Encounter God in the City - by Randy White (Paperback)

About the Book

How would you handle the self-exposing, idea-dizzying, life-shifting surprises that Randy White faced when he tried to live for Jesus in Fresno, California? He tells his story, describing how the city can be fertile soil where God can mentor you, test you and shape you into the image of Jesus.

Book Synopsis

How would you handle the self-exposing, idea-dizzying, life-shifting surprises that Randy White faced when he tried to live for Jesus in Fresno, California? He tells his story, describing how the city can be fertile soil where God can mentor you, test you and shape you into the image of Jesus.

Review Quotes

Encounter God in the City would make for a thoughtful, reflective tool for all those who love and feel a call for impacting cities with the love of Christ.

"Encounter God in the City is a road map to becoming an apostle at the intersection of love, pain and hope. Randy White has captured the bittersweet beauty of mutual transformation that comes in serving. Years of experience living among those he serves invest his words with power and give his insights an incisive edge, cutting to the quick of urban dysfunction. This book is both uplifting and hands-on practical--a must-read for anyone who wants to live out their faith authentically."

"An unforgettable trip to real life in Fresno to see how Jesus uses real people to make a real difference. Essential reading for anyone who wants to see God's dreams come true in the city. Randy compellingly weaves stories from the streets with stories from the gospel and provides insightful guidelines for those who want to discover how God might want to use their mustard seeds in the city."

"Cities are to be loved. Living, learning and loving the city makes a huge difference in personal transformation as well as ministry. Randy White's Encounter God in the City is biblical, practical and full of beautiful stories. An important read for all followers of Jesus."

"From living in cardboard boxes for a week to running computer schools among the poor, Randy White overflows with options for following Jesus into our cities."

"Randy White paves the road for us to enter the Story that begins in the Garden and ends in the City. Here is a gentle invitation to participate in the healing of broken lives and cracked sidewalks, and to practice resurrection in the abandoned places of the empire."

"Randy White takes us on a mind-opening journey once again, this time onto the challenging and transformative pathway of discipleship in the context of the city. Based on his years of living in and studying the urban context, White distills in a manner not found in any other book I know the power of the written text in understanding his own transformation, even as he facilitates and nurtures a similar transformation among young adults and others seeking to appreciate and encounter God in the complex and often chaotic sociocultural landscape of the city. This book would interest anyone who is grappling with the question of what it means to be a disciple of Christ in our world today. Encounter God in the City is a must-have book in particular for those who are responsible for mentoring or leading others into a full embrace of and by God. White does us all a great service by not only sharing his story but providing tangible examples and tools for transformation."

"There is a redemptive art to urban ministry. It is the art of storytelling--taking the mistold tale of human existence and retelling the story from the perspective of the love of God. Anyone desirous of seeing this redemptive art in practice should read Encounter God in the City. This book is a must read for theological faculty in our seminaries. It is a how-to manual in contextual theology and experiential education. It is a must read for practitioners of ministry in the city who are serious about learning how to be agents of transformation, and a must read for all Christians who are not afraid of being surprised by a joy that calls them to holistic ministry in an urban world. It has become a must read for all of our students."

"What a wonderful book. Many people are talking about transformation these days; Randy White shows us what it looks like with his roots planted in the soil of his neighborhood. This kind of transformation removes the distance between object and subject as it changes both partners. I am already making plans to use this in my teaching."

Urban gospellers everywhere will be encouraged by White's book.

About the Author

Randy White (D.Min., Bakke Graduate University) is national coordinator for urban projects and executive director of the Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. He's an anti-tourist who has traveled to the highest-crime and highest-poverty neighborhoods in thirty states to help mobilize young leaders to make a difference. He lives in one of those neighborhoods and loves city kids, making mosaics and stained glass, watching elephant seals and writing bad poetry. He is also the author of Journey to the Center of the City: Making a Difference in an Urban Neighborhood.

Raymond J. Bakke is senior associate of Ray Bakke Associates, a nonprofit organization that partners with those who are passionate about empowering the church to be creatively missional in an urban world. He is the former chancellor and professor of global urban studies at Bakke Graduate University and former executive director of International Urban Associates in Chicago, Illinois.