City to City

Day 3 of the Global Leaders Forum in Kuala Lumpur! 🌏 Yesterday marked the final day of GLF, final day of GLF, bringing leaders together from 57 countries for worship, fellowship, and our closing plenary, Movement Dynamics for a Maturing Global Network: The Head and the Heart. Through meaningful discussions and shared reflection, we wrapped up three days of learning, connection, and encouragement. Grateful for everyone who joined us and for the opportunity to continue strengthening our global network as we work together to advance the gospel in cities around the world!

Day 2 of the Global Leaders Forum in Kuala Lumpur! 🌏 Yesterday’s plenaries explored church planting among diaspora communities, contextualizing the gospel across cultures, and reaching the emerging generation through Streets, Screens, and Sanctuaries. Between meaningful discussions, workshops, and opportunities to explore Kuala Lumpur, leaders continued building connections and learning from one another. Grateful for another day of fellowship, shared wisdom, and encouragement as we seek to advance the gospel in cities around the world!

Day 1 of the Global Leaders Forum in Kuala Lumpur! 🌏 We kicked off the forum with Brandon O’Brien and Abe Cho leading our first plenary, Seeking the Shalom of the 21st Century City, followed by an afternoon of workshops, exploration, and meaningful conversations. The evening concluded with our second plenary, Rooted in the Gospel in an Increasingly Volatile World, reflecting on the importance of remaining grounded in the gospel amid a changing world. Grateful to have leaders from around the world together to learn, connect, and reflect on the gospel’s impact in our cities. Looking forward to the days ahead!

At City to City, our work flows from a central belief: the church exists not for itself, but for its neighbors, community, and city. Scripture shows us that redemption moves toward a city—because urban centers are designed by God to bring people together, offer refuge, and foster human flourishing. We step into the world's great cities, by faith, to train leaders to plant churches, serve neighborhoods, and participate in God’s city-building work.

A few of the conversations shaping this year’s Global Leaders Forum in Kuala Lumpur. From seeking the shalom of the 21st century city to church planting among diaspora communities and reaching an emerging generation, these sessions will bring together voices from across the City to City network to explore ministry in a rapidly changing world. The 2026 Global Leaders Forum gathers 200 leaders from across the network to celebrate 25 years of gospel movement-building and look ahead to what comes next.

The gospel provides a comprehensive perspective on all of life, including our view of cities. Here, we see God loving Nineveh. He cares for the lost people. He even cares for their animals. Because God loves cities, and most people today live in a city, City to City loves and serves the city in all its beauty and brokenness. It’s God’s idea. It’s God’s call. Will you join us in answering that call?

The world is changing faster than ever. Are our ministry strategies keeping up? In Season 2 of the City to City Podcast, we’re tracking 3 massive global shifts shaping our cities: Post-Secular & Pluralistic Cities: Cities aren’t becoming more secular, as predicted. Many are becoming more spiritual and ideologically diverse Unprecedented Migration: We’re living through the largest mass movement of people in human history The Digital City: More of our daily lives, identity, and community are moving online What does gospel movement look like in light of these realities? That’s what we’re exploring this season! Catch the full discussion on Episode 2 of the City to City Podcast! open.substack.com/pub/cityto…

Tim Keller’s words challenge us to think beyond the growth of any one church. A kingdom-minded approach to church planting asks a bigger question: are we only focused on strengthening our own institution, or are we invested in the flourishing of the wider Church and the city as a whole? Healthy gospel movements grow when churches are willing to collaborate, support new leaders, and make room for new communities of faith to take root.

Why do we plant churches? Because church planting is about more than starting something new. It’s about responding faithfully to Scripture, living out the Great Commission, strengthening the wider body of Christ, and thinking beyond any one church toward the growth of God’s kingdom. These four reasons help ground the work in something deeper: a shared commitment to seeing healthy churches take root, grow, and serve their communities faithfully. Read the full article at redeemercitytocity.com/artic…

These are Jesus' final words before he ascends to heaven. This “Great Commission” is at the core of City to City's work. It's why church planting is central to who we are. It's why cities are central to what we do. In order to make disciples of all nations, there must be churches everywhere there are people. And most people live in a city. The Great Commission is increasingly an urban—and urgent—call. Will you join us in answering that call? Click the link in the bio to find out how.

