Featured - Lausanne Movement

Friendship, Respect, Love and Justice for People with Disabilities

Tue, 01 May 2012 20:29:36 +0000

When you encounter a person living with a disability, what’s your first reaction?

Do you look away and try to avoid them, uncomfortable that they don’t look or act “normal”?

Do you immediately feel pity or sadness for their disability?

Or, do you see them as someone God can use to share His love and grace with others?

For some people, the idea that people living with disabilities can serve God, and not just be served by others, is difficult to grasp. Too often we look at people using only our human eyes and completely miss the way God sees them – as His loved and cherished creation.

This month, we’re focusing on what The Cape Town Commitment has to say about Disability Ministry. Joni Eareckson Tada, Lausanne Movement Senior Associate for Evangelism Among Disabled People, says, “Our human experience has been deeply affected by the fall of man—and nowhere is it more evident than with suffering and disability.”

In her article, Joni confronts the prevailing Post-Modern mindset that people are better off “dead than disabled” and challenges Christians to instead adopt a, “biblical worldview [that] assures us that God is in the process of redeeming suffering and disability.” Joni goes on to say, “people with disabilities have a unique opportunity to glorify God by fitting into God’s redemptive plan to make that which is broken, whole.”

Read Joni’s Article On Sanctity of Life and Disability.

Biola University Professor Kathy McReynolds further explores the idea Joni raises about the impact of the “Age of Enlightenment” on today’s view of disability. She questions whether indeed we have too much freedom, freedom that has drawn us away from Judeo-Christian values and instead finds us “picking who may live and who must die.”

Read Kathy’s Response.

Rick Langer, also a professor at Biola University, says the question of why God allows disability is a paradox. He adds that, “Most people expect the world to be a fallen place; they just do not expect their world to be a fallen place. When something bad happens to others we sigh and say ‘It’s a fallen world.’ When something bad happens to us we cry and say, ‘I never thought it would happen to me.’”

Read Rick’s Response.

The Cape Town Commitment (CTC), Part 2, Section IIB, 4, notes that people with disabilities make up one of the largest ministry groups in the world – with some estimates putting the number at 600 million people. The CTC emphasizes that while,

“. . . physical or mental impairment is a part of their daily experience, most are also disabled by social attitudes, injustice and lack of access to resources.”

The CTC exhorts Christians to serve people with disabilities, not just by providing medical or social care, but also by,

“. . . fighting alongside them, those who care for them and their families, for inclusion and equality, both in society and in the Church.”

Additionally, the CTC urges Christians,

“. . . both to minister to people with disabilities, and to receive the ministry they have to give,” by “. . . recognize[ing], affirm[ing] and facilitate[ing] the missional calling of believers with disabilities themselves as part of the Body of Christ.”

Read The Cape Town Commitment - Part 2, Section IIB, 4.

You are invited to Join the Conversation on Christ’s Peace for People with Disabilities, sharing your experiences and learning from others.

Additional articles, resources and videos will be shared in the next few weeks as a part of our focus on Disability Ministry. See below for the full list of resources as they are added throughout the month.

This Month: New Resources in the Conversation on Disability Ministry

Week 1: The Sanctity of Life

Lead Article

Sanctity of Life and Disability - Joni Eareckson Tada

Responses

A University Professor’s Response to Sanctity of Life and Disability - Kathy McReynolds
Rick Langer Responds to Sanctity of Life and Disability - Rick Langer

Additional Resources

Week 2: Disability Ministry - A Challenge to the Church

How Does God View People with Disability? - Joni Eareckson Tada and Jack S. Oppenhuizen
A Biblical Perspective on Healing - Joni Eareckson Tada and Jack S. Oppenhuizen
Video: The Tale of Two Families (Part 1 | Part 2) - Joni and Friends
God's Healing Presence in My Life - Joni Eareckson Tada

Week 3: A Biblical Basis for Disability Ministry

The Kingdom of God and Disability - Steve Bundy

Week 4: Including People Affected by Disability in Ministry

God's Story of Disability: The unfolding plan from Genesis to Revelation - Dr Dave Deuel
Holly's Heart - Holly Strother
Interview with Hillary Marides - Joni Eareckson Tada

Week 5: The Sanctity of Life Challenged

The life of Terri Schiavo - Joni and Friends
“Euthanasia” - Joni Eareckson Tada
“Seth is a Perfect Child" - Interview
Useless Eaters - Multimedia Presentation
The Sanctity of Life Challenged - Joni Eareckson Tada

Join the Conversation on Disability Ministry

Next month, we’ll take a look at The Cape Town Commitment and Partnership and Collaboration with Dr. Phill Butler, Lausanne Senior Associate for Partnership, and the team at visionSynergy.

The 70%: Orality and the Mission of the Church

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:45:22 +0000

When did you learn to read English?

If you’re reading these words right now it obviously means that at some point in your life, as a child or an adult, you learned to read English. Perhaps English is your first language, or possibly it’s something you chose to learn for business, ministry or other reasons. Because you’re reading this, I’m going to make at least two assumptions: first, you regularly “consume” or gather information by reading and second, you consider yourself literate. Those factors may make you somewhat unique in today’s world.

You may have heard the statistic before, but it bears repeating . . .

