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on cities

A collection of 13 issues

In for the Long Haul: Why Cities

This article is part of the series "In for the Long Haul," explaining Orchard Group's commitment to back church planters as they establish churches in cities. Orchard Group was born in New York City in 1948, and we have focused on establishing churches in urban areas ever since. This mission

In for the Long Haul: Management Teams

This article is part of the series "In for the Long Haul," explaining Orchard Group's commitment to back church planters as they establish churches in cities. The Orchard Group team is committed to supporting church planters at each stage of the process. As part of this, we form teams that

The Future Church

By Nick Parsons, Director of Recruitment “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially if it’s about the future." - Mark Twain The 1989 film Back to the Future II made some incredible predictions about what the year 2015 would look like. It correctly foretold flat screen televisions, video conferencing,

City Similarities

From Luke Greer, Orchard Group Director of Partnership As I stepped from the platform into the car, the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the subway assaulted my senses: a suit-wearing executive barked orders on his iPhone before losing coverage, teens sporting Yankees caps and loosely-laced Nikes slap-knuckled one another

The Urban/Rural Divide – And Christmas

From Luke Greer, Director of Partnership For me, part of the Christmas season means spending time reading the Bible’s nativity stories in Matthew and Luke. Although I’ve read them many times before, something “new” often captures my attention. This year when I read the angels’ declaration to the

Isolate or Engage?

Isolate or engage? This challenge confronts Christians who face the challenges of prevailing cultural norms that often run counter to a life centered on Jesus. This tension is not new. Jesus mentions being in but not of the world. Cities often appear to be places where unchecked secularism prevails, yet

Get Back to Me in 20

From Brent Storms, President and CEO You might not know why you’re doing what you’re doing now for another twenty years. Sorry. It’s true. Twenty years ago this month, my wife and I packed up our meager belongings and moved from Missouri to Massachusetts. We both grew

City Similarities

From Luke Greer, Director of Partnership As I stepped from the platform into the car, the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the subway assaulted my senses: a suit-wearing executive barked orders on his iPhone before losing coverage, teens sporting Yankees caps and loosely-laced Nikes slap-knuckled one another in greeting,

Want to Change Culture? Engage the City

from Greg Hubbard, Director of Operations Many people are watching the emerging U.S. presidential races with keen interest (or dismay). We are concerned about the state of our culture. We long for a positive future. If only we could elect a leader who would do something about all the

What Churches Will Look Like in 2050

From Nick Parsons, Director of Recruitment > “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially if it’s about the future.” - Mark Twain The 1989 film, Back to the Future II, made some incredible predictions about what the year 2015 would look like. The film correctly predicted flat screen televisions, video

How and Why Cities Are Coming Back

> The truth is that we are living at a moment in which the massive outward migration that characterized the second half of the twentieth century is coming to an end. And we need to adjust our perceptions of cities, suburbs, and urban mobility as a result. -Alan Ehrenhalt The trends

As The World Becomes More Urban, So Must The Church

When Orchard Group was established in 1948, the percentage of the world population living in cities was 30%. Today, more than 50% of the world lives in cities. By 2050, projections are that 70% will live in cities. When Orchard Group was started, there were only two cities — New York

Intercultural Leadership

From Dr. Brian Leander, Orchard Group Board member “Look at the last ten people you’ve texted,” a church planter recently challenged his congregation. Listeners pulled out their phones to scroll through their screens. “Now, how many of them look just like you?” Take a moment to practice this yourself.