Doug Logan is a pastor in Camden, New Jersey, one of the poorest, most dysfunctional cities in the United States. In that setting, he cannot ignore the missiological aspect of church life. His congregation and the unchurched his church reaches out to are poor, addicted, jobless, minorities, homeless, or some combination of the above. In On the Block:Developing a Biblical Picture for Missional Engagement Logan tells stories from his neighborhood and church that will inspire other Christians to open their eyes to the people around them.
One example of a non-traditional ministry and outreach strategy is Logan's participation in breeding American bullies, a dog breed that is popular in Camden. Through his kennel and the American bullies community, young men have been drawn into friendship with other Christian dog owners and into church membership. I honestly never thought of dog breeding as a missional opportunity.
Logan calls out some of his Camden church neighbors for preaching a health-and-wealth gospel which exploits poor congregants while enriching leadership. This is a problem in inner cities across America, not just Camden. (It's a problem in other countries, too.) Logan is well-connected to church-planting networks and other organizations that keep them accountable, both in mission and theology.
No matter where they are located, churches must heed Logan's challenge to quite making "the false dichotomy between them people out there and us people in here." Whatever it looks like in your neighborhood, get out "on the block" and live out the gospel in your community.
Thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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