Great question.

A town may not have much strategery as a crossroads, but if it has a beach . . . well, that changes everything!

:)

Guys like Tim Keller have certainly made this point about urban ministry and the place of cities in influencing and shaping the wider culture. I've also heard him talk about the need for gospel-centered churches in the suburbs and rural areas.

Perhaps we need to learn to be OK with certain men being called to more strategic crossroads where their influence can be disseminated broadly, while the majority of us carry on the good and necessary work of the Gospel in the cultural cul-de-sacs of the 'burbs and more rural settings.

One question to ask is "What is meant by strategic? or "Strategic in accomplishing what end?" It would appear to me that the end toward which we strategize is the spread of the Gospel and the establishment of healthy, biblical, Gospel-preaching churches throughout the earth. Getting such churches in "crossroads" is part of the means, not the end. If the "crossroads" are covered in a particular area of the country/world, then we should be encouraging men to take posts in the "highways and byways."

I'm preaching through Titus over the summer. I recently preached through Ephesians. Paul definitely spent some time in major, strategic, culturally-influential cities like Ephesus. I agree with Keller that he likely targeted them and this needs to be part of our church planting strategy. In fact, it's one of the reasons I'm in Madison, WI. However, Crete doesn't seem that strategic and yet a trustworthy guy like Titus was strategically left behind by Paul to train leaders and lead churches on this island.

Does Crete = Ocean City? Crete and Ocean City need faithful, godly leaders as do the Ephesuses and Mannhattans of this world.

This is an excellent question. Instead of answering the question, let me add one: in consideration of strategic location, doesn’t gifting need to be considered when one makes this decision?

Paul went to the crossroad city of Ephesus. As he taught in the school "all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord" (Acts 19:10). Epaphras, a co-worker with Paul and from Colossae(Col.1:7; 4:12), evidently went back to the "less" crossroad city of Colossae and taught there. So it is evident that while Paul went to crossroad cities, others went to areas of less strategic importance.

Paul also told Titus to appoint elders in every city (Titus 1:5). Now we can't say that the men he appointed were not obeying God's will by not moving to more strategic locations.

There are some who are particularly burdened to minister in such strategic locations; however, a danger is that they may, in their passion for their mission, miscommunicate their vision and lead men who are not called as they are to feel that they are somewhat second-rate because they are not packing up and moving to a more strategic location.

The same holds true for men like Paul who are called to minister where Christ has not yet been named, reaching unreached people groups (Romans 15:20). We should all take these calls seriously, and prayerfully consider whether we are called to these ministries; however, we should not be led to feel inferior if somehow God calls us to minister faithfully in a town of relative insignificance.

I think this is an even more important question: Why did you take your computer on vacation with you? Seriously?

Hey Matt, I think Dean has made a very good point ;)

Enjoy your no doubt well earned vacation.

Hey Matt,

Being a guy who grew up on weekend trips to Ocean City, NJ, I'm sure I have afavorable bias of the city! And by the way, Mack and Manco's is great, but if you want to get a little taste of something to contrast it to, try Prep's pizza located, I believe, on 9th street.

But I digress. There have been some excellent posts and the question of what poses a strategic city is a good one to ask. As I was trying to sort through my thoughts, I asked myself "what do I mean by 'strategic'?" It seems Paul saw these cities he went to as strategic posts for the spread of the gospel. And I agree with Tim Keller that the city does need to be addressed as strategic to the spread of the gospel. However, I wonder how connected are the suburbs and rural areas to these cities? If the thought is that those ministered by the word and are being brought into maturity in Christ are to then go and spread the gospel, I wonder how far is their reach to places like the suburbs and rural areas. I can see that being the case in Paul's day since many came to the city for different purposes and went to their outlying rural areas or villages.

Well, those are some thoughts. And by the way, Calvary Chapel on Asbury Ave. is a great church in addition to Ocean City Baptist church down there in OC. Enjoy your vacation and avoid the temptation of the MANY, MANY Khor Brothers stands!

Great ponder. I have wrestled with this question quite a bit, not that it means I have the answer to if, perhaps only the burden from it. I am a Pastor at the end of the street of a long row of churches (almost 10 in a couple mile stretch). I have listened to several great preachers address this question from Keller to Driscoll and I am moved by their passion and vision. However, much of what they counsel and proclaim stops short of our little dead end street. This is probably a very juvenile statement, but I think what makes a strategic city is that city of which the Spirit has called you to. I know - it sounds like a neat little Sunday School answer, but it is where I have landed. God raises up people from all corners of the world to do His work among His people and this includes the burbs. I really appreciated Eric Schumacher's reply:

"One question to ask is "What is meant by strategic? or "Strategic in accomplishing what end?" It would appear to me that the end toward which we strategize is the spread of the Gospel and the establishment of healthy, biblical, Gospel-preaching churches throughout the earth. Getting such churches in "crossroads" is part of the means, not the end. If the "crossroads" are covered in a particular area of the country/world, then we should be encouraging men to take posts in the "highways and byways."

As has already been mentioned, impacting cultural centers is important and we see that described throughout the New Testament. But it seems to me that we are about proclaiming truth to people so that they will either come to know Jesus or come to grow in Jesus - these people can be found in the burbs and the city.

I praise God for the men He has raised up in cultural centers to make an impact for the Gospel and I praise God for the men HE has raised up in rural and suburban areas to make an impact for the Gospel.