A proposal to establish a gospel ecosystem for Mexico City
A great opportunity
Mexico City is the largest urban center in the country, as well as the political, academic, economic, financial, business, cultural, and fashion center. The city has seen one of the fastest levels of growth on a global scale and it is expected that its economy will triple by the year 2022.
FOUNDATIONS
The population of the city together with the surrounding metropolitan area, known as the ZMVM (Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico), boasts more than 21 million inhabitants in total. This population makes it the fifth largest urban conglomeration in the world, the largest in the Americas, and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world, according to a UN report published in 2018.
It is predicted that by the year 2050, Mexico will have 144.9 million urban inhabitants, which is the equivalent of 88.2% of the total population of the country, in comparison to 19.3 million rural inhabitants. The UN has indicated that by the year 2020, 68% of the world population will live in urban areas, and as such, sustainable development will depend more and more on the successful growth of cities, especially in low and middle income countries.
CITIES ARE THE FUTURE. The lives of millions of individuals and families are constructed and developed in cities, and ideas are generated that will change our way of viewing and interacting with the world. It is in cities where the fight against climate change, poverty, and injustice will be defined, and where the technology will be developed to shape the future. Mexico City is the greatest example of this fact in Latin America
"We want to see the great Mexico City being transformed socially, culturally and spiritually through the work of a strategic Alliance of Gospel-Centered churches, organizations and city ministries committed to glorify God."
THE STRATEGY
Over the next 10 years we will:
VALUES
a) Kingdom Prayer
The foundation of the movement has to be the product of the action of the Holy Spirit. We cannot overcome the challenges and spiritual opposition in the city without our dependency on God through prayer.
b) Interdependency & Local Autonomy
Without losing the particular identity of the churches and leaders across the city, we look to develop an interdependent mindset for real collaboration for the movement.
c) Generosity & Vulnerability
To recognize that churches and leaders across the city need one another to develop a real gospel movement. We cannot develop a real movement by ourselves.
d) Contextualization & Diversity
To plant different kinds of churches that reflect the diversity of the social, cultural and spiritual realities of the city.
METHOD
a) Dependence on God. The Mexico City HUB project will mobilize the members of the Strategic Alliance to depend on prayer as the foundation for every process and initiatives needed to develop a gospel movement for the city.
b) Collaboration. In general, in the Evangelical church in Latin America there is a lack of generosity and desire to collaborate among different denominations and organizations. Mexico City reflects this same idol of self-promotion and individualism, that looks to build its own kingdom (Gen. 11). The Mexico City HUB project will promote the interdependent collaboration of the members of the Strategic Alliance to share the resources for the sake of this movement in the city.
c) Contextualization. Traditionally, in Mexico City, church planting has been developed with a lack of understanding of the cultural, social, and spiritual dynamics of the targeted communities. The Mexico City HUB project looks for a contextualized strategy to plant churches and develop ministries and initiatives that understand the specifics of time and place for a deeper expression of the gospel. This project will promote the opportunity to listen to different voices among like-minded organizations and initiatives working together for the well-being of the city.
d) Training. There is a great need to develop gospel-centered leaders with a kingdom mindset and a vision and passion for the peace and prosperity of the city. The Mexico City Project look for the formation of these kind of leaders through the Incubator, Intensive, Parakaleo, City Labs, and other strategic trainings that will strength this movement.
THEOLOGICAL VISION FOR MEXICO CITY
All the participants in the Mexico City HUB Project must share the same understanding and expression of the gospel as the redeeming work of Christ for every person and for the city (Gospel Unified Conviction).
The gospel changes everything (Transformation). The good news of the gospel brings reconciliation and renewal in the relationships between the individual, God, and the city. A person that is transformed by the gospel will passionate for the well-being of the city.
Salvation is more than Conversion (Discipleship). A true disciple of Christ is a person that not only enjoys the benefits of the gospel, but someone that looks to know Him and serve Him.
The economic, gender, and racial inequality of Mexico City requires a gospel transformation of the structures of oppression (Justice and mercy). We care for the lost, for the poor, and for the oppressed.
Our Mission field is the city (City Vision). People live in Mexico City because they find jobs, education, health care and community. However, at the same time, they hate the city and dream of the day when they can leave it behind. The gospel will bring a new vision for Mexico City, so that people look to serve and love the city, instead of only using it in a selfish way.
We look to serve a larger city movement in Latin America (Generosity). As we are blessed by the realities of the gospel in Mexico City, we seek to bless other cities in our country and in the continent by sharing our resources and experience to start other movements in the region.
Mexico City is home to more than 160 cultural people groups (Diversity). Christ’s kingdom is offered to all people, languages, tribes, and nations and, accordingly, this movement seeks to serve all the people represented in our city.
There is a need for the renewal of the established church in the Mexico City (Revitalization). The existing church in our city is traditionally legalistic or liberal. The gospel will bring transformation to the present condition of the traditional church.
OUR CITy
Mexico City is a very generous city that welcomes immigrants from within the country and from abroad. The city government provides large amounts of resources for the well-being of the poor such as cheap transportation, health care, and public schools. This fact makes Mexico City very attractive for millions from South and Central America.
Our city is extremely pluralistic in its culture and this makes it a very open place to speak about spirituality and faith. The prevalent Catholic religion is very open to new beliefs and ways of thinking and this makes a great opportunity to spread the gospel.
Mexico City is also the cultural center for the country and for all Latin America. What happens in our city will influence what happens in other cities. If the gospel becomes a dominant part of its culture, this will have an effect in other strategic cities in Latin America.