Street Signs by Ray Bakke and Jon Sharpe

Announcing a new arrival: Street Signs: A New Direction in Urban Ministry by Ray Bakke and Jon Sharpe.

The following review was written by Myka Kennedy Stephens for Congregational Libraries Today, the bimonthly publication of the Church & Synagogue Library Association. Used with permission. Copyright 2007 by the Church and Synagogue Library Association (www.cslainfo.org).

Inside its attractive cover, this book has a depth that lives up to its title in that it provides a new direction for urban ministries. Bakke and Sharpe share their personal stories and how experience in urban ministry has shaped their understanding of the limitless possibilities for the Christian church in an urban setting. It is a practical guide for urban churches and their leaders that is both friendly and challenging. With questions for reflection at the end of each chapter, this book is ideal for small group study or independent reading.

Bakke and Sharpe’s theology of urban ministry develops out of their Lutheran/Baptist and Methodist/Pentecostal backgrounds. They assert that the city is not just another mission field. Rather, God is present in urban areas and the Church is called to listen to and meet the needs of urban Christians. They promote the idea of consultations to invigorate urban ministries and include a how-to guide for organizing a consultation. The theology and missiology contained in this book can be easily translated to any Christian church, from Roman Catholic to Baptist. It would benefit any urban church that reads it and is highly recommended.
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Call number: BV637.5 .B35 2006
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