I rarely get a chance to visit a church that I am not consulting navigating for, so I like to choose my visits very carefully. In this case I struck pure gold-City Church San Francisco led by Fred Harrell. The leadership has done a fantastic job not only with their articulated vision, but integrating it with intentional communication. I was inspired by:


  • A compelling mission and values; they demonstrate thoughtful articulation and contextualization, albeit given the strong influence Redeemer Presbyterian in New York. Their “purpose” includes the ideas of “being the very presence of Christ in word, deed and lifestyle,” and “following Christ in mission to a beautiful and broken city and through the city, the world.”

  • A skillfully woven thread of vision into the preaching event itself, that did not detract from the biblical text, but gave a clearer understanding of church’s vision through the text.

  • An accessibility for unchurched in their midst to a liturgical worship style and high-view of sacrament. They decoded the partaking of the Lord’s Supper beautifully.

  • A preaching event that could have done nothing less than captivate the prechurched and dechurched, both young and mature believers alike in the 20 – 40 year old congregation. For example the use of “self-quake” to describe both the “negative” moment of repentance and the “positive” moment of calling when “Christ steps in your boat.”

  • An stunning brand that organically reflects their style, context, theology and even their unique rented facility- The Russian Center. The brand was executed in a masterfully designed worship guide that was clear, uncluttered, and elegant. (Unfortunately their brand is not executed on their website yet.)

Topics: Date: Feb 16, 2008 Tags:

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