Fred Harrell in conversation with Laura Turner

We have entered a new ministry year at City Church, full of new programs and events and ideas. Most of all, though, we wanted to make sure to talk about the vision of City Church for the year ahead: What we’re excited for, what we’re learning, and what hasn’t changed. Laura Turner talked with Fred Harrell about his vision for us this year.

What are you excited about at City Church this year?

The first thing that comes to mind is our Seek course. It captures in many ways what City Church is all about. Earlier this week we had 13 participants and fantastic interaction. We had non-Christians, new Christians, and people who are hitting reset with their faith all in the same room. They love that this is a church that’s not afraid of difficult questions. One woman who has been exploring faith now for 5 years, and who had almost given up on her quest, said to me, “I’ve kept up with City Church over the past 6 months and I know it's been hard. But you have given me space to believe.” The openness of our church, and willingness to engage hard things, is attracting a lot of new families and faces into our church, and that is really exciting.  When people look at me and tell me they finally feel they have a safe place to explore faith, develop faith, and find faith, I’m thrilled and reminded of why I got into ministry 25 years ago.

I’m also excited about the speakers we have this fall. To have Jamie Smith come and talk to our church about desire, and talk to our families about what that means for raising kids; to have Daniel Kirk talk about God and humanity from such theological depth; and to have Pete Enns come in and not be afraid to wrestle with the violence of Scripture - these are some of the biggest underlying narratives in our culture. What do we do about violence? Does God care about humanity? What do I do with the desires that seem to drive my life? Big questions that we aren’t afraid to grapple with together.

How can I answer this question without mentioning our new initiative in the Tenderloin, City Hope Community Center?  The dream of having a physical presence in the heart of a wounded part of our city is now a reality. The opportunity to be the presence of Jesus, to welcome the very people Jesus prioritized, and to walk with them to a renewed life is the great privilege before us.

What does community life at City Church look like right now?

There were 120+ people who signed up for Community Groups this fall, which is great. And I don’t know that I’ve ever heard our pastors talk to me about such really important and thoughtful conversations they’re having with people as they are right now. It feels like City Church is more engaged in the questions and challenges of the city than we have been in a long time.

What are your concrete hopes for us as we move into the future?

I hope to see a continued deepening of our engagement with the city as we seek its ongoing renewal. That means lives, neighborhoods, our whole city, renewed in Jesus. I hope people who  would never have thought they would be interested in Jesus to have a place where they can encounter Him. Whether that’s through Artist’s dinners, or through City Hope, or through Sunday mornings, or small groups during the week or simply by bringing our friends—I want us to continue to be the kind of place where everyone is welcome to explore and deepen their faith.

I have a pastor friend who likes to say “Play the Jesus card, it’s always a good idea”. I hope we can be a community that takes seriously not only what Jesus has done for us, but the way Jesus has taught us to live here and now. The way of Jesus is a life of holistic healing for individuals, families, neighborhoods and nations. To follow this way is the countercultural road of limitless forgiveness, radical acceptance, nonviolent peacemaking, abundant generosity and sacrificial love. Communities that embrace these priorities together can change the world.

The future is open and full of possibilities, and I want our church to embrace the incredible role that we have to play into those possibilities. The opportunity to be a very different and unique kind of church in this city has always been before us for 19 years. That hasn’t changed, and we will continue to be that church.

We have had a year of some pretty significant changes. What about City Church has stayed the same?

The calling of Jesus never changes. We are here to be the presence of Jesus in this city. We are here to follow Christ in mission to renew the city. To use Jesus’ words, to “make disciples” and to “teach all that he has commanded”. We are a church not just for ourselves, but for our friends, family, neighbors who don’t yet know Jesus Christ.  We are a church that tries always to remember what it’s like not to believe. We are a church that moves toward pain, poverty, addiction, exclusion, oppression, and the margins to invite everyone into relationship with Jesus and the community of Jesus’ followers. We do this as we gather to worship, meet in groups throughout the week, give of ourselves to others in sacrificial ways, and stay on an intentional path with God. We do this as we seek to know ourselves better even as we seek to know God better. So many things about City Church are the same, and will always be the same, because our call to San Francisco and the world never changes.