Behold the City

by Matthew Recker

Behold the City by pastor and New York City church planter Matthew Recker provides a realistic and hard-hitting look at the vast needs of the city and a jubilant celebration of how the gospel of Christ can, and is, meeting those needs and healing the wounded. He pours out his burden for urban ministry, challenging Christians to hear the cries of the lost in large metropolitan areas. He shares his personal testimony of God’s protection and provision in the dark heart of the concrete jungle.

Genres: Evangelism

163 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2002

Reviews

[Mark McElreath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Recker paints a clear picture of the joys and pains of urban church planting. He gives amazing stories of the grace of God at work in the lives of terribly broken people while painting it on the backdrop of the city with its skyscrapers that reach to the heavens and its slums that reach to its depths. This would make a helpful read for anyone considering serving in an urban setting. It includes chapters on urban ministry and urban church planting.

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a blessing and a challenge all in one. Pastor Recker's burden for the people in the cities (for him NYC) is notable and admirable. He does a great job of sharing that burden, and I felt myself being drawn in too. He shares from his own experiences, while giving biblical encouragement and good advice for the job at hand, while not minimizing potential dangers. e.g. dealing with your own fear in the city.

Church planting in the city is not a "one size fits all," and even more so as you look at cities worldwide, (and there could have been some emphasis on that), but yet the need is great worldwide, and we need to be catching the burden for cities here in the USA as well as around the world.

4 1/2 stars

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Pastor Recker’s passion for ministry and church-planting, which reflects a deep concern and love for people. Even though his community is very different from the one that I live in, everything he writes resonates. One of his many insights that struck home was that, as Christians, we should not be drawn to a city for its luxuries, but for the many souls gathered there. The stories of the people who have been touched by the church’s ministry are touching. Some accept Christ, some reject Him, some die untimely deaths in a neighborhood riddled with violence — but all are precious, and their stories highlight the urgency of the gospel. Regardless of the community, people are lost, lives are empty, and we Christians need to be alert to this. A very inspiring and insightful book!

[Connor Kinkade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presented the case for Independent Baptists to return to the cities. Cities are where the heart of sin is in any culture, but Christians, particularly Independent Baptists, have fled the inner city to the suburbs and beyond. The author shares many personal experiences and addresses concerns Christians may have about going. He presents a thorough biblical analysis on why churches are needed in the heart of the city. This book will challenge any preacher who cares about God's will to consider the urban ministry.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book challenged me to evaluate my thinking regarding urban ministry. Dr. Recker does an excellent job of pointing out Paul's focus on ministry in the major cities and applying it to today's needs. Obviously, God has given Dr. Recker a burden for the people of New York City and cities around the world. If I were teaching a missions class, this would be required reading!

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pastor Recker's little book on urban evangelism calls the modern Christian to return to the city. For years, the practice of conservative churches has been to move to the suburbs of the cities and to minister to those with the white picket fences, 2.5 children, 3 vehicles, and middle-class wages. The churches have abandoned the cities and then turn and wonder why the cities have abandoned the churches. In this work, Recker encourages his readers to gain a passion for the lost cities of their country. The writer impresses upon the reader the significance of the cities to the apostles and evangelists of the New Testament and urges the modern reader to do the same. Recker points us all to one question: have we abandoned the cities for good, or will we return to them with a message of hope?

[Andy]

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