by Jessica Olson
Churches have great power to create change and provide help to many people in the communities they serve. But what if church leaders do not have the knowledge on how to best do this? In Central Arkansas, this is where the City Church Network comes in to play. Leader Training Coordinator, Lauren Linz from City Church Network says “We are all affected by the increasing pain and brokenness in our city, and many are disillusioned because of the fragmented and ineffective efforts that fail to bring significant transformation. But it does not have to be that way; if we work together we can build a flourishing city.”
Worshipers at a One Voice Gathering hosted by City Church.
City Church Network is a 501(c)(3) organization that works to “unite the church through extraordinary prayer, trained leaders, and greater works for the good of the city” (https://citychurchar.org/about/). Linz says “the Church is the hope for the world and no one church can do everything, but together we can make a difference, we can bring significant change for our city.” The organization is made up of experienced pastors and Christian leaders who hope to help offer Biblical ways to unite the churches of the area.
Members from Fellowship and Saint Mark’s Baptist Church work together to serve the community.
How do these clergy members work to do this? According to their website, https://citychurchar.org/about/, there are three main ways they work. First, they provide “proven, church-based, non-formal theological training for leaders.” By 2025, they expect to have trained 10,000 leaders on the First Principles of the Faith. Second, they encourage city wide worship, as well as prayer experiences. In order to do this, by 2025 they hope to have monthly meetings with 400 leaders with 80 prayer groups. They have also planned semi-annual City-wide OneVoice Concerts. Finally, they are working on “spiritually discerning a few key areas for mobilizing churches into ‘greater works’” (https://citychurchar.org/about/).
City Church Network day of service with Fellowship and Saint Mark’s Baptist Church.
If you want to get involved, you can find more information at citychurchar.org, City Church Network’s brand new website that tells about their community events. According to Linz, these events will include “Extraordinary Prayer, Trained Leaders, and Collective Impact.”