<![CDATA[A Fire Is Lit]]>https://www.afireislit.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ySpA!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5874201-a489-428a-b90f-ad699aaf4207_1022x1022.pngA Fire Is Lithttps://www.afireislit.comSubstackWed, 15 Apr 2026 08:11:54 GMT<![CDATA[Bonus Conversations: David Whitehead]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/bonus-conversations-david-whiteheadhttps://www.afireislit.com/p/bonus-conversations-david-whiteheadTue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:17 GMTThis conversation with David Whitehead is a special treat. David was not raised in the church and grew up in a violent neighborhood on San Antonio's south side. He became a militant atheist, opposing Christian life and thought, until, at around age 18, he came to faith in Jesus during the charismatic renewal and experienced a radical turnabout, leading Bible studies and becoming a dynamic church planter. I appreciate how God redeemed his story; one example is his love of music, which he used to impact others as he offered the Gospel to those he encountered.

David is certified as a coach with CoachNet and as a coach trainer with City to City and Church Multiplication Ministries. He has coached a wide range of Christian leaders worldwide and has been building coaching networks globally to serve key cities. He brings a diverse range of experience that we hope will impact you.

We are thrilled to share this bonus conversation, a great introduction to the crucial role of church planter coaching in City to City’s global ecosystem.

More from our guest

With decades of experience coaching church planters and Christian leaders around the world, David has written thoughtfully about the intersection of church planting and coaching.

Read his explanation of how a church planter is different from a pastor.

Discover his reflections on why coaching planters is important.

And explore his life-giving reflection on Psalm 23.

You can also listen to Scott Thomas and David Whitehead – Gospel Coaching: A Relationship with a Purpose, a breakout session audio from the 2018 Gospel and Our Cities conference in Chicago.

]]><![CDATA[Bonus Conversations: Guna Raman]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/bonus-conversations-guna-ramanhttps://www.afireislit.com/p/bonus-conversations-guna-ramanThu, 19 Feb 2026 12:03:10 GMTToday’s guest is Guna Raman.

Guna lives in Singapore and has been CEO of CTC Asia Pacific since 2018. (He held the role as a volunteer for a few years before that.)

Asia Pacific is one of the largest and most diverse regions in the City to City ecosystem. The region is home to 2 billion (with a “B”) people and a couple thousand languages. Guna talks about the challenges and opportunities of working across such vast cultural and linguistic diversity.

I love how Guna talks about one of CTC’s core DNA commitments: gospel renewal. He articulates beautifully how realizing that the gospel isn’t only an introduction to the Christian life, but is also the power that animates the entire life of faith transformed his life and the church he pastored for many years and gave him a vision for the work he does now.

More from our guest

For more about City to City Asia Pacific, check out their website.

Watch a short video about CTC Asia Pacific’s church planter Intensive program.

Listen to Guna tell his personal story of gospel renewal in Chapter 6 of A Fire Is Lit.

]]><![CDATA[One Year On and More to Come]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/one-year-on-and-more-to-comehttps://www.afireislit.com/p/one-year-on-and-more-to-comeTue, 17 Feb 2026 12:02:57 GMTThe first episode of A Fire Is Lit dropped just over a year ago.

Launch days are always, somehow, both anxiety-inducing and anticlimactic. January 28, 2025 was no exception. I was in Kenya at the time, sitting in on a training event hosted by our friends at City to City Africa. Several thousand miles from home and several hours ahead in a different timezone, I sat in the back of the room knowing that the thing we’d been cultivating in private was about to make its debut.

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Now that it was too late to change it, I hoped it wasn’t terrible.

I hoped people would enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

I hoped it would matter.

Soon enough, we started hearing affirmation that it wasn’t terrible and that people did enjoy it. It even seemed to matter to a wide range of people.

  • Church planters who had been part of the Redeemer City to City network for years said the story helped them feel connected to something bigger than their own church and city.

  • Pastors shared it with their leadership teams and incorporated it into leadership training.

  • Donors were encouraged to hear good news for a change and recommitted their support.

  • Perfect strangers found the story compelling and wanted to know more.

Several people told me they were sorry the series was over. I was too. But I have good news: there’s more on the way!

New Episodes

Beginning very soon, we’ll start releasing bonus episodes. These are lightly edited versions of the extended interviews that made up our research for season one. As you know, the City to City story is chock full of great characters. I’m eager for you to hear more of their stories.