70%

That’s the percentage of adults in the world who, according to estimates, can’t read or don’t read.

I was raised in a home where reading was a top priority and something we not only did to learn but also for leisure. My mother, a school teacher, made sure we had plenty to read and evenings were often spent in the company of a good book. My tastes ran to The Hardy Boys Mysteries (which I, ah, appropriated from my brother), Louisa May Alcott and Lyman Frank Baum.

According to the statistic above, my experience is not the experience of most people in the world. Rather than read, many people use their ears and eyes to comprehend information, ideas and concepts. Stories, rather than being read, are passed orally from one person to another.

This Month's Focus: Orality

Lead Article

Are We Training Our Pastors Wrong? Or How Can We Train Pastors More Effectively? - Mark Snowden

Responses

A Missionary Responds to Mark Snowden - Billy Coppedge
A Pastor Responds to Mark Snowden - Chris Regas
A Bible College Principal Responds to Mark Snowden - Nat Schluter

Join the Conversation on Orality

This has significant implications on how we share the gospel and on how we disciple believers. Many ministries and churches have a growing recognition of this fact and the implications on how – and where – they’re engaged in ministry and outreach. Resources are becoming more readily available to tell the story of the Bible orally – from creation to Revelation – and to lead Christians to a deeper, authentically reproducing walk with the Lord. The word pictures used by these resources are compelling and remind us again of the grand narrative of the Bible.

This month, as we focus on reaching oral cultures terms like “orality”, “storying” and “oral preference learners” are ones with which we’ll become much more familiar. In section two of The Cape Town Commitment (Discerning the will of Christ for world evangelization) Christians are urged to focus on reaching Oral Cultures.

The Call to Action reminds us that:

“. . . there are an estimated 350 million people without a single verse of Scripture in their language.” (Section II, D 2, Cape Town Commitment)

The Call to Action takes one step beyond just a focus on “primary oral learners” to:

“ . . . ‘secondary oral learners’, that is those who are technically literate but prefer now to communicate in an oral manner, with the rise of visual learning and the dominance of images in communication.” (Section II, D 2, Cape Town Commitment)

As we take a look at reaching out to oral cultures, Mark Snowden’s article helps define who the oral learner is and then offers his view of the link between training pastors, disciplemaking, and oral learners.

Read Mark’s Article Here And Join The Conversation.

Snowden asks questions about the connection between training and learning by oral learners, and what we learn each week in church, through the style of our pastor’s sermon, our adult education classes or small group interaction. He also suggests that disciplemaking, particularly in the Church in America, needs to be shifted to focus more on how Christians are passing along what they’re learning.

Snowden ends with a call for “deep change” in training programs for pastors including:

Ensuring pastors are taught how to preach with the oral learning preferences of people in mind.
Challenging pastors to develop different expectations of their members, and raising the bar for disciplemaking by learning how to coach, support, and empower.

In response to Snowden’s article, Billy Coppedge, asks the further question of how to promote oral methods of learning in cultures that seem to expect literate methods. He gives two examples of surprising instances where he saw resistance to oral learning by leaders in predominantly oral cultures. Read Article

Chris Regas suggests a more balanced approach that combines both oral and literate manners, not one over the other, saying, “a balance of oral and literate is most consistent with the Gospels and Epistles as well as reality.” Read Article

Nat Schluter reminds us that we must not only “get it right” (a right understanding of the written Scripture) but that we must also “get it across” (seeking relevant ways to communicate the Gospel). To do this he emphasizes that, “it is the learning style of the recipient, rather than the communication style of the communicator that matters most.” Read Article

Join The Conversation On Orality today

Called to Work: Business as Mission

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:01:21 +0000

Teacher, lawyer, author, veterinarian, preacher, astronaut, foreign correspondent for an international news agency.

These – and more - were on the list of what I wanted to “be” when I grew up. With the exception of being a veterinarian or astronaut, I’d like to think my role with The Lausanne Movement allows me to be a bit of all of the above – whether it’s helping “teach” people about Lausanne or reporting on international events taking place within the Movement.

What was on your childhood list of occupations - doctor, banker, scientist, police officer, architect? As an adult, how close did you come to an occupation on that list?

Regardless of what you now do as a job, why you do it is even more important. Is the security of an income the motivator, or is it living the call God has placed on your life?

As we continue to unpack The Cape Town Commitment, this month we’re focusing on Section II, A 3, Truth and the Workplace.

This section of the Commitment addresses the so-called “sacred-secular divide” which has caused some Christians to segment their lives into “secular work” and “spiritual living”. The Commitment encourages Christians to instead, “accept and affirm their own daily ministry and mission as being wherever God has called them to work.” It goes on to “challenge pastors and church leaders to support people in such ministry – in the community and in the workplace – ‘to equip the saints for works of service [ministry]’ - in every part of their lives.”

Some use the term “full-time Christian ministry” to mean the work of pastors, missionaries or people who work in a Christian organization. Yet the Business as Mission (BAM) movement is challenging the use of that phrase by contending that all Christians – whether they preach, sweep the floor of the local market, or serve as an airline flight attendant – are in “full-time Christian ministry”.

