In 20 years of ministry, I (John) have seen deep regard among cityreachers for God's global work. It's not surprising - Acts 1:8 tells us that we will be witnesses to the redemptive work of Christ in our local city, our region and to the ends of the earth. This is not an either/or kind of statement but a both/and understanding of God’s desire to bring all people to himself. While, initially Jesus came primarily to the Jews, He showed understanding and interest to the Samaritans and Roman soldiers that He encountered. The early apostles began in Jerusalem but were soon reaching out to Greeks, Romans and Ethiopians. In fact, God chose to launch the Church during a festival when many non-Jews were in town. The first church was a “glocal,” church, (global and local.)

As immigrants from around the world come to the U.S., the makeup of our cities is changing. Some major cities like Miami and El Paso are 50% immigrants, most of whom have come over the last two or three decades. Any cityreaching strategy has to take into account this new reality. The cityreacher needs the same cross-cultural training that missionaries going overseas receive. Understanding language and cultural basics, along with the religious and worldviews these cultures represent, helps us be more effective in reaching our whole cities with the whole gospel. We offer this list of resources to help cityreachers minister cross-culturally: