Theirs Is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban America

I've just passed this on to our Youth Pastor, as the youth in our church have done yearly mission trips to inner city areas to share the Gospel.....hopefully they will read it before they go again. A VERY enlightening, in-your-face-eye-opening, 'step into MY shoes' read. As an adult, and a nurse by trade, I've been on mission trips in the U.S. and Haiti many times, and to get to know AND RESPECT all people and cultures anywhere is essential to not just seeking to passively speak the word', but to 'LIVE the Word'. Youth (and others)---READ IT! Seek NOT excuses and self-interest, just GET OUT THERE! Then go do it again and again, for GOD's glory!

In this book Robert D. Lupton reveals subtle problems that can arise when trying to minister to intercity people. He does an excellent job of revealing the issues, but reveals few solutions. It may be because there are no easy answers, or his later books will reveal the solutions he found later in ministry. Still I would recommend the book to all who work with needy people so they are at least aware of how their attempts to help can cause pain to those they want to help.

Robert Lupton presents a refreshing perspective in what it means to "love thy neighbor" in Theirs Is The Kingdom. This book will challenge your pre-conceived notions of what the work of ministry is really about. The lines between the modern day church, social work, and helping others become blurred and start to fade as one begins to see the Gospel lived out in the inner city. Anyone who feels challenged to make a difference in the world needs this book.

Good read. Gave me some good food for thought

This book had great stories and insights about the inner city and cross-cultural work. I did find the title a bit misleading as I thought it would use those stories to discuss how urban America views the gospel. This book doesn't do that.

Excellent read. Collection of short stories that are so personal and dealt with so brilliantly that I want more so I can continue to learn from Lupton.

Fantastic book. Gives one a heartbreaking view into the lives of those effected by poverty; but also delivers hope to those wanting to be a part of change. The book is a number of 1-3 page vignettes/reflections on the author's experiences. Great for personal contemplation, or larger group conversation/devotionals.

I had to get this for a class, and I enjoyed it greatly. If you have to read this for a class or if you want to learn more about this line of work, please buy it. It is an easy, educational read.

This is really a series of cameos which tell of Lupton's surprise at encountering Jesus in the poor, the marginalised, and the downtrodden. The basic premise seems to be to highlight the problems with a 'colonial' style of mission, where well-meaning (and wealthy) people go into places of despair in order to offer a gospel of hope: rather, these testimonies tell us, the missioner going in finds that Jesus is there ahead of them, and that the poorest people are the ones in whom Christ is most visible. This is an obvious but valuable insight, especially for those ministering (like myself) in an inner-city context, where it's easy to miss what God's already doing, and it's easy to assume that we carry all the answers. Recommended.