“Christians in many skills, trades, businesses and professions, can often go to places where traditional church planters and evangelists may not . . . We urge church leaders to understand the strategic impact of ministry in the workplace and to mobilize, equip and send out their church members as missionaries into the workplace, both in their own local communities and in countries that are closed to traditional forms of gospel witness.” (Section II, A 3, Cape Town Commitment)

In the anchor article of our focus on this issue, Mats Tunehag, Lausanne Senior Associate for Business as Mission, emphasizes that BAM is not a new discovery in the body of Christ but is rather a “rediscovery of Biblical truths and practices”. BAM, he says, includes three mandates:

Creating (Wisely using the ability God has given us to create good things)
Loving Our Neighbor (Being a creative steward of all God has given us)
Living Out The Great Commission (Glorifying God and making him known among all people)

Mats goes on to ask a few probing questions:

Why are Christian business people mainly approached for money and often seen as suspect as they deal with “Mammon”?
Why don’t we commission business people on a Sunday morning service to be salt and light in the market place?
Why are so few seminaries and Bible colleges providing courses on theology of work and business?

Read Mats article, Business as Mission: A Challenging Rediscovery

Join the conversation on these and other Workplace Ministry questions

Resources are available to help you learn more about this issue, to facilitate evaluating your approach to work, and to assist pastors who want to affirm the work of their congregation:

May God bless you as you put your hands to the work God has called you to today!

Doug Birdsall Update

info@lausanne.org (Doug Birdsall, Executive Chair) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:36:34 +0000

Dr. John R.W. Stott personified The Lausanne Movement and the spirit of Lausanne. Just last month, I joined with hundreds of his friends and colleagues at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to honor and celebrate the life of Uncle John. We came from around the world to pay our respects, to share stories, and to draw inspiration from the life of this great man of God.

The tribute that I prepared for The Times of London is available here.

My frequent visits with Uncle John over the last six years allowed me to keep him current on Lausanne developments, and also receive his wise counsel and encouragement. I thank God for Uncle John’s life and the many things he taught me about leadership, and about living a life of integrity and commitment to the gospel.

Let me share with you Lausanne news that I think would have made Uncle John happy. I trust you will be encouraged as well.

1. Not “What’s Next?” but “What’s Now?”

During my first full month back to work following sabbatical, the most frequently asked question I hear is, “What’s next?” I always answer by saying, “There are many exciting things on the horizon but the most compelling thing is, ‘What’s Now!’”

As Evangelicals, we must resist the temptation to always be looking forward to the next big event. Instead we should discipline ourselves with a sustained and intensive commitment to the work of world evangelization that has been entrusted to us.

Cape Town 2010 ushered in a Century of Global Partnership. Every week I learn of new initiatives under way as a result of connections that were made, and the ideas that were shared in Cape Town. African leaders are building on the Congress as they encourage unity, bring hope, and strengthen the witness of the Church. Next month, Lausanne leaders in the Middle East and North Africa will meet in Cairo for the same purpose. Last month, several of us met with Orthodox bishops and missionaries who want to be more involved in The Lausanne Movement for missiological and doxological purposes. Last week, leaders from Southeast Asia and East Asia met in Seoul, Korea. Younger leaders in the Western World are meeting together to share vision and ideas they have received from leaders in the Majority World.

God is on the Move!

Currently we have leaders working on new mission partnerships and consultations on the following issues: Islam; Theological Education in the 21^st Century; Nominalism; Prosperity Gospel; Ethnicity and Identity; Gospel and Media; Theology of Work; Creation Care; Global Executive Leadership Forum (GELF); and Scripture Engagement.

Details on these initiatives and more will be posted and updated regularly on the Lausanne website - www.lausanne.org.

In May at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 54 seminary presidents, representing top schools globally, will deal with the topic, “The Changing Role of American Seminaries in Global Theological Education”. This consultation which is sponsored by the Lausanne Theology Working Group is being convened in collaboration with Langham Partnership, Overseas Council, The International Council for Evangelical Theological Education, The Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents, and the World Reformed Fellowship.

2. The Power of Clear Vision

The Cape Town Commitment (CTC, www.lausanne.org/ctcommitment) is gaining ownership around the world. Great progress is being made on two curriculum projects. The first is being developed for seminary and graduate school levels. The second will be for local churches, and for adult study groups. Both will be available later this year. They will provide an amazingly rich resource of videos, papers, study guides, and bibliographies for studying and engaging in world evangelization priorities for the coming decade.

We’ve also begun a monthly Communications focus on the CTC issues. Our emphasis during February is on the Diaspora, and CTC Part II Section C5, Love Reaches Out to Scattered Peoples, with Dr. Sadiri Joy Tira, Lausanne Senior Associate for Diasporas. I encourage you to join the conversation today at www.lausanne.org/conversation.

3. Great Ideas Attract Exceptional People

In the year following Cape Town 2010, one of the most encouraging developments I have witnessed is the caliber of people who have been drawn to work with one another in the Movement.

The twenty-two men and women who serve on The Lausanne Movement Board of Directors represent a virtual “Council of Elders” for global evangelicalism. These leaders represent influence for the cause of Christ from every region of the world and from the major streams of world mission, the church, and the academy. Please be praying for me and for these leaders as we seek the wisdom of God on our priorities for the years ahead.

