Why urban and university?

Many things define our city, but few are as defining as the University of Tennessee. For a church whose mission is to reach Urban & University Knoxville, there is no better spot than the corner of 17th and Highland. More than 38,000 students, faculty, and staff come to campus from all over the state, country, and world. The university has quite literally brought the world to our doorstep.

But Knoxville is more than just the University. Home to the Sunsphere, the Great Smoky Mountains, Dolly Parton, the Volunteers, and the Ice Bears, this is a beautiful city. A city full of wonderfully scruffy, creative, and kind people. Our city reminds us that our God is joy-filled and creative.

Like all cities, Knoxville also has its share of brokenness. More than 3,700 of our neighbors live in or near homelessness. 26.5% of the population lives below the poverty line. Mental illness, broken relationships, addiction, violence, and division abound. Knoxville reminds us that our God longs to renew his creation and to restore the lost, the hurting, and the broken to himself.

So, while we are proud to call Knoxville our home, we also mourn its brokenness and pray continuously, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven."