Strategy

As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that it is our privilege and responsibility to share God’s love and story with those around us.

We believe that the best way to share the good news of Jesus Christ is to start new churches – those that practically and authentically share God’s love and message in their local community. Thus, our strategy focuses on starting healthy and vibrant new churches.

Canadian cities are in need of the good news of Jesus Christ. This is where the majority of people are. In Canada, the percentage of people living in cities has been increasing since Confederation, reaching 81% of the population in 2011. These same urban centers are also among the most religiously diverse in the world, and the least ‘Christian’ areas in Canada. With increasing populations and decreasing Christian influence, cities are filled with those in need of the gospel.

When one reads the pages of the New Testament, one sees the Apostle Paul and his team starting new churches in cities – centers of politics, commerce, and culture. Fast forward 2000 years, and cities are still where people gather, where trade routes intersect, and where influence is leveraged. The nature of a city makes them a great opportunity for the spread of the good news of Jesus Christ.

In response to both the need and opportunity evident in our cities NAMB Canada’s strategy focuses specifically, but not exclusively, on starting churches in urban areas within Canada. Specifically we are focused on planting churches within five cities: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. These five urban areas represent about 44% of Canada’s population.