4. Bangalore 2013

Next June, Lausanne will convene a meeting of 350 world evangelism innovators, scholars, and strategists for five days in Bangalore, India. The purpose will be to assess progress in world evangelization with respect to The Cape Town Commitment. This select global gathering represents our commitment to hold ourselves accountable for priorities and goals articulated at Cape Town 2010. It also acknowledges our need to continually identify emerging leaders, discover new resources, and learn from each other as we wrestle with new challenges in a world of dynamic change.

Mrs. Grace Mathews, Lausanne’s Vice Chair, serves as the Consultation Director. Dr. Ivan Satyavrata, International Deputy Director for South Asia, along with our South Asia Lausanne leadership, and the Regional Advisory Council, will be our hosts.

5. Lindsay Brown – Sharing Life and Celebrating Life

Lausanne International Director Lindsay Brown served for 16 years as General Secretary of IFES. During this period, IFES work grew from 100 to 150 countries. Lindsay, at heart an evangelist with a passion for the gospel, has recently returned from three weeks of university mission and meetings with Lausanne leaders in Australia. Currently, Lindsay is in the midst of university mission in the U.K. joined by Cape Town 2010 plenary speaker Tim Keller, and Lausanne Senior Associate Becky Pippert.

We are pleased to announce that Lindsay and his wife, Ann, became grandparents recently when their son, Owen, and daughter-in-law, Rhian, had a little girl. She was born twenty-five years after Lindsay and Ann lost their only daughter. You can imagine that she has been welcomed with great joy as a gift of God.

Congratulations!

6. Cape Town 2010 Impact – Report from the CEO of World Vision Canada

"As the President of World Vision Canada, I would like to express my appreciation to the Lausanne leadership for the impact of Lausanne Cape Town 2010. The quality and substance of presentations, the music, the worship, the diversity and breadth of the speakers and the overall organization was an experience of a lifetime.

Most of all it engaged us so vibrantly as an organization with our evangelical foundations and the ongoing vitality of the evangelical movement. As an organization with a broad Christian humanitarian mandate there is always substantive pressure from the secular world to bifurcate our Christian message from the actual work we do. It was a wonderful affirmation to be with Christian sisters and brothers who embrace both social action and the public witness of our faith in Christ. My own spirit was provoked and strengthened by the daily sharing in my small group.

Finally, I feel honored to have been selected to be part of this extraordinary event. It was such an encouragement to see WV colleagues and Board members attending and presenting. May God help me to continue to reflect this experience and make it an ongoing contribution to my daily life and ministry.” David Toycen

Thank you once again for your partnership in the work of “the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world”. May God continue to bless you!

Diaspora Focus: Curry, Baharat and Durian

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:00:11 +0000

I went to a Farmers Market near Atlanta, GA recently. While I live several hours away from the market, it’s become my new favorite place to shop for food.

Why?

Visiting the market is like taking a stroll through a food bazaar in all your favorite countries wrapped into one. It can be a bit overwhelming when the market is full and your senses are assaulted by the crush of people and the smells that are sweet, spicy and pungent. While I’m not a gourmet cook by any means, visiting the market always makes me feel like just mayyybbbee I could make something delectable out of that piece of goat, or those legumes and spices, or even that Durian (okay, maybe NOT the Durian).

But what is even more fun is people-watching and people-listening at the market. One person says there are more than 100 languages spoken by just the workers at the market. While I have no solid proof of that I tend to think the number is fairly accurate and soars even higher when customers are factored into the figure. As my husband and I walked around the market we heard Amharic, Russian, Spanish, Arabic and others, along with all manner of accented English. (I know I know as an American I have the accent.)

Rubbing shoulders with so many different people was amazing and exhilarating but also frustrating. They didn’t sound like me. They bumped into me. They were loud.

I was once again pushed out of my “white bread” comfort zone and I loved it. I came face to face with the reality of the changes taking place in population - not only in the United States but in nearly every large city and country. My experience near Atlanta is replicated around the world as we find ourselves in a true melting pot - a beautiful symphony of colors, flavors, languages and customs. “Those people over there” are now here – working and shopping alongside us, going to school with our children and living next door. No matter where you are in the world, you’re likely experiencing the same phenomenon of interacting with people from other cultures now on your “doorstep”.

Getting to know our new friends and neighbors - the Diaspora - can sometimes be uncomfortable for both them and us as we learn how to live and work together. Yet our perspective on this should be influenced by what are now unprecedented opportunities to share our faith in Jesus Christ without jumping on a plane and handing over our passport.

And it’s not just a one way street. Many of the Diaspora are Christian brothers and sisters who can teach us much about humility, integrity and sacrifice for the gospel.

This month we’re focusing on the Diaspora - “people from everywhere moving everywhere”.

Dr. Sadiri Joy Tira, Lausanne Senior Associate for Diasporas, helps us explore why so many people are on the move and challenges us to rethink familiar terms like “missionary” and “unreached people groups”. Are these terms still relevant in light of the vast changes in our world?

