If you plant an urban church you need to learn the local culture and traditions even if you never fully embrace them. In Philadelphia, among other things, we have the Mummers, cheesesteaks, hoagies (don’t you dare call them subs) and soft pretzels. And remember, when in Philly, you ask for soda, not pop. You ask for pop Read more

From the gospelfirst: While ministering among diverse people groups in the city it is natural to view some groups as more privileged and others as disadvantaged. There exists a great disparity of wealth and education and opportunity. Often this divide is along racial lines, yet prosperity and poverty are at times oblivious to race.  In Read more

An original poem by John Davis.

We had a most unusual Christmas dinner yesterday. Last Sunday at our worship service people were talking about Christmas plans. A single middle-aged black man who has been attending mentioned that he didn’t have anywhere to go on Christmas. We met him several months ago during one of our homeless outreaches. I don’t know his Read more

          Church planters are the upfront guys in ministry.  Often neglected is the importance of the church planter’s wife, mostly behind the scenes, yet absolutely indispensable. I can’t tell you how many times in thirty years of ministry I have seen men called to plant or pastor churches who assumed their wives would just get Read more

Recently, the city of Philadelphia wanted to change “Christmas Village” to “Holiday village.” Officials backtracked after threats of boycott and a firestorm of protests from citizens. Many Americans bemoan today what has been called the “War on Christmas.” I sympathize with many of their concerns. Even more concerning to believers should be how little the entrance of Read more

For the first time in my Christian experience I'm in a church which lights advent candles. I must confess that I had heard of this tradition but thought it was something that real Bible-believing churches didn’t or shouldn’t do. It was too, well, Catholic or something. Most churches who observed Advent in this way didn’t preach Read more

          Our church has been gathering gloves, scarves, hats, and socks for the homeless. As I write this blog from Philadelphia with an early arctic blast upon us, I look outside where we have coats hanging on a rail that people can take as they pass by. Some will come into our ministry center where Read more

          My brother John's present series on the city in Genesis is outstanding. Here's an excerpt from his latest posting.  "The city of Philadelphia is peppered with religious edifices that stand as a sign of Christianity’s once magnificent presence in the city. However, the signs and symbols eventually became the substance, replacing the gospel of Read more

          As time goes on I find few ways in which I would want to be called or call myself a conservative. It’s a word that like many has served its purpose but has been stretched in so many directions (cultural, political, theological) that it requires endless qualification. Granted, in a small tight group of Read more