“Love (Your City)”
By Jacob Bloemberg
Summary of Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Love Hanoi – The Steps
Chapter 3 serves as a short introduction to the five steps to city wide movements.
The author quotes Nehemiah 2:17-18 where there is an acknowledgment of the condition of the
city ruins. I guess that without such an acknowledgment, there can be no rebuilding. If people
believe that all is good then no rebuilding is ever necessary.
There is also an acknowledgment that a city wide movement is no easy task. There is much
preparation, strategizing and loads of prayers. The word “go” in rebuilding is preceded by much
recognition that a huge task lies ahead.
The short intros to the five steps are –
1. Principles – Laying a foundation of Biblical principles
There is a need to acknowledge that we building God’s kingdom. It is modeled after Jesus’
model prayer of “your kingdom come.” God’s kingdom is seen in building bridges across the city
with ALL.
2. Posture – In the author’s words – “To launch or be part of a citywide movement, church
leaders and members need to shift their posture to a more integrated stance towards the city,
their immediate community, and the poor.” In other words, we shift from a self-preservation
paradigm to an inclusive paradigm.
3. Process – This involves a huge deal of getting to know the city community at large through
listening. It is a ministry of collaboration in using resources that are available from the
community – institutions, corporate sector, the government etc.
4. Partnership – This is no mere networking. It entails collaboration across all sectors of society
and partnering across boundaries. Attention needs be paid towards partnering cross-culturally
and working with a culturally diverse team.
5. People – This involves identifying the right person for the right task. After all, it is about
people. This is no small task as every leader should know.
*Next chapter: Chapter 4: Principles