Greetings sisters and brothers in Christ! As you read this article, you may find yourself needing a quick summary or a quick list of hot facts to help you get a better handle on the Urban Transformation Center in Bangkok, Thailand. These will be updated (meaning added to) daily throughout this week. It is my hope that after reading these daily "TOP FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE UTC"  you will be able to go into this Sunday morning's worship service with facts, figures, and a very clear understanding of this ministry so that you can tell others how their giving to the World Mission Offering is making a huge difference in transforming a city of 10 million plus people. God bless you for being faithful in communicating this information with your church.  

Thursday's "Top Five things you Should Know about the UTC"

5. The UTC's urban immersion programs feature an inside-out style of learning, where Bangkok itself is the classroom. 

4. The UTC's curriculum in that Bangkok classroom is comprised of a variety of issues such as AIDS, poverty, prostitution, trafficking, migration, church planting, government, Buddhism, Islam, and so much more!

3. The UTC's curriculum in that Bangkok classroom is "taught" by what we call "Satellites" - these are various ministries, organizations, churches, individuals, and host of other entities that are "sending out a signal" (like a Satellite) about the urban context in which they find themselves and the continuing need for transformation.

2. The UTC puts participants in touch with these Satellites and their signals there on site in their local context in an effort to develop and raise up a kingdom community of "transformers" - locally and internationally.

1. The UTC actively recruits and welcomes participants and partnerships from 5 major target groups in Bangkok and around the world: churches, schools, organizations, hybrid-teams, and corporate/consulate representatives. 

Wednesdays "Top Five Things You Should Know about the UTC"

5. The UTC charges fees for its various programs and services because, in Asia as in most of the world, people are wise enough to know that something of superior quality that is given out for free must not be worth much.

4. The UTC also charges fees for its various programs and services because we seek to transform the dysfunctional systems of "dependency" that have been passed on in the name of "mission" for many generations.

3. The UTC also charges such fees because we aspire to be self-funded by the end of the year 2004 or the beginning of 2005.

2. The UTC's superior quality programs and services for urban transformation cannot break the back of dependency or become self-funded without authentic partnership among ministries, organizations, and churches in Bangkok as well YOU American Baptists.

1. The UTC's momentum toward being self-funded and not dysfunctionally dependent (or depended upon) requires a significant financial PUSH from our partners in Bangkok and all of YOU American Baptists. The only person I know   who can create out of NOTHING is God. I'm not God, so will you help in these critical first two years?

Tuesdays: "Top Five Things You Should Know about the UTC"

5. UTC is short for Urban Transformation Center and it is located right in the heart of downtown Bangkok a city of 10 million + people!

4. The UTC is the first and pilot center to be established in a world-class city as outlined in International Ministries strategic mission plan GO GLOBAL!

3. The UTC is exactly one year old this month - though the pre-work and visioneering it took to get to its establishment actually began as early as 1998.

2. In just one year the UTC has touched the lives of over 350 people from Bangkok and around the world. That's almost one life per day in our first year!

1. The UTC in an organization that facilitates partnerships among various ministries, organizations, and churches in Bangkok, accesses existing networks in the city, and provides "Urban Immersion" inside-out learning programs for local and international participants - all for purpose of bringing about transformation in the city of Bangkok and cities around the world. Hence our name - the Urban Transformation Center.

Dude, Where's my Car?is a movie that resembles my own journey toward developing the Urban Transformation Center in Bangkok, Thailand. Quoting one Hollywood synopsis: "As they encounter various odd strangers who know them and situations they don't recall due to previously being wasted, two bumbling dudes try to figure out what happened the night before that resulted in all of that as well as them misplacing their car."

Nine years of urban mission in Bangkok is more than enough time to say that I am well acquainted with the feeling of being one of those "bumbling dudes!" Meetings with "odd strangers" often leave me feeling "wasted." Then it takes several days or more just trying to figure out "what happened!"

