Renewing The City: Reflections On Community Development And Urban Renewal

by Lupton, Robert D.

• ISBN13: 9780830833269
• ISBN10: 0830833269
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-07-01
• Publisher: Intervarsity Pr

Summary

When an expatriate bureaucrat toured a devastated city, he saw more than ashes and ruins. He envisioned a thriving metropolis where God's people could find safety and community. Likewise, when we consider today's urban challenges, we can be daunted by corruption and despair, or we can see opportunities for rejuvenation, restoration and rebirth.Community developer and urban activist Robert D. Lupton looks to the Old Testament example of Nehemiah as a role model for community transformation and renewal. Lupton sees the book of Nehemiah as the memoirs of an urban developer who transformed a decaying city into a place of security and vitality. Placing Nehemiah's story in juxtaposition with contemporary realities offers encouragement and concrete models for how our own metropolitan environments can be revitalized. Nehemiah's example--and Lupton's--offer guidance and hope for all who would seek the welfare of their cities.

Author Biography

Robert D. Lupton is founder and president of FCS Urban Ministries based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Table of Contents

Foreword	7	(2)
Ray Bakke
Preface	9	(4)
Part One: The Story	13	(78)
City in Ruins	15	(3)
The Calling	18	(6)
An Improbable Plan	24	(9)
The Opposition	33	(5)
Construction Begins	38	(5)
External Threats	43	(8)
Trouble in the Ranks	51	(5)
The End in Sight	56	(5)
The Wall Is Completed	61	(4)
Repentance and Recommitment	65	(8)
Reneighboring the City	73	(7)
The Good Years	80	(3)
Enforcing the Rules	83	(8)
Part Two: The Issues	91	(144)
What Makes a Leader?	93	(26)
Gentrification with Justice	119	(12)
The Problem of Purity	131	(10)
Discerning a Vision	141	(14)
The Difficulty with Doing Good	155	(13)
Where Your Treasure Is	168	(8)
Serving or Leading?	176	(13)
Conflict of Interest	189	(7)
Church and Community	196	(11)
Biblical Tithing	207	(9)
Home in the City	216	(19)
Epilogue	235	(3)
Notes	238	(1)
About the Author	239