New Season

I’m also thrilled/terrified to announce that season two is in the works. Season 2 will be special. Each episode will feature and be produced by a different regional affiliate from within City to City’s global network. Eight regions, eight episodes. (Maybe nine. We’ll see.) As we speak, a crack team of creatives around the world is conducting interviews, crafting narratives, and developing soundscapes. I can’t wait to share it with you.

New Collaborations

Our team here at Redeemer City to City is launching a sister publication called City to City on Substack. If you click over there, you’ll see this podcast listed in the navigation bar. This channel will remain dedicated solely to A Fire Is Lit, so be sure to subscribe to City to City in order to follow the goings-on there. We’re planning some collaborations between the two platforms in the near future.

We’re grateful to be on this ride with you.

Brandon O’Brien

Thanks for reading A Fire Is Lit! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

]]><![CDATA[Chapter 8: A Fire Is Lit]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-8-a-fire-is-lithttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-8-a-fire-is-litTue, 18 Mar 2025 11:00:59 GMTFrom Europe’s post-Christian landscape to Africa’s need for gospel transformation, leaders across the globe are embracing unique challenges. The movement has shifted from “the West to the rest” to “everywhere to everywhere,” with leaders from Latin America and Asia now supporting efforts in the U.S. and Africa. As a younger, more diverse generation takes the lead, the future holds a renewed commitment to unity and gospel-driven impact in cities worldwide.

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 7: We've Only Just Begun]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-7-weve-only-just-begunhttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-7-weve-only-just-begunTue, 11 Mar 2025 13:44:08 GMTThe years 2020-2023 tested City to City like never before. The pandemic upended church planting efforts, forcing churches to close and limiting in-person training. At the same time, the murder of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests, exposing deep divides within society and the church. Adding to the turmoil, Tim Keller was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and two founders—Jay Kyle and Keller—passed away within a year. Amid these challenges, City to City embraced a collaborative process of discernment, re-configuring itself into a smaller, more focused organization.

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 6: All These Cities are Connected]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-6-all-these-cities-are-connectedhttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-6-all-these-cities-are-connectedTue, 04 Mar 2025 15:11:49 GMTThrough training programs like the International Intensive, the influence of Tim Keller’s books, and the creation of networks like City to City Asia Pacific, the movement spread around the world as leaders adapted its model to their own contexts. By 2018, this decentralized, global network empowered regional affiliates on six continents to lead, ensuring City to City’s vision thrives far beyond its New York beginnings.

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 5: The Most Fruitful Decade Yet to Come]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-5-the-most-fruitful-decadehttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-5-the-most-fruitful-decadeTue, 25 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMTIn 2012, Dominican American pastor Robert Guerrero joined as the New York City Church Planting Catalyst, pushing for structural changes such as diversifying leadership and redesigning training to support Black and Brown planters. This work was an instrumental part of The New York Project, launched in 2014, which aimed to plant new churches, train diverse leaders, and establish a permanent home for Redeemer East Side and a leadership development center.

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

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]]><![CDATA[Chapters 3 and 4: Bonus Resources]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapters-3-and-4-bonus-resourceshttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapters-3-and-4-bonus-resourcesThu, 20 Feb 2025 13:01:12 GMT

A LOOK AT THE 2000s

The history continues! Take a look at some of our findings from the archives as we journey along the chronology of Redeemer Presbyterian Church and City to City. And don’t forget to check out Chapter 5 of A Fire is Lit on February 25th to see what happens as City to City enters the 2010s.

  1. Page 15-19 of Tim’s written history of Redeemer and City to City, cover the events of Chapter 3, while pages 19-20 supplement the story of Chapter 4.

  2. Check out this article by Scott Kauffman from a 2009 Redeemer Report that tells about City to City’s initial launch, as well as where the inspiration for the organization’s name came from.

  3. Listen to the full audio of Tim’s sermon “Truth, Tears, Anger and Grace,” which was presented the Sunday after the disaster on September 11, 2001.

  4. Lastly, enjoy a selection of photos from early CTC gatherings and trainings below.

ABOVE: Tim Keller, Mark Reynolds, Andres Garza, and more meet with a group of church planters.
ABOVE: Fall of 2008—Mark Reynolds assists in training during one of City to City’s Intensive programs, where new church planters receive instruction on a wide range of ministry topics.
ABOVE: Fall of 2008—Makoto Fukuda proposes his plan to plant a church in Tokyo, Japan.

We’ll see you next week for the fifth episode!

