussed on individual sin, we have been too easily blinded to the way in which sin operates at the structural level in our world and city, where those in power legislate in the interests of the owners of industry, and those who are the 'poor and oppressed' in our society are ignored. Vicious cycles of poverty shatter the shalom God seeks for the city, not simply creating sin, but the 'sinned against'. Racism, sexism, exploitation of others, all continue to destroy the shalom that God desires. Even amongst Cod's people jealousy, envy, power and malice often destroy this shalom. In naming this need for shalom we seek to create it at the individual, community and structural levels of the city, through the practise of justice (including social action, advocacy and political engagement) and compassion (including mediation, forgiveness and charity).
   
   
3. Street level projects derived from the context and with the people:
   Urban ministry begins with the people and the mutually established needs of the context where they really are, not with building based programs and projects imported from outside the context. The ministry strategy must be relevant and connected to the locality, and developed in consultation with those with whom the work will develop. Outreach work at street level in the context of the inner city of Sydney, especially amongst sex-workers and adolescents at risk, is a proactive approach to meet those who would never feel welcome in a 'church'. It is a strategy that 'goes to them, not expecting they will come to us'. It also means that programs and projects and church activities will be owned by those with whom ministry develops.
   
   
4. Locals and workers worshipping together in locally based, relevant and connected faith communities:
   Worship must lie at the heart of any urban ministry, and must be inclusive and available to all. This inclusive worship will assist in breaking down the barriers between those in full time ministry and those with whom they work. It will bring everyone together before God in the acts of prayer, proclamation and liturgy, in order to be empowered together. In both Woolloomooloo and Glebe (and other places as we have the resources) the regular worshipping Fellowships will be places of welcome and hope, refreshment and service, bringing together the activities of all our work and placing them before God for renewed energy, courage and hope. As such these worshipping Fellowships will be vital to the ongoing spiritual and pastoral needs of inner city ministry.
   
   
5. Ministry that identifies 'Every project a congregation and every congregation a project':
   Our concept of the 'church' in urban ministry is not confined to the practise of worship. Worship will empower a seven day a week 'church' that continues the ministry and work of the 'church', whether in the Long Term Supported Accommodation Unit, the Women's Space for Sex Workers, the Employment Training Program, in the Op Shops, in street level outreach, in the Aboriginal Program - wherever the practise of ministry takes place there will be a 'congregation' requiring the Good News. This in turn means all those engaged in the practise of this ministry will themselves be 'pastors'. Hence we embrace the Protestant tradition of the 'priesthood of all believers'. This will also mean that those in full time work will be encouraged to feel a 'calling' to this work and understand their job is their 'vocation'.
   
   
6. The appropriate empowerment of people to take control of their own lives and ministry:
   The goal of urban ministry will be to continually offer people the opportunity to choose what will lead to 'life and life in all its fullness' (John 10:10). At the heart of this process will be the appropriate empowerment of people to take control over their own lives. This will mean that our practise of ministry will not simply be about hand-outs - neither will it foster dependency. We will not offer financial assistance to people in need without at the same time offering them the choice of learning skills that will empower them to manage their money, or skills that will end their experience of poverty (for example training in our Employment Training Program). This process of empowerment will also apply to the ministry itself. Consequently those of us in full- time ministry will need to consider ourselves as catalyst or animateurs, and be aware that the process of empowerment requires a time when we 'hand over' the ministry to those with whom we have been working. This empowerment must however be an appropriate one - hence it will require careful analysis of how our ministries are developing, and how successful our empowering of others has been. This process must not be used however to push people out of ministry or to disempower others. It is a careful process of investing in others skills, self-esteem and training so that they in turn can continue the process of empowerment.
   
   
7. Development of participatory contextual bible studies for the people and of the people:
   An incarnational presence and a ministry that empowers will also require us to listen to those within our context when they read and interpret the Gospel story for their lives. This will require a new approach to reading the Bible in this context, where ordinary non-trained readers of the Bible will be given the opportunity to read for themselves the Good News. Traditionally the interpretation of the Bible has been in the hands of professional readers of the Bible who have for centuries interpreted the texts in a manner that endorses the status-quo and those in power in church and state. Ordinary readers of the Bible, can by the very nature of their readings expose where certain texts have been ignored or domesticated and rendered meaningless today (for example 'woe to you who are rich' in Luke 6:24) as well as giving new meaning to texts when the story of the text connects with the story of their lives (for example when a sex-worker reads for the first time Matthew 21: 31-32). This reading approach will listen to ordinary readers and their interpretations, and enter with them into conversation with professional readings to guard against self-serving readings or readings that are too context specific. This approach will however take seriously that the interpretation of Scripture is not exclusively revealed to the 'wise' but also to the meek and the humble, even as Scripture suggests to the 'babes' in the faith (Matthew 11: 25). Above all, this approach will hand the Bible back to the people, and seek to empower them to read the Good News for their lives today.
   
   
8. Practise is evangelism (not simply words):
   Urban ministry recognises that for those outside the 'church' words are often cheap. For many people outside the 'church', the 'church' has been big on words and short on practise. Evangelism must move beyond a sharing of 'ideas' or 'arguments' about why people should become Christians, into a material and practical expression of the love of Christ and reflect the invitation we receive from God to be transformed. The practise of our faith, in providing a bed for the -homeless, food for the hungry, empowerment for the powerless, justice for those sinned against, a safe place for women, counselling and care, advocacy for exploited migrant women - the practise of our faith, will lie at the heart of our evangelism. We will use words when necessary! Our faith will be preached in our actions and our actions, will be because of our faith. In all our practise we will seek to preach the Good News of welcome and shalom.
   