City to City exists to multiply churches and Christian leaders committed to a shared vision for gospel movements in the great cities of the world. We often summarize our core commitments under these five words: Gospel. Culture. City. Mission. Movement.

Cities are changing quickly, and the questions facing church planters and ministry leaders are changing with them. Season 2 of the City to City Podcast is about creating space for those conversations, bringing together voices from across our global network to reflect on what’s emerging in cities and what it means for church planting, evangelism, and mission. This season, expect new voices, new resources, and more conversations designed to help us think thoughtfully about the work ahead. Follow along on Substack or wherever you listen to podcasts citytocitymag.substack.com/p…

Understanding a city takes more than noticing what’s happening on the surface. For churches and church planters, cultural analysis means paying attention to the bigger picture, the long-term shifts, the local context, and the lived experiences of the people we’re called to serve. A thoughtful approach helps us listen more carefully, respond more wisely, and engage our communities with greater clarity.

Season 2 of the City to City Podcast is here! We’re kicking things off by looking back at some of the conversations that stayed with us from Season 1, including what it means to build movements that are not just active, but deeply rooted in their communities. Listen to the new season wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to our Substack at citytocitymag.substack.com/p…

Contextualization isn’t about changing the message. It’s about understanding the people, questions, and culture around us well enough to communicate the gospel clearly. Tim Keller’s words are a helpful reminder that faithful ministry requires both conviction and attentiveness. We bring the Bible’s answers into the real questions people are asking, in ways they can actually understand and engage with. What does thoughtful contextualization look like in your city or community?

Not every cultural change is a change in climate. Some things are long-term shifts. Others are seasonal. Some are simply today’s weather. And even then, the way those conditions are experienced can look completely different from one neighborhood or person to the next. That distinction matters for churches seeking to understand and serve their cities well. In his latest Substack reflection, Brandon O’Brien offers a framework for looking at culture through five lenses: climate, season, weather, place, and population. It’s a helpful reminder that understanding a city requires more than noticing what’s happening. We also have to ask how long it’s been happening, where it’s happening, and who is experiencing it. Which of these five lenses do you think churches are most likely to overlook? Read the full piece: There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather on the Redeemer City to City Substack. citytocitymag.substack.com/p…

The conditions around us matter. Culture shifts, cities change, people respond differently, and what faithful presence looks like in one place may not look exactly the same somewhere else. In our latest Substack, we explore a helpful way of thinking about culture through the lens of climate, season, weather, place, and population, and what that means for churches seeking to serve their communities well. Read the full piece on the Redeemer City to City Substack citytocitymag.substack.com/p…

Our cities aren’t just changing physically. People are moving into cities, across borders, and increasingly into digital spaces at the same time. Each of these shifts changes the way people form relationships, build community, find belonging, and make sense of the world around them. For the church, that raises an important question: What does faithful presence look like when the “city” is no longer only a physical place? In Toward a Missiology for the Digital World, we explore what these three migrations could mean for the future of ministry and gospel renewal. How is your church thinking about the digital spaces people now spend so much of their lives in?

The way of Jesus often turns the world’s definition of success upside down. True richness is found in generosity, lasting joy in seeking the good of others, and meaningful influence in using what we have to serve. A challenging reminder to ask not just what we’re building, but who it’s for. #RedeemerCTC #TimKellerQuote

We praise God for the fruits of our Residency Program which provides church planters a practical and experiential context in which they can reflect on and apply Gospel principles within the life of a local church. Cliff is one of 27 church planting residents across Kampala, Uganda; Accra, Ghana; Gauteng, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya. We are grateful for our residents and for the coaches who walk alongside them, offering guidance and encouragement which are invaluable for planters who can often feel weighed-down and alone in their church planting journeys. Please join us in praying for our Francophone Team as they prepare to offer the Residency Program to French-speaking church planters. Pray for God to bless and guide their training of facilitators and coaches so that they may have the necessary tools to love and serve the planters well.