I encourage you to read his article, the responses from three other leaders and join in the discussion:

Lead Article:

Redefining the “Regions Beyond”
Dr Sadiri Joy Tira (Canada)

Responses:

Regions Beyond: A response
Dr Bob Roberts (United States)

Regions Beyond: A response
Dr Atul Aghamkar (India)

Regions Beyond: A response
Dr Miyon Chung (South Korea)

You may also watch Diaspora-related videos from Cape Town 2010 and see the full conversation on Diaspora through the Lausanne Global Conversation.

This discussion on what mission is today becomes even more relevant this month as we mark the 200^th anniversary of the commissioning of the first missionaries to be sent from a North American mission agency. You’ll recognize some of the names of these pioneers . . . Adoniram and Ann Judson, Samuel and Harriet Newell, Samuel and Roxana Nott, Gordon Hall and Luther Rice. The world these men and women sailed into in the 1800s is a different world than the one we open our eyes to today. Yet, the message of the gospel, the love of Jesus Christ and the urgency of our task remains the same. As we pray, plan and work together to share Christ, let’s remember the sacrifice of the men and women who have gone before us and the awesome responsibility that God has given us to share the Good News here, there and everywhere.

I’m looking forward to my next visit to Atlanta and the market and maybe I’ll see you there!

Making The Most of Every Opportunity

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:34:15 +0000

I can’t help myself. Every year I make New Year’s resolutions. This year mine included both small and large goals. I want to spend more time in prayer, be more extravagant in extending grace and mercy to people around me, be a better wife, mother and friend, practice more hospitality and send more personal handwritten notes.

I know, I know. Some people say these things are a waste of time. They scoff at resolutions, knowing that most people can’t keep them for more than a day or two. It’s almost the end of January. If you made any resolutions, are you keeping them? Are you any closer this month than last month to that personal goal or to reforming that bad habit? Or have you been sidetracked?

Our pastor is preaching a series this New Year called “F.I.R.E.D. UP”, with the emphasis on resolving to live a life that brings glory to God and leads us to serve Him more fully. Here’s the quick outline:

F reedom from bondage (John 8:34-36)

I nvesting in others (Hebrews 10:24-25)

R esourcing God’s work (Luke 6:38)

E veryone doing their part (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

This past Sunday, the focus was on investing in others. As believers, God gives us His power along with unique gifts and a place of service where we can encourage, equip and evangelize others.

How is God using you, your organization or your church in these three areas?

As a Movement, Lausanne is focused on “making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:16a) to mobilize evangelical leaders to collaborative for world evangelization. Lausanne is convening national, regional and international leadership gatherings, facilitating resource sharing among the body of Christ and communicating strategy and action on mission and evangelization.

One year ago this month, Lausanne released The Cape Town Commitment (CTC). Framed in the language of covenant love, the CTC is a biblical affirmation of evangelical faith and provides 33 Calls to Action on world evangelization. These Calls To Action serve as the blueprint for Lausanne’s work for the coming decade.

Read The Cape Town Commitment

Learn how it was developed

Chris Wright on the CTC

With its 33 Calls to Action and dozens of Bible references, the CTC can seem a bit daunting. Where does one even “dive” into such a comprehensive document?

Here’s some advice. Over the three weeks I challenge you to read the CTC each day, underlining particular phrases that stand out to you and writing down any comments about what you’re reading:

(A downloadable version of the CTC is available in several languages. A Didasko Files version of the CTC may also be purchased in print.)

Reading The Cape Town Commitment

Day 1

CTC Confession of Faith

Day 2

CTC Call to Action

Day 3

Foreword and Preamble to Part I

Day 4

We love because God first loved us

Day 5

We love the living God

Day 6

We love God the Father

Day 7

We love God the Son

Day 8

We love God the Holy Spirit

Day 9

We love God’s Word

Day 10

We love God’s world

Day 11

We love the gospel of God

Day 12

We love the people of God

Day 13

We love the mission of God and For Reflection

Day 14

PART II Introduction and IIA, Bearing witness to the truth of Christ in a pluralistic, globalized world

Day 15

IIB. Building the peace of Christ in our divided and broken world

Day 16

IIC. Living the love of Christ among people of other faiths

Day 17

IID. Discerning the will of Christ for world evangelization

Day 18

IIE. Calling the Church of Christ back to humility, integrity and simplicity

Day 19

IIF. Partnering in the body of Christ for unity in mission, the Conclusion and For Reflection

Day 20

Read the entire CTC

As you read each part of the CTC and then the entire document, I hope you’ll see the beautiful mosaic of faith and action expressed in the document and how important one is to the other. As we approach the CTC prayerfully let’s not only look for a greater understanding of the document itself, but more importantly seek what God would have each of us do in response.

What issues in the CTC are you already involved in and what issues do you feel drawn to learn more?

Over the next few months, we’ll be systematically “unpacking” the CTC by providing a monthly focus on one of the issues. As we move through this next year we’ll hear from leaders around the world who are actively and creatively involved in these issues and you’ll have a chance to interact with these leaders and share your thoughts.

The February focus will be on the Diaspora (Cape Town Commitment, Section II C 5, Love Reaches Out to Scattered Peoples).
Who are the Diaspora and how can we minister to and with them?

In March we’ll look at Business as Mission (Cape Town Commitment, II A 3, Truth and the Workplace).
Can business and mission goals really be integrated?

I encourage you to begin today reading The Cape Town Commitment and exploring the conversation on the issues already taking place in The Lausanne Global Conversation (www.lausanne.org/conversation).