   
9. Conversion is radical life-style change (not merely interior):
   If our evangelism is as much about practise as it about words, then so to will conversion be about radical life-style change, rather than merely a verbal confession of faith that means nothing in practise. For many in the inner city conversion will mean radical life-style change. Those suffering from addictions, those who have been abused, those who have learnt much hatred and anger, those who have always felt rejected by the 'church', those who feel they are not 'good enough' for God, will all in different ways require long-term patient and caring support, as their conversion experience will often mean radical life-style change (that is radical change to the way they live their lives on a daily basis), going well beyond what many refer to as 'giving their heart to Jesus'. While it will mean this, it will mean much more as well, as patterns of life are changed and news ways of living are discovered.
   
   
10. Theology as an 'urban' theology (Christ and Gospel centred) - developed through reflection on our experience and practise in the urban context in light of our faith:
    Our developing theology will commence with Jesus Christ as the starting, point in our interpretation of Scripture and our context. But our context will also be foregrounded as the starting point in our interpretation of what it means to follow Jesus Christ today in the inner city. As John Vincent (who has worked in the inner city of Sheffield in England for over thirty years) has written 'we need to read the Gospels with the eyes of the city, and read the city with the eyes of the Gospel'. An urban theology will commence with the experience of people in that context especially those who are poor and marginalised - and ask : what does their experience, and ours in working with them - have to say about the shape of faith in Jesus Christ today? What does 'good news to the poor'-mean, not just in theory, but in practise. What shape will the 'Good News' take on the streets, and in the back lanes and alleyways of Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo, where people face life and death questions everyday. In a context where transgender, male and female prostitution occurs 24 hours a day, what does 'liberty to those who are oppressed' really mean? For those who are homeless, those with HIV, those urban Aboriginal people robbed of their culture, their land and their meaning what shape does the Gospel take - not just in words, but in the actions of those who proclaim the 'Good News'? How can we build on God's presence in the city - identify it and name it as the Kingdom of God? In all these questions the context will shape our thinking and our responses and our practise.
    
    
11. Equality of discipleship of service for all people regardless of race or gender or socio-economic status:
    'There ' is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' (Galatians 3: 27). In response to the diversity of the inner city context, all those who feel called to be a part of ministry in this context will be equally welcome and empowered for discipleship and mission. Class distinctions,' gender distinctions, racism have no place in urban ministry. All are invited to an equality of service, utilising gifts and abilities, exercising leadership and servanthood, equally together in the Kingdom of God.
    
    
12. Being open to participatory organisational change, always through rigorous analysis of context and ministry, and asking of any change proposed whose social, spiritual, political and economic interests such a change is serving:
    Participatory decision making and collegiality with regard to how BICM functions in the urban context is an essential aspect of empowering people for ministry. This elicits a culture of trust and co-operation, where organisational changes are mutually discussed and developed with the interests of those with whom we work as the focal point. Unfortunately, as the 'church' has historically illustrated, people often seek to influence an organisation because of self-interest or questions of power, rather than seeking to influence the 'church' to change in order, to meet the needs of those with whom they work in ministry. Consequently to safeguard ourselves from merely becoming a self-serving organisation, when change is proposed we will need to ask whose social, spiritual, political and economic interests such a change is serving. This will require an openness and an honesty in the process of organisational change, and will require the tools of social analysis in order to understand not just the way in which we function as an organisation, but how the society around us also functions. Such a process will also require mutual accountability within our own organisation and within the community and context in which we live and work.
    
    
13. As Christians engaged in the practise of urban ministry, critically and selectively utilising the practise and insights from secular business, welfare, management and academic sectors, but only as they enhance the purposes of the ministry and do not compromise these urban distinctives:
    BICM has grown over the past ten years in response to need. This has meant that as an organisation we have crossed boundaries between 'church' and 'charity' and deliberately blurred lines between the two. The nature of our organisation, management structure and staffing practises, is driven by our ministry in the inner city context, not the other way around. This means we can borrow from a variety of other sectors, whether in terms of management practises, welfare practises and so on, but only as they serve the distinctive nature of who we are in our context and enhance the ministry we are committed to. For example this will be reflected by the fact that the selection of staff will equally be based upon life-experience and commitment, rather than, but not ignoring, formal qualifications and training.
    
    
14. Small, focussed and effective; committed at the core, open at the edges:
    BICM in responding to the needs of the inner city will seek to remain small, focussed and effective. Bureaucratic structures will be minimised. Ministry will be our focus. Effectiveness will be evaluated by our relevance to the context and the meeting of needs. We will not be seduced from our task by a need for quantitative growth, but will seek qualitative growth in the lives of those with whom we minister, and in our own lives also. We will be an open community of people, always inviting others to join us, but with a solid commitment to urban ministry at the centre of what we do.
    
    
15. Encouragement of 'reflection' : facilitating time for both self-reflection and community -reflection:
    In the multitude of our activities, and the demands of our ministry, we seek to encourage each other to reflect upon our practise, and our own lives through times of solitude and retreat, as well as regular staff training days and meetings. This action-reflection will allow us to be self-critical as well as self-reflective, and will fashion our future activism and faith, so as the enhance our effectiveness. Time for reflection is not considered time out, but understands reflection as a proactive way in which to sustain our ongoing ministry and to develop future ministry based upon analysis of what we have done and what our actions have taught us about our context and the shape of future ministry.
    
    
16. Partnerships with funding bodies and churches that do not compromise these urban distinctives:
    BICM is always seeking partnerships with others. We require prayer, financial and human resources in order to maintain and develop our ministry. However BICM will not enter into partnerships with others where that partnership would jeopardise these distinctives or damage or inhibit our ministry and mission. We will not become dependent upon any one funding body lest we lose our ability to respond to need as it arises in our context.