Alana – Initiatives for Urban Children

αλάνα (greek) noun /aˈlana/

definition of alana:

sandlot, an area of vacant ground in a city used by children for playing

In alana we create “space” for the children of the city where they can flourish! Keeping our eyes on what is happening around us, we are looking for opportunities and we are creating ways in order to bring children closer to culture and society, proposing an alternative view of everyday life in the city. 

The purpose of this initiative is to explore how the principles and DNA of City to City can be applied by focusing on urban children. When we talk about contextualisation in witnessing we have to include both children and teenagers. One of the biggest challenges of new church plants is the development of ministries for children both inside and outside the church community. Alana’s goal is to tackle these challenges.

Our concern is the physical, psychological, social, cognitive, and spiritual well-being of children living in the city. By using our imagination and creativity, we are working for the “well-being” of the young, providing opportunities for interaction with the city, combining fun with learning, with the Christian faith as our ultimate source of inspiration. Moreover, we are organizing educational activities, workshops, seminars, and interventions that meet the needs of children living in the city.

One of its main goals is to develop material that will be a counter-catechism to the seven narratives that are now considered self-evident in our time as identified by Tim Keller in his book How to Reach the West Again.