The car is like the call, the vision, and the nuts and bolts tasks I believe I have been given to network and partner with churches, organizations, schools, and a host of other agencies to form an urban center focusing on urban transformation. But even with a sleek design and souped up high performance programs, there are situations (many of which are difficult to recall in detail) where that gets lost or misplaced. It's not hard to do! Standing on the curb of confusion I found in a stupor asking God (no sacrilege intended), "Dude, where's my car? Dude, what happened to the dream – the vision? Dude, where's this Center for Urban Transformation?"

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, who labor in cities all around the world, I have good news for you! Despite these periodic inebriations of the heart, mind, and soul I have been discovering that God lifts the fog, snaps us out of our temporary daze, and restores us to sobriety in order that we carry out the vision God has given for us here in Bangkok (and for you in your city). As God does this, Dude, Where's My Car? becomes Dude, Where's the Kingdom? and off we go on a passionate quest for transformation in our cities.

Allow me to share with you my own journey in the development of the Urban Transformation Center in Bangkok, Thailand. It was understood that this endeavor would be developed with our historic partners here in Bangkok, the 12th District (Chinese-Thai Baptists) of the Church of Christ in Thailand. The Urban Transformation Center (UTC) evolved out of 6 years of teaching a course on "Urban Ministry" in 4 major theological seminaries in Bangkok. It's hard to believe that before this class, there had not been a full-term, full-credit, required course on "Urban Ministry" in any of these institutions! That may have been my first "Dude, where's my car?" moment in the long journey toward the establishing of the UTC! How did a city like Bangkok get so big (at that time about 6 million in population) without seminaries offering a course on "Urban Ministry"

            Fortunately, God knew exactly where the car was and where it was going! After three years of teaching on my own, I came to another "dude" moment – I need to build a team! Therefore, in partnership with the partnering seminaries where I was teaching we launched the "Adjunct Faculty Development Project for Urban Ministry." I spent an entire year pouring my energy into 5 select individual that were already urban practitioners, but were full of potential to become teachers who could bring their own experiences and expertise into the classroom and curriculum. These adjunct faculty members were not only made up of representatives from our Baptist partnership, but were also representatives from a variety of other faith traditions in the Kingdom of God! This opened many doors for us with many groups. "Dude, I'm starting to see the car!!!" Since that program has been in place, I have never taught an urban ministry course alone. "Dude, it's a carpool!!"

            While all this was happening and International Ministries was launching the Go Global!strategy for urban ministry, a vision was set before me: "It's time to educate not only seminary students, but church members, staff of organizations, missionaries, volunteers, and even executives about the massive urban context of Bangkok. It's time they come out from behind their church walls or organizational office dividers and see for themselves the myriad of social-political-religious agencies outside of the Church that are already hard at work everyday trying to "transform" Bangkok as they understand it. It's time to bring together the entire Body of Christ in Bangkok through network and partnership building for the sake of the Kingdom and the kind of transformation that can only come through Christ our Lord." As this vision actually materialized into a plan, there was tremendous reception on the part of my colleagues at International Ministries.

            I wish I could say the same about my local colleagues, the many partners with whom I had been working for what was by then 7 years. Our historic Baptist partners, the adjunct faculty team that I had spent so much time with, the churches and partnering seminaries, after listening to me cast this vision with wild-eyed excitement seemed to say, "Dude, where's your car?"

            After six months of U.S. assignment and deputation speaking back in the States following our second term, I returned in January 2002 ready to "drive this car," but I couldn't find it. Though I kept describing it in detail and insisted that it was ready to be driven, I felt and heard most of the time from just about anybody I could call a partner, "Dude, we can't see your car." This is where the script turns from comic to tragic. Anyone who has put in several hard years of ministry in a major city becomes acquainted with the voice crying in the wilderness – the urban wilderness. It got to me. Along with personal struggles of depression, burnout and stress the lack of excited response was like a nail on the road. "Dude, you got a flat tire." It took 6 long months to pump that tire back up, not with my own wind – but by the breath of God's Spirit. And while my tire was getting filled up, I still felt like I had to check under the hood and ask God (again, no sacrilege intended), "Dude, are you sure I'm supposed to drive this car?"

