Serving ChristBy Serving Our Cities

P.O. Box 11333Cedar Rapids, IA 52410-1333

Phone: 319-378-0337Email: info@servethecity.orgWebsite: ServeTheCity.org

OUR VISION

Is to pray for, care for,and sensitively share the Gospel with every man,

woman and child in East Central Iowa.

OUR PARTNERSHIP

Working in partnership with each other and the Mission America Coalition,

this vision will be carried out through collaborative prayer, care and share initiatives.

OUR MISSION

Is to visibly demonstrate the love of Christ to our neighbors in East Central Iowa through

collaborative prayer, care, and share initiatives.

OUR CORE VALUES

•ChristCentered •Servant Attitude•CongregationalBased •Cultural Transformation•CommunityFocused •Sustainable Pace•CollaborativeApproach

Launched in 2004, Serve The City is a coalition of

over 60 unique congregations and ministries that represent over 25 different

Christian traditions. Our collaborative efforts are designed to

reach out to the communities of East Central Iowa with the love and hope of

Jesus The Christ.

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You are invited to partner with Serve The City as we diligently endeavor to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as pastors, congregations and ministries. Please consider joining us in this epic adventure focused on reaching our communities with the HOPE of the Gospel. Together we can accomplish the vision of “Serving Christ by serving our cities together.”

• Pray for God’s work in East Central Iowa • Care for your city by loving your neighbor • Share the vision with others so that together we can complete the Great Commission

We know that the world may not listen to the voice of one congregation or ministry, but they may pay attention to an expression of unity and love in Christ.

SERVE THE CITY FACILITATORS

Charles Daugherty has been involved in the ministry of City~Reaching since 1981.HeandhiswifePatriciahaveservedasFacilitatorsoftheCoalition

since 1998. (In 2004 the Coalition became known as Serve The City.) One of their key verses is from Luke 17:

A WORD FROM JESUS

“...and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”Matthew 12:25b

OUR ACT OF OBEDIENCEWe desire to cooperate with the John 17 prayer of Jesus that we might be perfected in unity that the world will KNOW God sent Jesus and loves them!

OUR STATEMENT OF FAITHWe are a cross denominational coalition of evangelical Christ Followers with the Lausanne Covenant as our common Statement of Faith. To read this covenant in its entirety, visit our website.

OUR NAME COMES FROM JEREMIAH 29:7 (NASB)

“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,and pray to the Lord on its behalf;

for in its welfare you will have welfare.”

WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER!We believe God has called us together for this time and this hour. In John 12:27 Jesus set the example for us when He said:

“Now my soul has become troubled; and what shall I say,

‘Father save Me from this hour?’ But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.”

As a coalition we have an ever increasing “resource library” for partners to access. We celebrate our unity twice a year at “An Evening of Worship and Prayer.” Our leadership gathers (September to May) at our monthly luncheons for fellowship, prayer, testimonies, vision casting, and of course great food. We co-labor in our prayer, care and share initiatives. We are better together!

“In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity”Rupert Meldenius, circa 1627

Our mission is to visibly demonstrate the love of Christ to our neighbors in East Central Iowa through collaborative

Prayer ~ Care ~ Share initiatives.

Prayer: Every congregation and ministry be recognized as a House of Prayer for all nations and known for justice, mercy and grace. We desire to raise the level of prayer in our region and to continue the initiative where every person in our region is prayed for, out loud, by name each year.

Care: Every congregation and ministry be recognized as having the loving, caring, compassion of Christ. Every person in our region cared for in some large or small manner by 2018 as we raise the level of compassion and acts of kindness.

Share: Every congregation and ministry be recognized as having “beautiful feet” bringing the message of our great HOPE, the good news of Christ. In a sensitive and winsome manner we desire to share with every person in our region the Gospel, the good news of salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by 2020.

Our community was privileged to be chosen second of 21 communities designated by The Mission America Coalition as a “pilot city” for the Prayer, Care, Share initiative in 2004. This was an incredible opportunity and challenge to be a unified voice of Christ in this region while being an example and encouragement to leaders of state and city movements across our nation.

CHRIST CENTERED:Serve The City (STC) is centered on our common trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

CONGREGATIONAL BASED:We believe that although we serve in different local assemblies and ministries, which are and will remain unique, we are one in Christ.

COMMUNITY FOCUSED:We love the communities in which we live. We want to see them blessed, redeemed, strengthened and empowered to fulfill God’s will. We are preparing our communities to receive Jesus The Christ. “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sentthem two and two ahead of Him to every city and place whereHe Himself was going to come.” Luke 10:1 (NAS)

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH:STC exists as a platform for pastors, ministries and followers of Christ to practically serve their neighbors together. STC is a “way” to answer two questions: What can we do together that we can not do alone? What can we do better together?

SERVANT ATTITUDE:We are following the example of our Lord Jesus The Christ who said:

“I did not come to be served but to serve” and “I am among you as the one who serves” as well as

“As the Father has sent Me so send I you.”

CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION:Seeing the answer to this prayer...

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”

SUSTAINABLE PACE:

Allowing wisdom to build the house!We are involved in “A lifestyle, not an event!

A culture, not a program! A marathon, not a sprint.”

Our Core Values More About UsOur Mission You Are Invited

Since 2002 Serve The City’s annual Voices of Hope concert has honored the service of our soldiers and veterans with singers and musicians from a

number of local churches. Over 2,000 attend each year.

“So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you,

say, ‘We are unworthy servants;

we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

“Persistent life-giving prayer for others leads to opportunities to

care, displaying God’s love, which opens the way to share the gospel,

declaring God’s love.” Steve Hawthorne, WayMakers

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