14 JUNE 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition CHURCH UNITED Kids today will never truly appreciate oldschool youth ministry. I grew up in a tradition where there wasn't a "youth group" with games and pizza. In our church, if you were under 30, you were "youth." I'm not joking. Just this week, I ran into my childhood pastor, and he invited me back to speak. To the youth. I'm over 40! One classic "youth activity" in our church was youth choir. My mom made me join. I remember sitting in the back seat on the way to rehearsal saying, "Ma! I can't sing!" Listen, I sing Phil Collins loud and proud around the house. But let's be real, I still can't sing. But here's what I learned: there's something beautiful about a choir. No one voice has to be amazing for the choir to sound powerful. Even more than that, something special happens when a new section joins in. The sound expands. The richness deepens. The choir becomes fuller, more beautiful because another voice was added. Lift every voice That's exactly what I want to say to those of us involved in City Gospel Movements: The choir sounds good. But it's time to add another section. God is doing something extraordinary through city networks. Leaders across the country are collaborating, praying and building ecosystems of transformation. From the marketplace to education to church to justice work. In Southwest Florida, at Church United, I'm catalyzing soul care for leaders, church planting partnerships and fostering real unity for the sake of mission. I've read the white papers. I've seen the long-term plans. I believe this work is Spirit-led and necessary. But there's still a section missing in the choir. All it takes is an invitation Too many city movements, while grounded in gospel conviction, still lack voices from marginalized communities: Black and Brown leaders who carry not just theological insight but lived experience from the streets, neighborhoods and borderlands of our cities. It's not that we don't care. It's that we haven't always made room. Without those voices, we risk singing a gospel that sounds good but doesn't resonate in every part of the city. If we want every person to experience the gospel through word and deed, we need every kind of leader at the table. Not just those who navigate the dominant evangelical framework, but those fluent in the unspoken languages of their neighborhoods. Leaders who can smell injustice coming before the metrics catch up. Leaders who've led Bible studies in apartment complexes, mentored kids on the block, prayed in barber shops and preached hope when the grant money dried up. Whole gospel for the whole city The goal isn't diversity for diversity's sake. It's depth for the sake of the gospel. When we bring in new voices, we don't dilute the mission, we strengthen it. We become more contextual, more honest and more connected to the realities of our cities. We hear the pain points we've missed. We celebrate breakthroughs we might have overlooked. We become, as Scripture says, "the manifold wisdom of God" on display (Ephesians 3:10). So what does it look like to add another section to the choir? Let me offer a few practical commitments: 1. Listen for the silenced notes Start by asking: Whose voice is missing from our meetings, our planning, our leadership tables? You might find it's not unwillingness; it's an oversight. Sometimes the people we need aren't in the room because we've never made it clear the room is for them. Invitation matters. 2. Build long tables, not tall stages If your City Movement has the same five speakers, it's time to rotate the mic. Empower leaders from underrepresented communities to lead, not just attend. Let them shape the agenda, not just clap from the sidelines. 3. Fund the forgotten Resourcing is a justice issue. Many leaders of color are doing kingdom work on a shoestring budget. If we want sustainable city movements, we need capital, coaching and connections to flow to the edges, not just the center. 4. Preach a whole gospel City transformation must include evangelism, yes, but also economics, education, housing, healthcare and healing. The gospel isn't just about getting souls to heaven. It's about revealing what heaven looks like in our neighborhoods right now. Church United SWFL I'll admit, I felt out of my depth starting my work with Church United here in Southwest Florida. Other pastors like Jordon Roe, of Mission Community Church, had already laid so much relational groundwork pioneering collaboration post hurricane relief work, and I was excited to partner together with him. But still, there are a lot of Izod, Polos and Dockers khakis over here. But when I connected with leaders from our local justice-focused ministers alliance, something clicked. After they vetted me, they told me the truth. They had tried to bring churches across the city together before. But it wasn't received. Not fully. It wasn't just about race. It was culture, theology, trust. Black and Brown leaders bring something rich across denominations: a lived gospel, a deeper unity, a different sound. In my role, I've found many of these leaders are willing to sit with me. Not because I have all the answers, but because I sound familiar, yet bring a fresh presence. I'm from here. That creates trust. And trust makes space for something real. There's so much latent Kingdom potential in these SWFL streets. So many stories. So much hope. Maybe a chubby kid from the back of the youth choir can help stir it up for something greater. We’re expanding the choir. Here's the truth: the choir sounds good. But there's more room on the risers. It's not about guilt. It's about grace, the kind that makes space. The kind that believes the Holy Spirit is raising up voices from every zip code, background and cultural expression. The kind that says, "We're better when we sing this together." Out here in Southwest Florida and throughout the other regions of Church United, we’re expanding the choir. We’ve discovered that some of the best strategies for sharing faith, building hope, and extending love are happening among the churches and Kingdom leaders laboring among the margins. We believe that ministry in South Florida today impacts ministry everywhere across the country tomorrow. And finally, we believe God’s redemptive song for the city isn't complete until every voice is part of Kingdom choir — singing Gods story of using broken ordinary folk to build his Church here in Southwest Florida — in Florida — and throughout our nation as it is in heaven. If you’re a local pastor in Southwest Florida, let’s talk. We’d love to add your voice to the choir of collaboration. For information, visit churchunitedfl.com/swfl Charlie Mitchell is a husband, father, and church planter. He now serves as the Director of Church United in SWFL and the Pastor-in-residence at Summit Church in Fort Myers. Adding Another Section to the Choir: Why City Movements Need More Voices - Charlie Mitchell - Pastor and Church United Catalyst, Southwest Florida National Day of Prayer Event Estero: Pastor Josh Hall, Pastor Charlie Mitchell, Pastor Grace Brooks, Steve Brooder, Julie Boles, Father Regi Joseph, Charlie Ruck, Pastor Chris Mueller, Pastor Frank Brand
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