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God wants us to be responsible for our cities, civil government, etc.
Jeremiah 29:4-7
God cares about wayward, sin-sick, cities. See God’s heart for Nineveh:
Jonah 1:1-2
Jonah 4:10-11
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Similarly, we need to have a heart for our city and cities across our nation that desperately need the truth.
While it may not be possible for us to impact the city in its entirety due to its sheer size, each one of us can begin to affect our communities in significant ways.
Bangalore City
Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration.
Bangalore is well known as a hub for India's information technology sector. It is among the top 10 preferred entrepreneurial locations in the world.
Pollution and other logistical and socio-economic problems.
8.5 million people.
EARNINGS
Higher per capita income in the city, double the state average.
Effect of call centers, BPO, IT/ITES industries has put wealth in the hands of the young.
Bangalore employ over 35% of India's pool of 1 million IT professionals.
Despite higher per capita income within the urban district than in the rest of the State, and with significant migrant population, the number of urban poor has been on the rise and the slum settlements in the city have not been contained.
BANGALORE SLUMS
Bangalore has 862 slums from total of around 2000 slums in Karnataka. It is estimated that about 20% of Bangalore population reside in urban slums. The families living in the slum are not ready to move into the temporary shelters. 42% of the households migrated from different parts of India and 43% of the households had remained in the slums for over 10 years.
BANGALORE DRUG CULTURE
About 30% of students in Bangalore are drug addicts. This includes high school and college students, and those pursuing engineering and medical courses.
Small shops located close to reputed schools in the city peddle drugs.
Each year the number of drug addicts is growing by 15%.
Drug addiction is no longer confined to the affluent and the poor; the middle class is also under its grip
BANGALORE PUB CULTURE
Bangalore has an active night culture and is home to over 200 clubs and bars. The city is also referred to by many as the "Pub Capital of India".
BANGALORE SUICIDES
described as the suicide capital of India
In 2010, the city recorded 1,778 suicides, a good 13% of the total suicides committed that year in the country.
Suicide is rampant among students and young professionals, in the age group of 15-34 years
Experts believe migrants in the city are most vulnerable to suicidal tendencies.
BANGALORE STREET KIDS, HOMELESS
"Children of the street" are homeless children who live and sleep on the streets in urban areas. They are on their own and do not have any parental supervision or care
You may find some or all of these problems right in or around the community you live.
Ward By Ward
Bangalore has 198 Wards
Websites for more info on Bangalore wards:
http://www.bbmpelections.in/
http://bbmp.gov.in
Form a Community/Ward Transformation Team.
Ideally Life-Groups in a particular ward can begin to take ownership for the spiritual transformation of the ward in which they meet.
So in a given ward we may have one or more “Community Transformation Teams” (CTT). This could be an existing Life-Group (ideal situation) or another team formed specifically for the purpose of community transformation of that particular ward.
The LG Leader of the CTT leader – leads this group and they collectively work towards the spiritual transformation of the community/ward.
Report back to the associate pastors (send email to lgleaders@apcwo.org)
Thanks to bro. Joshua Pillai (APC-South) for presenting this idea of looking at Bangalore city, ward by ward, and engaging at the ward level for city transformation. We are developing upon this idea.
Four Step Process to transform your community/ward. We employ the same four step process that we discussed for the transformation of our “social sphere” of influence : EXPLORE, ENGAGE, EVANGELIZE, EQUIP
1, EXPLORE your community
‘Spy out the land’ – see what the terrain is like. Identify the challenges and the opportunities.
When God was getting His people ready to enter the land He wanted them to possess – He told them to send a few people to ‘spy out the land’ (Numbers 13:1,2).
Seek God’s mind on how you can prepare yourself for the challenges and position yourself for the opportunities that lie in your community.
So don’t be afraid to step in to those areas where God has placed you or wants you involved.
God has provided for the redemption (recovery and restoration)
Colossians 1:16-20
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
You are His agent, His ambassador, His minister, to see the restoration of things in your sphere (mountain) to Himself.
2, ENGAGE your community with the 5 tools we have discussed:
Personal Lifestyle : Let your light shine (Matthew 5:13-16) through your word and deed
Communicating The Gospel : share Jesus, ask the Lord for opportunities.
Demonstrations of love and power : demonstrate His love and power. Ask the Lord for opportunities. Exercise spiritual authority, release the prophetic, flow in the anointing of God, minister healing and deliverance.
Prayer & Intercession with Fasting : engage in prayer for your mountain.
Repent of the sins you see
Intercede for God to move out demonic principalities and powers that dominate and control. Ask the Lord to draw people to Himself
Establish God’s presence through prayer, praise, worship and works of righteousness
Engage in street prayer, on-site prayer, mall prayer, etc.
Ground level Spiritual warfare
Confront and cast out demonic activity
John 12:31,32
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."
Satan has no legal ownership of the lives of people in your community.
3, EVANGELIZE
This means leading people into a commitment to follow the Lord Jesus Christ
Receive from the Holy Spirit strategies for evangelism for your community.
Romans 1:16 Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 1:21-25 The Gospel is the message of the Cross. It is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Use methods we know:
On-Campus ELEVATES
Community outreach
House visits
Special evangelistic events
Coffee shop ministry
Mall evangelism
4, EQUIP
This means empower new believers to become disciples of Jesus and to be transformation agents for the Kingdom of God in that same community. Teach them how to EXPLORE, ENGAGE, EVANGELIZE and EQUIP
Jesus told us to make disciples – baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things that He commanded us (Matthew 28:18-20).
Receive from the Holy Spirit strategies to disciple people in community:
Start Small groups
Invite them to a Life Group or start a Life Group with them
Invite to church
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