Street Signs: A New Direction in Urban Ministry [Paperback]

Ray Bakke (Author), Jon Sharpe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 20, 2006

It’s a world in motion. Across the globe people are moving in unprecedented proportions from rural communities to urban centers. This explosion of growth and all the complexities it brings is not to be seen as a problem for churches, but as a gift—an opportunity to work with God within the city to see His purposes worked out.
Street Signs is a guide for church missions leaders and community ministry leaders seeking to bring spiritual and practical transformation to the city. Ray Bakke and Jon Sharpe offer transferable models that come from consultations held in over 200 world cities with church, business, government, and other leaders that provide approaches for God’s people who want to love their own cities from the inside out. They also provide a practical and inspirational guide to enable leaders to become volunteer consultants, bringing together church and city leaders to mobilize resources for the transformation of the city.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ray Bakke is world renowned as a minister and educator who has devoted his life to helping the church love the cities as God loves them. Cities and students all over the world have benefited from his mentoring. Bakke is author of Street Signs: A New Direction in Urban Ministry and two urban ministry classics: The Urban Christian and A Theology as Big as the City. He is also author of The Expanded Mission of City Center Churches and A Biblical Word for an Urban World. Ray Bakke founded International Urban Associates (IUA) in 1989. IUA animated a network of more than 100 urban-based church and missions leaders in many of the largest cities of the world. Currently Bakke is the chancellor for global urban ministry at Bakke Graduate University of Ministry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: New Hope Publishers - Impact (July 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596690046
• ISBN-13: 978-1596690042
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #488,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fresh Perspective for Urban Ministry, August 28, 2006

By 

Sean A. Benesh "Sean Benesh" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Street Signs: A New Direction in Urban Ministry (Paperback)

This book has challenged my assumptions and the way I look at urban centers. As one who great up in a rural setting and now find myself in a world-class city, Street Signs has provided traction for me to shift the way I view the city. Even now as I drive around the city I am learning to look at it differently with a new framework.

I enjoyed reading both authors' progression from small town life to city dwelling. I appreciate their love for the city and desire to see it impacted and changed. They presented a Gospel that was more holistic than found in many of our evangelical circles. This Gospel not only is for people's salvation (spiritual), but it empowers the church to social action that cares for people's physical, social, and emotional needs as well. I am recommending this book to all of the church planters I work with here.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A needed focus for the church, November 26, 2006

By 

Brian A. Hotrum (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Street Signs: A New Direction in Urban Ministry (Paperback)

For me, this book was a renewed call to minister in the city. I pastor an urban church that has talked about moving to the suburbs. That might be easier, but there are already plenty of churches there, and the mission field is in the urban area. So now I have to figure out how to minister in the complex urban context. This book is a great place to start. Read this book so you can find out how to get involved in your city, looking for signs of hope and opportunities to serve.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Letting Go, July 28, 2006

By 

C. R. Sharpe (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Street Signs: A New Direction in Urban Ministry (Paperback)

It is refreshing to see men who have focused on giving up their leadership rather than owning it! So many organizations drive themselves into the ground due to the founder "taking ownership" of the work that started out being one that was born of the Spirit of God. This is must reading for anyone who intends to claim to "doing the Masters business". In a nut shell, Serving the Master is total ownership by the Master.
Curtis Sharpe