I wrote my first article for YouthWorker Journal in the fall of 1999. It was about an outreach youth ministry I had developed in Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio. I soon moved back to my hometown of Minneapolis, Minn., to become the youth pastor at Park Avenue United Methodist Church. It was while in this position and serving on The Core training team of Youth Specialties that I was given the opportunity to develop this column, “The Urban Take.”

My goal for this column always has been to bring urban youth ministry into the mainstream by presenting a theology of urban youth ministry, practical ministry model from an urban context, and to challenge what is considered mainstream youth ministry and culture.

At times, I’ve written with a broken heart. I’ve seen urban senior pastors make less money than suburban youth workers, whose urban peers are laid off to let volunteers take over and save their church money. Yet, in the midst of this I’ve also written with a sense of hope. I’ve seen many models of urban youth ministry, which are transforming homes, blocks, communities and cities.

Urban youth ministry is still under-resourced and under-appreciated. Many urban churches reject hip-hop culture and the kids of whom it is comprised. They don’t realize that by demonizing the culture they reject their own kids, who in many cases just want to be heard and loved. Many urban youth carry the baggage of neglect and abandonment. If there was ever a need for a professional approach to urban youth ministry, the time is now.

I praise God for the Christian Community Development Association and the Urban Youth Workers Institute. I want to thank them for their commitment to reconciliation, community transformation and urban youth development. I especially need to give a shout out to Larry Acosta, Carle Lafayette and Fred O. (You know I’m not going to try to spell your last name!) I personally want to thank BeBe and Wiley who serve as vice-presidents with Young Life and represent urban youth ministry in such a powerful way. I want to recognize Lina Thompson at World Vision and Chris Brooks with National Network of Youth Ministry.

While I’m giving shout outs, I want to thank my longtime friends in the ministry who have struggled with me to create an urban, youth, hip-hop, multi-ethnic movement. Shout outs to Elwood Jones, Phil Jackson, Fred Lynch, Rene Rochester, Wiley Scott, Kevin Farmer and Marvin Daniels.

I also have to thank Will Penner, former editor of YouthWorker Journal, who opened the door for me to write this column, and Steve and Lois Rabey, who have given me so much support the last few years.

For those of you who want to know what’s next for me, let me say two things: First, my passion, now as the senior pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis and the leader of Unity Storehouse Ministries, is to ignite a catalytic movement of urban, multi-ethnic ministry around the country. I invite you to stay connected to what’s going on (www.sanctuarycovenant.org; www.unitystorehouse.com).

My attention now will turn to leading a growing multi-ethnic church, church planting, multi-ethnic ministry resources, and passionately proclaiming reconciliation, intimacy with Christ and kingdom justice.

Second, stay tuned for YouthWorker Journal’s continued commitment to urban youth ministry. As you will see in the next issue, they have solid plans for the future of this subject and this column.

Finally, with all this in mind, I want to thank all of you for your support, encourage you to continue supporting YouthWorker Journal, and ask that you pray for me as I venture out to lead a new movement.