We recently enjoyed listening to guest speaker Josh Hershberger, who formed the Good Citizen Project, an organization committed to equipping church leaders and Christians to be Gospel-centered citizens. The organization’s goal is to transform communities, states, and the nation through the power of the Gospel. Hershberger launched a speaking tour in 2023 to provide Christians around the country with a strong foundation for engaging in their role as good citizens.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
As Christians, we are called to serve Jesus, including as citizens. Hershberger points out our problem: “Cultural pressure, partisan politics, and culture warring have left many church leaders, and other committed Christians conflicted about their role in the public square.”
He is often asked questions such as, “Should we engage at all?” “Haven’t we lost the culture war?” and “How can we engage elected officials and public life without jeopardizing the Gospel?” The Good Citizen Project was formed to answer these questions and show us how to engage in the public square faithfully.
“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” – Matthew 22:21
Listed on the organization’s website is a four-step plan to help us in our role as good citizens:
- Review Biblical principles and examples concerning citizenship and apply them to your role as a citizen.
- Pray for and build meaningful relationships with local, state, and national government officials.
- Partner with the government and offer solutions to solve your community’s worst problems, such as the opioid crisis, foster care, etc.
- Help transform your city, state, and nation by seeking the common good and confidently promoting Biblical principles in the public square.
Hershberger is an attorney, minister, and speaker and represents churches and Christian ministries throughout the United States. As a speaker at churches, conferences, and other ministry events, he focuses on living out the Gospel in a post-Christian culture. His experience as an attorney includes representing Christian ministries in state and federal court, advocating for Christian ideas in the public square, and equipping ministries and individual Christians to form new efforts that impact their communities.
You can access resources and learn more about The Good Citizen Project at https://www.goodcitizen.us/.