Have suggestions on ways to improve how we’re doing this? Post a comment below. (And feel free to include any advice on how to keep my New Year’s resolutions, too!)

Portrait of a Christian leader

info@lausanne.org (Doug Birdsall, Executive Chair) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:58:06 +0000

This article first appeared in The Times, (London, 14 January 2012).

I travelled to London this week from my home in Boston, US, for the memorial service for John Stott. The Apostle Paul was his mentor, through the pages of scripture, so St Paul’s Cathedral had a symbolic ring as a choice of venue. Stott shared with the Apostle both a sharp intellect and a deep and driven passion for the Christian gospel.

John Stott, who died on July 27, 2011, was a winsome figure, urbane, perceptive; he served as Chaplain to the Queen, wrote 50 books (translated into 60 languages), was appointed CBE, and named by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. He received honorary doctorates, and became the subject of doctoral theses. In addition, he was an expert in ornithology. Although the media gave wide coverage of his death, he barely featured in the news.

Stott served the congregation of All Souls, Langham Place, London, as Rector from the age of 29. He did not spare himself in reading, study, writing and in urging the Church to a holistic faith. In 1970 he handed over leadership of the church to Michael Baughen, as he was becoming widely used around the world as a gifted university evangelist.

This Rugby schoolboy, son of a Harley Street consultant, lived simply. In 1970 he moved into a small, two-roomed flat. He could have lived comfortably on his royalties alone — his books sold in their millions — but he used that money for the work of what became Langham Partnership International, which he set up to help to strengthen the Church in the developing world.

In 1981, aged 60, he declined a See, which would have given him a seat in the Lords. It was not in order to retire. That year he founded the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, to bring Christ’s presence robustly into every sphere of society.

How did this urbane, humble, mild-mannered man come to be regarded globally as perhaps the most noble Christian leader of the 20th century? I offer two suggestions. First, John built genuine friendships. The sense of friendship was tangible yesterday as his old friends gathered to thank God for his life. He worked and he networked through friendship, which was, as a contributor to your obituary pages said, “embedded in his character”.

Second, he believed that effective leaders are those who are dissatisfied with what is, and who strive always for what could be.

The singer Paul Simon spoke in an interview published in Religion and Ethics last week of a long conversation with Stott, evidently enjoyed by both of them. Whether talking with the Royal Family, senior academics, singers or the poor in the world’s mega-cities, Stott gave them his full attention. His authority was won through sheer authenticity. Eidi Cruz from Mexico grew up knowing “Tío Juan” (Uncle John), as her parents were among his close friends. In a poem she wrote: “He taught me about humility / that listens to others / with the devotion with which we listen to a nightingale.”

In what did this “fifteen-talent man” (as the theologian J. I. Packer called him) take most pride? His writing? His glitterati friends? His CBE? No. He loved to tell the story of how, at Rugby, he listened to the public schools evangelist Eric Nash (better known as Bash) and was pointed to the beautiful depiction of Christ in Revelation, standing at the door, as painted by Holman Hunt.

That February afternoon, aged 17, Stott grasped his need to invite Christ into his life, and to trust in Christ’s death on the cross, in his place, for forgiveness of sin. Like the Apostle Paul, here was his only ground for his boasting.

His biographer and friend from student days, Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, preached at yesterday’s service, directing our eyes to the risen and glorified Christ. He posed the question often used by John to conclude an address. It was a universal question, simple and profound; the temporal intersecting with the eternal.

I could imagine John addressing a hall of students in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania; Bible on the podium, left hand in his pocket, authoritative and engaging. The historicity of the gospel had been clearly argued; a persuasive apologetic for Christ’s claims laid out.

But an acquiescence of mind is not sufficient. “How is it between you and Jesus Christ?” he would ask. The wording may now sound slightly archaic, but the force of the question is as immediate as ever.

The Rev Dr S. Douglas Birdsall is executive chair, The Lausanne Movement (of which John Stott was honorary chairman)

Mission Africa: What’s Next?

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:59:44 +0000

Mission Africa has now progressed to the next level of implementation. Ten of us met in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, at the African Enterprise headquarters from 17-19 November 2011. The meeting was chaired by Michael Cassidy, Founder of African Enterprise and Mission Africa I. It was set up by Blair Carlson, Lausanne Senior Associate for Proclamation Evangelism. Also in attendance were Nana Yaw Offei Awuku, Scott Lenning, Carol Guenter, Steve Lungu, Songe Chibambo, Miles Giljam and David Rees. Regretfully Emmanuel Ndikumana, the Lausanne International Deputy Director for Francophone Africa, was unable to attend due to visa problems, but connected by phone to bring his greetings and affirmation..

Much focus was given to:

How Mission Africa would reflect Lausanne’s perspective and definition of evangelism;
How it relates to The Cape Town Commitment;
How it would be an instrument of God for authentic partnerships;
How it would engage young people in Africa for missions;
How the Church in Africa would be empowered to fulfill it's God-given Mandate in the 21st Century;
How African resources could be mobilized for African and global missions.

