Chris and Carol Green are the founders and leaders of Urban Life Family Center, a faith-based, family-focused life coaching center with an extensive internet outreach.
As urban family advocates, marriage consultants, and family life coaches, they established Urban Life to equip and empower urban people to fulfill their God-given purpose.
They launched the Family Center, which began as a local church, in September of 2004, and through the years they found themselves coaching women in the aftermath of divorce, navigating families in crisis, and guiding individuals searching for ways to break unhealthy lifestyle cycles and patterns. They have provided personal consultation and online courses for couples preparing for marriage and for couples in the midst of marital conflict.
They bring a unique hope-centered approach, specifically in their guidance, encouragement and coaching of young women and young men who are seeking to build a better future for themselves and their children (trying to break out of the welfare system).
Students, clients, and online seekers meet with Chris and Carol in a multi-media suite or online for practical instruction that teaches them how to invest their time, talents and treasure into the fulfillment of the Great Commandment (Love God, Love yourself, Love others) and the Great Commission (Go and change the world).
The Urban Life strategy is to simply follow the model already established in the Bible, where the goal wasn't to build a religion, but to bring such change in a person's heart, that they develop a desire to help others also discover the right paths in life.
For the last 10 years, Chris and Carol haved worked full-time jobs and volunteered all of their services to help people on weekends. They received no salary and no special compensation. During those years of small beginnings, they gave away the recordings of their sessions via DVD's and CD's, as well as ALL of their books and printed materials to those who attended the sessions.
While equipping attendees weekly from their media suite, this couple constructed a solid, new-generation internet outreach that connects with and brings healing to families through an online video channel for couples, an online channel for men, an online channel for women, free daily-inspirational book downloads, on-demand podcasts, and various social media initiatives (i.e. weekly e-Newsletters, Google+, Twitter, Facebook and Skype); all designed to equip people of the 21st century urban community with hope-centered teaching and training that will build their faith and families.
Their only call today is: Who will unite with us to reach the lost in the urban world?
Today, we are in our home city, St. Louis, Missouri, taking part in a week-long anniversary celebration and conference in our home church. This is the place from which we were trained and groomed for 17 years in urban world ministry. Last night, we spoke to the elders, deacons and various ministry leaders. Tonight, we are speaking to the church congregation.
It is extremely humbling and an incredible honor to be asked to share from our lives and journey in ministry. On a personal level, this summer marks 40 years of ministry for Chris. The toughest part about tonight is going be the effort to try to communicate 40 years of experience and lessons in about 40 minutes. But we know that God will give us what to say to our dear church family.
For the past 11 years, we have been working and serving in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and we have entered a new season. A few weeks ago, we communicated with our Urban Life family that major changes were coming and those changes are now upon us.
Last Sunday was our final gathering in our old model, method and wine skin. Jesus said that a new wine skin must be used in order to contain the new wine. Two of the practices to try to squeeze more life out of an old wine skin were to soak it in water or massage it with oil. For a while, God will do that with us and His Church, but eventually the day comes when we are forced to completely discard the old wine skin and get a brand new one.
Urban Life has embraced the new wine skin!
When we return to Harrisburg next week, our gatherings will be focused totally on training and preparing people of faith to take their gifts and skills into the world outside of the church building.
We have a few months remaining on our lease and for the time we have left, we are going to put all of our effort into the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The command is to love God and to love one another in the same way Christ loves us. The commission is to go and make disciples of all nations.
For the first time in 11 years, we have an open door that gets us in direct contact with lost young people in this city. We've been praying for this for so long, that we cannot possibly waste a single moment. We are going into enemy territory like undercover secret agents. We have a navy seal, special force unit type of assignment. Therefore, from now on, Urban Life's Sunday gatherings are all about training and preparation, to learn how to connect with people who are truly lost.
In fact, we have already advised everyone that we are changing the public persona of the ministry from a local church to a non-profit, faith-based community organization. We're going to be using terms like: life coaches and personal instructors, instead of pastors and ministers. We're totally focusing on the winning and the discipleship of this lost generation, so we're going to get our ministry ready for true 21st century outreach.
