We must Reach Cities of the World. Cities are the magnetic centers for all kinds of Peoples. There is always a rural to city migration because the cities are the places where there is accumulation of resources. It is said that every month 5 Million people move from the rural settings into the cosmopolitan cities of the world. Imagine 160 cities of the world accounts for the 30% of economies of the World and greatest advancements of human beings. Why should we be interested in cities? The cities is a habitation of all kinds of people. 

• People of all social statuses
• People who have influence on society
• Unreached peoples
• The Poor (and Minority) migrate into the cities

Malawian Cities

We have four Major Cities: Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba.  Lilongwe is the fastest growing city among all four. There are other significant towns that are earmarked as prospective cities and these include Karonga, Nkhatabay, Salima/Chipoka, Liwonde, Mangochi/Monkey Bay, Kasungu, Luchenza and Bangula. Urbanization is moving at a high speed with most towns having a rate of not less than 4% of its population per annum. These Cities are growing fast and they represent the habitation of people. 

Impacting the Cities

The basic way to reach cities is to plant biblically based and missions-driven churches. These types of churches follow the Acts of the Apostles’ teachings and practices and are driven to plant other Churches.

Serving Cities: Metaphor # 

In the text Isaiah 56: 9-11, which is a frame of reference for our talk, we find two essential Metaphors (pictures) that are used to signify leadership (Service Providers) in a city. In a way, they represent a collapsing of many hard to describe skills and intangible values of leadership (serving) into observable and tangible values. Although there are many characteristics of leaders (ministers, servants) that effectively lead in the City, they are better seen through two metaphors (images) given in scriptures: Watchman and Shepherd. Both of these leadership (service) metaphors signify leaders (servants) who watch over a community and extend themselves in caring and nurturing others. I will present the two metaphors that describe leaders of a city and from each I will decipher essential Skills for serving and reaching a City.

Trait # 1: Leading in the City means developing a sense of watchfulnes

A watchman, (usually a man) was a guard on the city walls (2Sa_18:25; 2Ki_9:18; Psa_127:1; Isa_62:6) or on the hilltops (Jer_31:6); a guard taxed with the security of a city, village, or town. In most places, watchmen used watchtowers and watched the open space around the city fences, watching for any impending danger.  There is an extending interpretation that these guards were also defenders of the city. Regularly, the biblical text identifies Watchers as leaders of the city. They watch over the city or the nation. 

Leaders as Watchmen must be spiritually alert, “able-sighted” and knowledgeable of the impending danger against the city (or their Organization). Leaders have the responsibility to watch over others.  Leaders have the welfare of the city on their hearts (Jer. 29:7) For them to do this well, they need to be people with the following specific Skills which are equally significant in Leading a City:

• Watchmen should have great and powerful eyesight. To these, vision must be perfect  20/20,
• Ability to see is also likened to the skill of developing and casting Vision.
• Leaders of the City must have the vision for the City. It is not enough to dream change within your location. Pray for the City; desire transformation in the city.

Leaders grow Skills for spiritual alertness through increased spiritual knowledge and understanding of the context or environment of the City.

Vital Signs (Nurse) Recorder

Vital signs (Vitals) are the measurements of the body’s basic functions. There are four primary vital signs: body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate (respiratory rate). These measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of a person, give clues to possible diseases, and show progress toward recovery.

Truth # 1:

• Leading in the City implies you become deliberate in reading the culture; understanding the times, watching influential trends and mapping the future.
• In this role you act as a Vital Signs Recorder  of the City

Prophetic Prayer

1. Lord we see a city with increased numbers of watchers; there is an increased intercessors that cate for the city of Lilongwe
2. We declare the city of Lilongwe with Gatekeepers that watch and care for its interest; there is an increased number of political leaders with the heart of the city; marketplace people that are genuinely interested in the development of the city
3. We see a city that is experiencing spiritual revival in all kinds of Churches.
4. We see a reformation that change systems and structures of way of life. 
5. We confess that we may not see it, but by the power of the Spirit you are showing us