What does it look like to have God's heart for the city where you live? It starts with being honest about the giants standing in the way and having the courage to face them with bold, active faith.

In Numbers 13, God sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan. Ten came back paralyzed by fear, convinced the giants were too powerful and the walls too thick. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, came back ready to move forward. They had seen the same land and the same obstacles. The difference was not what they saw. It was what they believed about God.

The church today faces a similar crossroads. Sobering statistics reveal that only 6% of self-identified Christians hold a biblical worldview, and a significant portion hold beliefs that contradict the core of Scripture. This is not a reason to point fingers but a call to honest self-examination. A church that does not know the Word of God cannot stand against the giants of its time. Those giants are not abstract. They are real and present in every city, including addiction, suicide, the devaluing of human life, and leaders who champion darkness over truth. The level of peace in any city is directly connected to the spiritual engagement of God's people.

Three responses are possible when facing these giants. The first is doubt, letting fear of the enemy grow louder than trust in God. The second is indifference, a self-focused faith more concerned with personal comfort than the mission of God. The third is the Caleb and Joshua response, courageous and faithful, anchored in Matthew 6:33 and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Revelation 21 warns that cowardice heads the list of those who will not inherit the blessings of God. That warning was written to believers. The same God who parted the Red Sea and raised Jesus from the dead goes before His people today. No giant is too large, and no wall is too thick for Him.

There are real giants in your city right now. The question is which kind of spy are you going to be? Identify the giant you have been avoiding and take one step of faith toward it this week!

God has always had a heart for cities and communities, and He calls His people to reflect that same heart wherever He has placed them. In Jeremiah 29, God told the Israelites in exile not to simply survive until things improved, but to build, plant, invest, and seek the peace and prosperity of the very city they found themselves in.

That same call belongs to every believer today. A passive, privately-held faith that stays comfortable and disengaged is not the posture Scripture calls Christians to. History shows that when the church loses its fire and retreats from the world, entire nations that were once rooted in the gospel can drift into spiritual emptiness.

Jesus makes the calling clear in Matthew 5. Believers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt that has lost its flavor is worthless. Light that is hidden defeats its own purpose. When darkness seems overwhelming in culture and society, the honest question is not why there is so much darkness, but where the light has gone? Romans 10 reminds us that people cannot call on a name they have never heard, and they cannot hear unless someone tells them.

Sharing the gospel is not the exclusive responsibility of a few gifted leaders. It belongs to every Christian, in every workplace, neighborhood, and relationship. God is calling His people out of comfortable, self-absorbed faith and into kingdom-minded living, where every city is seen as an outpost of His kingdom and every believer is sent as salt and light into the places that need it most.

God has placed you exactly where you are for a reason. Are you active and engaged, present but neutral, or absent and disengaged? The harvest is great, the workers are few, and God is not looking for perfect people. He is looking for willing ones!

Official Statement from Pastor Craig Dyson and CONVO Leadership:

In light of recent events where a church in Minneapolis was stormed and disrupted by leftist protesters and fake journalists, CONVO Church wants to clearly communicate our position and how we will protect our gatherings.

We strongly condemn any attempt to disrupt a church service for any reason. The purpose of our gatherings is to worship God, disciple believers, and share the gospel. These gatherings are protected by law, but even if they were not, we would not allow them to be interrupted.

More importantly, it is not a Christian virtue to tolerate unsafe, abusive, or violent behaviors. We protect the  environments for families and generations to worship together. Meekness is not weakness. Hateful and disruptive attempts will be met with swift and deliberate actions. We are committed to showing God’s love while also exercising strength and responsibility in protecting our church and people.

CONVO Church has an organized Safety Team led by law enforcement officers and trained church members who serve to protect our worship center and children’s areas, and to be first responders for emergency needs in the church. They are authorized to take swift, appropriate action to stop and remove any individual or group attempting to disrupt our services.

Firearms are not permitted in the building without authorization. Open carry is not allowed on church property except for uniformed officers or approved Safety Team members. Anyone wishing to legally conceal carry must first speak with a Safety Team member for approval. If you desire to be a part of the solution and protection of our church, then you need to complete ENGAGE and sign up for our Safety Team. Any law enforcement present, in the event of a disruption, may engage as a de facto member of the Safety Team and is permitted to take action with the existing Safety Team.

If a disruption occurs, we ask all members and guests to remain calm and follow instructions. Please do not intervene—allow the Safety Team to do their job.
We will not be intimidated or bullied. We will love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, bless those who curse us, and at the same time faithfully steward and protect our people and gatherings as we worship God together. The mission of the church will go forth.