Yes, we will still have prayer and worship, but that will be open and available for those who want to come EARLY to seek God, BEFORE our training sessions begin at 11:00AM, every Sunday morning. Eventually these training sessions will be scheduled throughout the week during business hours.
Lately, we've had people coming to us who just wanted to prophesy or preach to us and our group, in order to display their gifts. However, we're looking for those who are willing to humble themselves, submit their gifts, and be trained for a very different type of assignment in the urban world.
At the same time, God is opening more opportunities for us to take our teachings about marriage and family to the world. Therefore, you will see us releasing more alternative websites and social media efforts that will appear to be less sacred in its language, but Biblically based in its content. All of that is just part of the strategy to fulfill the Great Commission in places where the light of God is seen dimly, right now.
We apologize that we cannot give you more details, but to do so would disclose too much and give the enemy opportunities to sabotage what is happening. Just know that we have had a tremendous breakthrough and we can finally start doing what we were sent out from St. Louis to do 11 years ago. We don't think it is a coincidence that this week, we are in St. Louis just before we launch into this new era.
So we ask you for your prayers as we minister tonight in St. Louis, as we return to Pennsylvania to launch a major undercover offensive to reach the lost in Harrisburg, and as we respond to the Macedonian calls that are coming our way from across the country and around the world.
We are overcomers, under orders,
-Chris and Carol Green
The Spirit of God led us to teach and then pray from the story of Nehemiah, and how the Jews took on the daunting task of rebuilding and repairing the walls and gates that surrounded the great city of Jerusalem.
There were ten gates that were embedded in strategic points along the walls of Jerusalem and each gate had a very specific purpose. Each gate has a prophetic meaning for our families today. Therefore, we are taking the time to look at each gate, understand its purpose and then pray about the significance of each gate in our hearts and homes.
Last week we prayed about the repairs of the Valley Gate.
In the Bible, a valley symbolizes sorrow, trials, and humbling experiences. We must restore the Valley Gate, which is the understanding that we will have trouble and difficult seasons.
As a nation, we have been spending millions of dollars trying to avoid trouble, and countless hours and days trying to get away from the Valley Gate. In America, comfort, pleasure and ease are gods. Therefore we are willing to do almost anything to get out of an uncomfortable situation.
This gate remains un-restored in many hearts and homes because most of our valley experiences have come in the family and in our closest relationships. However, rebuilding and restoring the valley gate is going to give us intestinal fortitude, determination, and a never give up spirit.
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
(Romans 5:3‐4 NIV)
A big reason our families have no hope is because we don't know anything about rejoicing in our sufferings. We do not want to build the valley gate, but it is a necessary part of our journey. There is a closeness and resolve regarding our relationship with God that is established only by the material of the valley gate.
The valley gate also produces humility. Pride reveals itself as haughty arrogance AND in low self-esteem or self-hatred. It is obvious, in the haughty person, that pride is present. They never want to do anything to risk embarrassment and they loathe making any mistakes in public. They do everything they can to hide their secret faults and flaws. Many are passionate perfectionists.
However, the person who wallows in self-hatred and tearing themselves down can be just as prideful. They make negative declarations about themselves that defy what God says about them. It is pride that causes them to lift any thought, even if it is self-defacing, against the knowledge of God.
However, the Bible says, "God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble."
(1 Peter 5:5)
The Valley Gate, and the embarrassing things that can be exposed about our lives, has a way of identifying pride.
Finally, look at what the Bible says about trials and tough times in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-10:
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
Look at what Paul said when he prayed about a particular trial in his life: Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12: 8-9
Next time, we’ll continue our journey around the wall and begin making repairs to other gates that surround our families. Every gate that has been destroyed means that we are open to concepts and ideas that are against God and His ways. We have believed lies and followed philosophies that have led us to destruction. So let’s continue to repair these gates as we gather in prayer each week.
We close this email with this prayer for you and your family:
Father God,
We thank You for proving to be faithful to us through the Valley Gate.
