“But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Jonah 4:11 [NIV]
God is at work in the city of Madison, just as He was a work in the city of Nineveh. We catch glimpses of His activity in our churches. But there’s much more going on.
That’s what madisonchristians.com is all about, trying to maintain a city-wide focus on the spiritual activities of the Madison area. Our key verse is Romans 12:5, “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” [NIV]
One Church
It’s exciting to read about one church that is growing and having an impact in its city and region, and beyond. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. If you haven’t heard about pastor David Platt yet, you probably will be hearing more about him soon. He’s written a book called Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.
At a time several years ago when I was going through a period of disappointment with my church, it was comforting for me to realize that no church has it all together. And that every church can have a redeeming purpose. That’s what being a part of the body of Christ is all about.
One City
That’s why I have enjoyed reading the series of reports on the growth of the Christian churches in New York City called “The Making of the Postsecular City.” Sure there are some big evangelical churches in New York, such as Redeemer Presbyterian and Brooklyn Gospel Tabernacle. But there are hundreds of other churches popping up across Manhattan, the Bronx, and other parts of New York.
In the opening report I read that this project has found almost 200 churches scattered across lower Manhattan, and 40 percent of them have been founded in the last ten years. In the 12th, and apparently final, installment, it says: “In sum no other city’s ups and downs become part of the world’s consciousness quite like New York’s…Whatever happens, a fundamental change in the role of faith in New York City will affect the mindspace of the world.”
What About Madison?
Madison, in large part because of its university, also has a global impact. Is what’s happening in New York City, or Birmingham, possible here? Should we be watching for it? We are, here at madisonchristians.com. Let us know what you see.