Nana Yaw Offei Awuku, the Lausanne International Deputy Director for English/Portuguese/Spanish-speaking Africa, has kindly summarized our discussions as follows:

Mission Africa II: Giving “Evangelistic Legs” to The Cape Town Commitment in Africa!

In the foreword to The Cape Town Commitment [CTC], Doug Birdsall and Lindsay Brown comment, “The goal of the Third Lausanne Congress on Evangelization was to bring a fresh challenge to the global church to bear witness to Jesus Christ and all his teaching – in every nation, in every sphere of society, and in the realm of ideas. The Cape Town Commitment is the fruit of this endeavor.”

Clearly the CTC is to be an essential, living, working document to shape the missions agenda and strategy for the task of world evangelization in the 21^st Century. It is never intended to be an idle constitution. Mission Africa II is prayerfully being envisioned and positioned through a vibrant network of strategic partnerships between the church and mission agencies in Africa and beyond to “give strong implementation legs” to the CTC in Africa. Mission Africa II, in a much broader sense, will develop a strong sense of ownership in the development of a corporate African Regional Strategy of rolling out and implementing the Mission Mandate outlined in The Cape Town Commitment on the Continent of Africa. The Mission Africa II strategy, beginning with a focus on Francophone and Portuguese-speaking Africa, will be Africa’s credible response to the call to a fresh witness to the Lord Jesus from the Cape Town 2010 Congress and will roll out beyond Africa as Mission World. We pray God will use Mission Africa as a gift of God from Africa to the rest of the world in this century.

Emmanuel Ndikumana is making plans to meet with French-speaking evangelists from around the world in January 2012. From this gathering, some will be invited along with Francophone Africa leaders met through 2011, to a consultation and mission in Rwanda in August 2012.

A Mission Africa II Strategic Partnership Consultation will be held in 2012 to ensure effective ownership by the “Whole Church” and for the development of a corporate strategy to take “Whole Gospel” to the “Whole Africa Region and Beyond” in response to The Cape Town Commitment.

Each mission outreach will include a three-to-five-day school of evangelism, whereby church members are trained in sharing their faith and helping to disciple new believers in Christ. The missions themselves will look different in various contexts, but each will have the sole objective of sharing the Gospel and love of the Lord Jesus Christ with those who have never before responded.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Romans 10:14-15

We fervently pray that the partnering of international evangelists and national evangelists, and the further equipping of the local church in discipleship will be instruments of the Lord to bring transformation in the lives of men, women and children on the continent. It is our desire to see this part of what God will use to reach the unreached and unengaged peoples of Africa; and for Africa, in turn, to be used of the Lord to bring this transformational message to other parts of the globe.

Mission Africa in fact encompasses many aspects outlined in The Cape Town Commitment and we are thrilled that it will form the African Regional Strategy of rolling out and implementing the mission mandate contained therein. We would be grateful for your prayers as we move towards this action step and as the Kingdom of God continues to advance on that great continent.

From Mission Africa to Mission World: plans are firmly underway for similar ventures in the Caribbean and Russia. Mission Caribbean has recently submitted their vision; Mission Russia is honing theirs and will write on that separately. Each mission will be tailored to the context in which it will be held, but each will have the primary objectives of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, working with and training the local church in evangelism, and developing lasting ministry partnerships. As regional and local coordinators are appointed and trained, please pray that Mission World will bring honor to the Lord alone.

Photo

Front: Stephen Lungu, Michael Cassidy

Back: Songe Chibambo, Carol Guenter, Nana Yaw, Scott Lenning, Dave Rees, Miles Giljam, Blair Carlson

Lausanne Eurasian Consultation in Moscow

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:44:07 +0000

Evangelism in a post-Soviet era was the topic of the first ever Lausanne Eurasian Consultation held 6-7 December 2011 in Russia. Some 150 participants from 17 countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltic states, representatives of churches and denominations, gathered in Moscow to discuss and develop evangelism strategies in light of The Cape Town Commitment. On the very first day of the meeting participants were delighted to learn that Iran had officially joined the Eurasian Region within The Lausanne Movement and were excited to learn more about work in this Islamic country.

Eurasian leaders welcomed Lindsay Brown (Lausanne International Director, UK), Blair Carlson (Lausanne Senior Associate for Proclamation Evangelism and Cape Town 2010 Congress Director, USA) and Ole-Magnus Olafsrud (coach and developer at The Navigators-Europe, Norway) who shared their perception of further development of Lausanne in the region. Lindsay Brown urged the leaders to keep in mind the Lausanne vision – to bear witness to Jesus Christ and all his teachings in every area of society, both geographically and in the realm of ideas.

Blair Carlson discussed the idea of establishing a School of Evangelism in the post-Soviet era in order to train evangelists who would then share the gospel in every sphere of life in contemporary society.

During the meetings the importance of the Evangelical Church in Eurasia influencing society through the active involvement in city and communities was emphasized. This led to the start of a new urban evangelization project under the draft name “8+4”, where the number 8 implies Russian cities and the number 4 stands for cities of other CIS countries. One of the main project points consists of collaboration through sister-churches and sister-cities within Eurasia and abroad. This idea may lead to cooperation between all 12 regions of The Lausanne Movement.