We rebuild the Valley Gate. You have provided the material to build this gate and we know that you have never left us in our most trying seasons. We will not seek a trouble free, trial free life. We will seek You; knowing that even if we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil, because you are with us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
-Chris and Carol Green
The Spirit of God led us to teach and then pray from the story of Nehemiah, and how the Jews took on the daunting task of rebuilding and repairing the walls and gates that surrounded the great city of Jerusalem.
There were ten gates that were embedded in strategic points along the walls of Jerusalem and each gate had a very specific purpose. Each gate has a prophetic meaning for our families today. Therefore, we are taking the time to look at each gate, understand its purpose and then pray about the significance of each gate in our hearts and homes.
The Old Gate: There are two theories why this gate was called the Old Gate. It might have separated old Jerusalem from the suburb of Bezetha, which was called “New Town”.
Another theory is that it once belonged to the very ancient city of Salem, first built by Melchizedek. Regardless of where the name came from, this gate represents a foundational gate for our lives and our families.
This gate symbolizes a return to the OLD WAYS. It symbolizes the return to walking in the timeless wisdom of God. Jeremiah 6:16a declares; “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.”
Since the Old Gate has been destroyed in the eyes of millions of Americans, as a nation, we no longer understand the value of the old path. We live in an era where only the newest thing is valued. We want new philosophies, New Age beliefs, and new fashions. The focus is on youth and youthfulness. We have millions of people striving to look and feel young. We live in an era where the wisdom of age is despised.
However, Job 12:12 says, “Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding.”
Look at this declaration by Elihu in Job 32:6-7, “I am young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you. I said, ‘Age should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
Can you imagine young people today saying this to someone in the older generation?
If our hearts and homes are going to survive and thrive, we must rebuild and restore the Old Gate, which is basically, the Word and Wisdom of God.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” Psalm 119: 105
Next week, we’ll continue our journey around the wall and begin making repairs to other gates that surround our lives. Every gate that has been destroyed means that we are open to concepts and ideas that are against God and His ways. We have believed lies and followed philosophies that have led us to destruction. So let’s continue to repair these gates as we gather in prayer each week.
We close this email with this prayer for you and your family:
Father God,
We thank You for proving to be faithful to us through the Old Gate. We restore the Old Gate and receive the wisdom that goes far beyond the newest and latest fad or witty invention.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
-Chris & Carol Green
This week we'll look at the fish gate. This was the entrance for fishermen to bring in their catch. This gate symbolizes the place where we see the importance of our roles as fishermen. Jesus told His disciples, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
Spiritual fishermen understand the importance of using lure and bait to catch fish.
They understand the timing of fishing. There are certain times of the day that fish are active. They even understand when some people are caught in the net of our influence; some are like the fish that have to be thrown back into the sea, until they are ready. The Bible says, “He that wins souls is wise.”
The fish gate symbolizes the importance of living a life that lures, baits, attracts and even catches people to come into the Kingdom of God. The fish gate expresses the priority of the Kingdom agenda for our lives. In a time when many people work and live only for themselves and personal survival, the fish gate symbolizes this new value of living for a purpose greater than our own. Today, we restore the fish gate. We follow Jesus so that He can make us fishers of men.
Next week, we’ll continue our journey around the wall and begin making repairs to other gates that surround our lives. Every gate that has been destroyed means that we have been allowing things that are the opposite of what God intended for us. We have been open to concepts and ideas that are against God and His ways. We have believed lies and followed philosophies that have led us to destruction. So let’s get these gates repaired as we gather in prayer each week.
We close this email with prayer for you and your family:
Father God, we thank you for giving us this opportunity to rebuild, restore and renew these vital gates to our hearts and homes. For some of us, this will be the first time the gates will ever be established. For others, it will be the first time, in many generations, that these gates will be set in place. No matter how long it has been, or if it has never been, we are just thankful that in our lifetime, these gates will be set in place in our hearts and homes.
Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. *Nehemiah 4: 7-9
Even though there is opposition to the rebuilding of these walls and the closing of these gaps, we will do the same thing that Nehemiah did in their time. We will pray to our God and set a watch day and night.
In the authority and name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
