Back to Basics (English Edition)

A Church Growth Plan for the City

The tremendous growth of Latin American cities in the last few years has continued to aggravate a situation that has its roots in both the Spanish and Indian cultures. The Latin American, even more than the North American of the last century, has viewed the city as his one and only hope for a future. This has led to a concentration of 30% or more of the population of any given country being packed together in and around the largest city, usually the capital. If we are going to win Latin America for Christ, then we need to develop some methods and systems whereby we can reach out to these ever-expanding cities and touch the people where they live.

The pages that follow are a compilation of ideas and dreams that, seared with the hot coals of reality, have been growing and developing in my heart over the past few years. I would like to express my appreciation to Don Kammerdiener for his suggestions which focused my attention on this need. I would also be remised if I did not mention all the people with whom I have worked and who participated in the development of this project. These are my wife, my missionary co-laborers, and my fellow church members who dared to dream with me and see those dreams become a reality.

I believe this method is not limited to this one location but could and should be used in every urban setting in Latin America, if not the world.