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 4: A Church Not for Itself but for Others]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-4-a-church-not-for-itselfhttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-4-a-church-not-for-itselfTue, 18 Feb 2025 16:31:59 GMTWhen tragedy struck New York City on September 11, 2001, Redeemer Presbyterian Church saw its attendance surge as New Yorkers sought solace and answers. The church stepped into the pain of a grieving city with compassion, support, and hope, while the Redeemer Church Planting Center began training leaders in global cities, laying the groundwork for what would become Redeemer City to City.

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 3: Barbarians Storming the Gates]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-3-barbarians-storming-thehttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-3-barbarians-storming-theTue, 11 Feb 2025 14:44:38 GMTIn the early 2000s, Tim Keller envisioned a new way of approaching global missions—one that avoided the pitfalls of traditional models. Instead of sending American missionaries to foreign countries or simply funding local leaders, he proposed a partnership model: pairing supportive “cultural outsiders” with empowered “cultural insiders” to plant churches that were rooted in their own cities’ contexts.

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

OTHER PLACES TO LISTEN

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 2: Bonus Resources]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-2-bonus-resourceshttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-2-bonus-resourcesThu, 06 Feb 2025 19:08:17 GMTFROM MEGACHURCH TO MOVEMENT

The history continues! Take a look at some of our findings from the archives as we journey along the chronology of Redeemer Presbyterian Church and City to City. And don’t forget to check out Chapter 3 of A Fire is Lit on February 11th to see what events the turn of the millennium brings.

  1. Dive deeper into the history of Redeemer Presbyterian Church by checking out this meaty PDF written by Tim Keller, organized into sections according to chronological event. Pages 10-15 pertain to Chapter 2 in particular!

  2. Check out this visionary pamphlet from 1998 that displays Redeemer’s aims to deviate from the traditional megachurch model by pivoting to create an Urban Church Development Center.

  3. Take a look at this slide from a 2001 PowerPoint outlining Redeemer’s church planting strategy:

And as an extra tidbit, relive the early history of Redeemer from Chapter 1 with this original pamphlet that was distributed to gather support for launching the church in a big, new city.

We’ll see you next week for the third episode!

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

Additionally, you can help out the podcast by commenting, sharing, and subscribing below:

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 2: Three White Presbyterians...and Igor]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-2-three-white-presbyteriansandhttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-2-three-white-presbyteriansandTue, 04 Feb 2025 15:33:35 GMTIn the 1990s, Redeemer Presbyterian Church grew rapidly, reaching over 1,000 attendees within a few years. Chapter 2 of the A Fire is Lit podcast explores how that growth led Redeemer to shift its focus from building a megachurch to launching a church-planting movement.

Be sure to keep a look out for another post this Thursday, February 6, for bonus resources that provide additional insight into the formative years of RCTC that you can’t find anywhere else!

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

OTHER PLACES TO LISTEN

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 1: Bonus Resources]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-1-bonus-resourceshttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-1-bonus-resourcesThu, 30 Jan 2025 17:20:58 GMTHello again! We’ve already heard encouraging things from you regarding the first chapter of A Fire is Lit. To tide you over until Chapter 2 launches this Tuesday, February 4, take a look at some interesting finds that help flesh out the formative background of Redeemer City to City:

  1. Dive deeper into the history of Redeemer Presbyterian Church by checking out this meaty PDF written by Tim Keller, organized into sections according to chronological event.

  2. Read a second analysis of Redeemer’s mission from the perspective of a Case Study for Urban Growth.

  3. Listen to a selection of classic worship music from Redeemer from the 1990s and early 2000s.

We’ll see you next week for the next episode!

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

Additionally, you can help out the podcast by commenting, sharing, and subscribing below:

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]]><![CDATA[Chapter 1: God’s Doing Something in New York City]]>https://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-1-gods-doing-something-inhttps://www.afireislit.com/p/chapter-1-gods-doing-something-inTue, 28 Jan 2025 18:13:38 GMTIntroducing the first chapter of Redeemer City to City’s A Fire is Lit podcast!

In this episode, step back into 1980s New York City—a time of high crime, economic instability, and rising poverty. Amid these challenges, Manhattan was also becoming home to a wave of ambitious, young professionals drawn to lucrative careers on Wall Street. Sensing a unique opportunity, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) invited Tim Keller, a seminary professor in Philadelphia, to explore church planting in Manhattan.

Be sure to keep a look out for another post this Thursday, January 30, for bonus resources that provide additional insight into the formative years of RCTC that you can’t find anywhere else!

For more information about Redeemer City to City and our vision, visit our website below:

Visit RCTC's Website

OTHER PLACES TO LISTEN

Want to listen somewhere else? Check out the links below:

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