According to the best Lausanne consultation format, the gathering involved the majority of participants in active work. Throughout the two days, leaders participated in plenary sessions and five workshops on The Cape Town Commitment and the discussion of new projects on the following topics:

How to witness about the truth of Christ in a pluralistic, globalized world;
Mass-media as a tool of global mission;
Building the peace of Christ in our divided and broken world;
Partnering in the Body of Christ toward unity in ministry;
Bearing witness to the love of Christ with people of other faiths.

Our hope is that this event becomes a catalyst and a great encouragement toward revival in Eurasian countries. On the last day of the Consultation, candidates for regional Lausanne network teams and representative participation from Eurasia on the international level were suggested.

The Lausanne Movement leadership team and consultation participants express their gratitude to the Russian Church for its financial contribution to the Consultation and to the organizing committee headed and hosted by Pavel Kolesnikov (pastor of a Baptist church in Moscow). This group had been working hard for over 3-and-a-half months to prepare for the event.

The next Eurasia Regional Consultation is anticipated to be held in Central Asia.

December Update From Doug Birdsall

info@lausanne.org (Doug Birdsall, Executive Chair) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:05:40 +0000

Greetings from Boston. Jeanie and I returned home earlier this month after three months in Oxford. We are so grateful to the Lausanne Board for allowing us to take this sabbatical. It was the most restful and renewing time that we have experienced since 1989 when we were on furlough after our first ten years in Japan. My strength has returned and I have completed the first draft of my dissertation. Thank you for making it possible. I am especially grateful for the leadership of Ram Gidoomal, Lausanne Board Chair, who assumed my duties during my absence. He has led us so capably and so well. Thank you, Ram!

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf and thank you for your friendship and support during this past year. I’ve missed being in touch and want you to know that I’m very happy to be “back in the saddle” and am eager to press forward with the exciting opportunities that are on the horizon.

Each Tuesday for the last few weeks, Lindsay Brown and I have met together for a few hours. What a great friend he is and what outstanding godly leadership he is providing for the work of Lausanne around the world as our International Director and in working with our 12 International Deputy Directors (IDDs).

Looking Ahead To 2012

2011 has been a year of listening, reflecting, and transition for The Lausanne Movement as we have shifted from event mentality to movement mode. Daily I hear how God has used Lausanne and Cape Town 2010 as a catalyst in the development of new or renewed mission and evangelism initiatives. We give thanks to God.

The momentum I see developing in Lausanne for 2012 and beyond energizes me. Our infrastructure of Working Groups, Senior Associates and Special Interest Committees is being fine-tuned to reflect our Movement focus on The Cape Town Commitment. Our IDDs are developing Regional Advisory Councils as they work with younger leaders and Communications Managers to plan regional consultations and make preparations to host issue-focused consultations over the next two years. Eurasia IDD Anatole Glukhovski has just hosted a consultation with several hundred Christian leaders in Moscow where Lindsay and Blair Carlson were also present. Grace and Rajan Mathews provided leadership for a consultation on Corruption in Church and Society in India. Blair was also in South Africa recently with Michael Cassidy and our IDDs Nana Yaw Offei Awuku and Emmanuel Ndikumana to work on continental strategies for Mission Africa II.

We will soon announce the 2012-2013 Lausanne Global Calendar which includes consultations on Islam, Mega-Cities, Truth in the Public Sphere, Prosperity Gospel, Nominalism and more. Curriculum is being developed to provide resources to seminaries, Bible colleges and adult Bible study groups on The Cape Town Commitment. Our Communications strategy, including website and social media, has been enhanced to provide greater connection and information for the global Church.

Plans are developing nicely for our first “Davos-like” World Evangelization Forum to be convened in June 2013 in India with 350 participants to assess progress and to chart the course for the future with respect to priorities articulated in The Cape Town Commitment. Relatedly, we are also moving forward with plans for an "Oxford Analytica-like" briefing on world evangelization.

Developing younger leaders remains a top priority for Lausanne. I will write more about our plans in January.

Prayers At Year-end

Now, as we come to the end of the year, I would ask for your prayers in two areas. First of all, please pray for God’s provision for our financial needs as we close 2011. This week, I’ll be meeting with several friends who have been so generous to Lausanne in the last few years. A number of us will also be making phone calls to others to follow up on letters and proposals that have been sent.

Second, let’s be praying for Egypt and the entire Middle East. The “Arab Spring” has signaled rising hopes but also growing frustrations. In consultation with our colleagues in Egypt, Lausanne Vice-Chair Ramez Atallah, and IDD Andrea Zaki, we will be sending more information soon on a global call to prayer for Egypt and the Middle East on the first Sunday of the New Year, 7th January, which is also the day Christians in Egypt celebrate Christmas (Coptic Orthodox Christmas).

As I close, let me thank you again for your friendship and partnership in ministry. May God bless you and your family with the peace of His presence and the joyful promise of His return during this Christmas season.

PS: You’ll see that I’ve included two photos from our time in England. Living in Oxford allowed us to be close to our son and his wife as he started his PhD at Cambridge. The real bonus was being able to see our twin grandchildren, Kuyper and Ivy. The first photo shows Jeanie and I enjoying a quiet stroll with our little Ivy. This was a big part of the gift of rest and renewal.

In the second photo, notice that I am getting Kuyper ready to be part of The Lausanne Movement!