It Takes a Village

In 1988, Bruce Main started a ministry called Urban Promise in Camden, New Jersey. For over a year and a half, more than one hundred inner-city children, many of them African-American, found safe haven after school and in Sunday worship in the predominantly white church. While the program was paying its own way, it was also taking a toll on the church. Carpets and walls became soiled, bathroom walls became covered in graffiti, and restless children disrupted Sunday morning services.

The deacons of the church asked for a meeting with the pastor. They wanted to know if the program was making a difference, and the proof they required was baptisms.

To their surprise, Bruce shared that a number of the children had professed their faith and were prepared for baptism. The deacons tried to stop the program, and some of them eventually left the church. But the Holy Spirit was at work in Camden, and the program received full support from the congregation. Today in its 21st year, Urban Promise is a thriving ministry with the following mission: “To equip Camden’s children and young adults with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth and Christian leadership.” The ministry has expanded into several other cities in the U.S. and internationally.

Read more of the Urban Promise story at http://www.urbanpromiseusa.org/ and in Revolution and Renewal, by Tony Compolo. (This excerpt is taken from The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2009, p. 140).