            Upon my return to Bangkok in October 2002 following major repairs at "God's Garage, Parts, and Fine Tuning" I already had my answer. God was relentless with this vision that had all but driven me off the road previously! Upon my return, however, it was even clearer than the day I had been given the original vision. It was as if God were saying to me, "DUDE!!! GET IN THE CAR – I'M DRIVING!" I remember journaling about that for several days – it was so clear that GOD was going to drive this vision home.

            So on November 1, 2002 with much prayer and with the agreement of International Ministries I rented an office right in the center of Bangkok, hired an assistant, and then . . . then . . . well it all started getting blurry. We were moving so fast! I mean, God was driving so fast. "Dude, could you slow down?" I was driven to some unfamiliar territory and like one of those "bumbling dudes trying to figure out what happened the night before" I sometimes wondered, "Dude, where are we going" Amazingly, hitchhikers started showing up along the road wanting to get in on the ride! Some of them I had never met before, others were the very same people who had previously shown little or no interest. I guess with God driving, I had time to talk to each new passenger as they climbed on board. The vision was being cast!

            On November 1, 2003 the Urban Transformation Center (UTC) will be one year old. Throughout the course of this past year, God has been mapping out and driving us along some very specific routes. Notice "us" – as in we, for if nothing else the UTC has now clearly become "public transportation." I can't ask anymore, "Dude, where's my car?" because it's not mine and it's not a car – it belongs to all who are joining and sharing in this wild and crazy ride and it's a vehicle big enough to transport all of us to a new and transformed Bangkok. It's big enough to include our Baptist partners as well as all our other sisters and brothers in Christ's Kingdom in the city.

I know what it's like to stagger out into the middle of the city and feel like one of those "bumbling dudes." Perhaps you have felt the same in your city. I know what it's like to snap out emotional and spiritual inebriation and say, "Dude, where's my car?" Perhaps you have said the same. But let us encourage one another with the fact that behind the wheel as we go careening around the next corner is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And please . . . don't even think about yelling from the back seat (though I do it all the time), "Are we there yet?" We'll know when we're there and it will be awesome - that new city . . . God's city . . . transformed. And together all God's people will say, "DUDE!!!!!"

My dear American Baptist friends, you now know 15 things about the Urban Transformation Center that perhaps you didn't know before. My only question to you is, where do YOU fit in? What can you do? May I suggest the following for this upcoming Sunday or any Sunday in the near future:

 This or any SUNDAY's "Top Five Things You Can Do regarding the UTC"

 5. Contact me, Jeff Dieselberg, the acting director of the UTC with you and your churches inquiries on how to fit in and play a part in this truly unique Urban Transformation Center (urbanbangkok@msn.com)

 4. Tell your church members, family, and friends about the UTC - print off these 15 items and take them around with you.

 3. Celebrate with us our 1 year Anniversary at the UTC by making a substantial contribution through the World Mission Offering.

 2. Be part of the initial PUSH for the UTC momentum by following other American Baptist churches who have already been participants in our program - how about your church becoming a participant?

 1. Consider how many people we have already touched through the programs and services of the UTC both in Bangkok and internationally and ask yourself - in what SPECIFIC ways can I or my church help the UTC become a self-funded tranformational catalyst in a world class city like Bangkok. Again for SPECIFIC ways that you or your church can help the UTC directly, please contact me at urbanbangkok@msn.com or send me your phone number and I will be glad to personally call you from the UTC in the heart of downtown Bangkok and talk to you about how you can become a stakeholding partner in global urban transformation! 

God bless you!!

Rev. Jeff Dieselberg
Director
Urban Transformation Center