What Paul accomplished in Athens (Acts 17:16-34), TGTS 2.0 seeks to do for street contexts. The book is a deep dive. Dilettantes looking for quick easy answers do well to look elsewhere. Some background: Years ago I was invited to a church to present research I'd done in Harlem, NY and Paterson, NJ on the Five Percent Nation (aka the Nation of Gods and Earths). The week night meeting was open to the community and held at a large Baptist church in Paterson. The audience of 75-80 was mostly Christians - many in church clothes - so it was a surprise when 4 young men dressed full street-style came in about halfway through. Five Percenters! They sat in the back pew on the right side and listened intently. There I was presenting research to the saints about an Islamic group with 4 adherents of that group now sitting in! (Generally speaking, Five Percenters don't do churc as they side with the Nation of Islam.) It wasn't long before one of the 4 stood up to make a comment and at the first came across sort of stridently. That prompted several saints to ask him to sit down - he didn't (whew!) - and the Lord enabled me to address his concerns. He seemed okay with what he heard and sat down. As the meeting ended and the gathering dispersed, the 4 Five Percenters came to the front of the church and a few of us began dialoguing with them. It was a most delightful and amicable exchange. A couple of nearby brothers (suits and ties - deacons? elders?) saw the conversation as an evangelism opportunity, came over and started asking the four about their salvation. Fair question with (what seemed to me) an obvious answer, but the convo just wasn't there yet. The brothers meant well but their effort nipped the conversation in the bud and the Five Percenters soon left. Alas. Hmm, We saints need to look beyond outward appearances, listen beneath the surface to hear what makes hearts beat, learn how incarnationally close we really are in this sojourn together, and love those we cast as the "other." In this instance, them four youn bouls. I can't forget what happened that evening; the interactions, actions and reactions that night left an indelible impression, and goaded me to try and figure out how we saints can better bridge the gap between the church and street culture. TGTS 2.0 is an attempt to just that. It's designed for spiritual entrepreneurs - people hyped to explore the places where they live, move and have their being, looking to do what the Apostle Paul - one of the pioneer spiritual entrepreneurs -did as he moved around Athens before heading to the Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34). Where might we find entry points to share the Gospel of Christ in our context? They are everywhere! While some material in this volume might be uncomfortable or painful, it's aight. Even as Paul's spirit was provoked (a paroxysm) as he walked around Athens - observing, exegeting and then speaking into its situation with the good news of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ - so too our spirits as well. It is probably a good and even necessary reaction if we're gonna keep it real. Pain softens resistant hearts and makes them more receptive (ours included). TGTS 2.0's look at challenging social issues might seem too secular and worldly to the saints ("Just preach the Gospel!"), and conversely, too religious or preachy for secular types. To those in the latter group, these questions: 1) What then do you propose to ameliorate things? 2) How much longer before they get fixed? 3) Is the plan just to leave this a better world or might there be something more to this that might be missed? TGTS 2.0's intent is to provide middle ground. Neither shallow nor easy, we put it street terms, "Spiritual meat - for the saints, for the street. Jawn's deet's R 2 deep 2 jus' peep it or tweet." The issues - fundamentally spiritual in nature - are far too deep to offer anything less. Hep
About the Author: An urban youth 'n' young adults Gospel communications specialist, Hep has been involved in ministries in Paterson, Camden and Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD, the Washington, D.C. area, and Grand Rapids, MI. He's participated in youth and young adults camp, conference and retreat ministries as a counselor, speaker and musician, and has worked with many a church choir and vocal ensemble, as well as with Philly and Jersey-based Christian rap artists. His primary ministry focus is to advocate and facilitate the church's ministry to street-oriented youth & young adults (who are surprisingly receptive to the Lord - a trait he, by God's grace 'n' mercy, hopes to always have as well). Bob is a graduate of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), Northeastern Bible College and Westminster Theological Seminary, and teaches at Eastern University (Philadelphia campuses) and Biblical Theological Seminary (Philadelphia, PA). He also taught at the Center for Urban Theological Studies (Philadelphia, PA).