Bring your city, relationships, experience, and resources into a shared journey toward movement networks in every city—so the whole Church can declare and display Christ together in the cities of the world.
Cities bring churches, communities, and mission opportunities into the same place. Yet leaders often carry the work without knowing who else shares their burden—locally or around the world.
Lausanne Cities helps leaders find one another, listen across continents, and build the trust that makes shared action possible. We begin with the people and networks already serving their cities, then discern together what a meaningful next step could be.
Lausanne Cities connects work already underway across regional, cultural, and institutional boundaries. Through the TRUST pathway, partners align their strengths, share learning, and equip emerging leaders to start and strengthen locally owned city movements.
Building on Lausanne’s urban mission legacy. Ray Bakke began serving Lausanne as Senior Associate for Large Cities in 1979 and held consultations in more than 200 cities. Glenn Smith, Tim Keller, Mac Pier, and many others carried that vision forward—listening locally, learning regionally, linking globally.
No organization owns this movement.
Local leaders carry the work. Partners bring their strengths. Lausanne Cities helps connect and strengthen what is already growing.
The pathway is shared. Its practice is locally adapted. Partner contributions align around it.
TraceStudy the city, people, and God’s story.
RelateBuild friendship before strategy.
UniteGather the city leaders table.
StructureTurn trust into collaboration.
TransferRelease ownership locally and multiply.You are already carrying part of the vision. Partnership connects what you bring with leaders and movements in cities around the world.
Organizations
How can our mission contribute without becoming another silo?
We help you listen to local leaders, see your work through the city, and connect your expertise with the wider body of Christ. Together we could shape a cities-first strategy, second staff or resources to a shared initiative, or offer formation and coaching to emerging city leaders.
Explore organizational partnershipInstitutions
How can our research and formation serve leaders on the ground?
We connect educators, researchers, and practitioners across regions so learning flows both ways. Together we could build and validate city profiles, contribute data and expertise, form emerging leaders, or turn local wisdom into resources for the global Church.
Explore institutional partnershipNetworks & coalitions
How can we participate globally without losing local ownership?
We help existing networks learn across continents, connect with complementary movements, and bring their experience into a shared global conversation. Together we could share research and relationships, host regional convenings, or accompany another city through Sister Cities.
Explore network partnershipFinancial partners
Where can patient investment unlock lasting, multiplying change?
We connect your long-term vision with trusted leaders and emerging opportunities around the world. Patient investment helps learning travel, movements strengthen, and new city tables form. Technology, hosting, and in-kind support count too.
See what your investment enablesA global table is already taking shape. We have formal partnerships with the World Evangelical Alliance—carried forward together through CitiesCollab—the Every City Coalition, and Bakke Graduate University, with whom we are building an education, research, and formation circle. We also serve alongside networks such as Urban Life in the Netherlands and Movement.org in Asia, and with city-movement leaders across six continents.
Start a conversation about partnershipA city profile is a shared picture of one city, built with its own leaders: its people and needs, who is already serving, and where collaboration could grow. These are proposed, partner-validated research milestones.
An initial 722-place scope draws on UN city and capital data (2025) and GaWC economic hubs (2024); partners will refine it. By 2035 we hope for refreshed evidence, stronger city tables, and documented cities-first practice.
How partners help: share research and relationships, validate the profile of your own city, and contribute data, expertise, technology, or hosting.
Behind every shared table is quiet, steady work: leadership, coordination, shared research, practical tools, convening, and follow-through. That is what the backbone provides, so local leaders can keep their focus on their cities.
Partners extend this capacity through staff time, data, expertise, technology, and hosting. Financial partners make the core of it possible.
*Constant 2027 planning dollars; research gaps additional. Includes fully loaded Lead Catalyst capacity, growing coordination, travel, tools, and modest convening provision. Confirmed in-kind support may offset cash costs.
Share research and relationships. Offer formation or coaching. Accompany another city through Sister Cities. Second staff or resources. Invest in the shared work that helps partners collaborate.
You do not need a finished proposal. Share a little about your city or organization and what you would like to explore.
Jacob Bloemberg
Lead Catalyst for Cities
