Globalization is rapidly becoming the driving force behind human migration. By 2050, more people will be moving into global cities than ever before—surpassing even the migration moment at Babel—and transforming the ethnic and cultural makeup of urban centers. By 2100, the world’s largest population centers will be in the most unreached places on earth (UPGs, UUPGs), particularly across African and Southeast Asian cities, dwarfing the influence of cities in the West. As cities grow more complex, so do the ministry challenges—and opportunities—they present.

The economic, social, and technological ripple effects of globalization have already reshaped the Bay Area, creating both new ministry terrain and fresh openings for the gospel. In light of this shifting landscape, what example can guide us as we navigate this emerging frontier? Surprisingly, we find one in the story of Moses and Joshua—leaders stepping into the unknown, facing giants, and forging a missional path into uncharted territory.

Four Missional Takeaways from Joshua for California:

Frontier Leadership

1. Joshua is not Moses – this may be simple, but I believe it’s profound. There is a great temptation to gauge how successful we are in our cities in relation to how successful others have been in theirs. The most important reality for Joshua was not how the Lord would use him by the measurement of another, but the fact that God was with him as he was with another, namely Moses. This is why chapter 12 is given. The chapter is divided into two sections; Kings Defeated by Moses and Kings Defeated by Joshua. Moses can’t defeat Joshua’s Kings and Joshua can’t defeat Moses’ kings. Soon-to-launch church planter Joe Jewell of Vintage church, Livermore, is uniquely prepared for the 20% and rising foreign-born context of Livermore just as Andrew Woods of Christ the King Church, Watsonville, is uniquely prepared for his 35% and rising foreign-born context. The challenges of ministry in a highly globalizing context must be engaged with the unique anointing God provides to leaders for the mission.

2. Courage in change is more spiritual than self-confidence in the familiar – God continually encouraged Joshua to not be afraid and to have courage. Divine reasoning was not centered on Joshua‘s natural ability. Instead, he says “I am with you just as I was with Moses” (Joshua 1:5). Our insufficiency is our greatest spiritual asset in that it better positions us to be courageous in God and not confident in self. A globalizing context needs spiritually courageous missionaries.

Frontier Context

3. New and Changing Frontiers are Filled with Opportunities that Must Be Intentionally Engaged – Part of the dynamic unfolding in the historical narrative is the timing of the tribes receiving their inheritance. Part of Joshua’s point in chapter 18 is that there were seven tribes who remained unintentional in engaging the mission given to them. From Joshua’s response, it would seem that they were simply “waiting.” The difference for the Bay Area is that the mission field has already come to us, however, are we the seven “waiting” to engage the mission God has given us?

4. The Transjordan is not West of the Jordan – In Joshua 22:26-28, the tribes east of the Jordan decided to build a monument that would serve as a reminder that they too belonged to the covenantal community though they were separated from the rest. This act of piety was initially misunderstood by the other tribes, west of the Jordan. The lesson here is, our spiritual territories are different and unique. We need to own the fact that the strategies of faithfulness in our cities may look strange to those in other cities, however faithfulness must remain as it did for those faithful tribes of the Transjordan.

The Bay Area, as many of the cities in California, are rapidly globalizing and must resist the urge to uncritically carbon-copy leaders and models from other contexts, lean into courageous dependence on God, intentionally engage the ever-widening frontier arriving within our communities and own the uniqueness of our regions as did those faithful Israelites following the death of Moses