Seeing Jesus in East Harlem: What Happens When Churches Show Up and Stay Put

Humphreys, pastor of the evangelical Metro Hope Covenant Church in New York City, advises pastors to embrace activism and reach out to their local communities in this framework for church planting. Sharing lessons learned from ministering to his diverse congregation, Humphreys divides good practice for lead pastors into three commandments: show up, stay put, and see. For Humphreys, showing up means being wholly responsible and responsive—being reliable, checking on others, and being proactive about bringing in congregants to the church. In the staying put section, he goes further into ideas for “crowdsourcing God,” such as setting up pop-up locations for the church. In the final section, Humphreys vociferously condemns of racism and holds up diversity as the most important aspect of a healthy church. His thoughtful, textured questions for reflection will also provide much for readers to ponder after each chapter. With many contemporary references, lively retellings of Bible stories, and quotes taken directly from sermons Humphreys has delivered on the street (“How can we become God’s crowdsource in our barrio?”) Humphreys’ book will be a fine guide for church organizers that will also appeal to general readers. (Oct.)