After a long process, I've been selected to attend the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town in October 2010. It's a huge privilege to be asked to attend as a representative of the Church in Scotland, coming as it does in the year of the 100th anniversary of the 1910 World Missionary Conference. My hope is that the small part of the Church of which I am part will play its full role in reaching the world with the love of God shown in Christ.
Here's what it's all about:
We are living in a time of enormous threat and amazing opportunity for the church. The life and witness of the church around the world is being assailed by external pressures while simultaneously being weakened by internal troubles. Yet the church also faces unprecedented global opportunities for the spread of the gospel and open doors for ministry in regions traditionally closed to the witness of Christ. Unfortunately, a concerted and well-reasoned response to these global issues and opportunities has been difficult because the church, and evangelicalism in particular, is highly fragmented.
Even so there is reason for hope. Next year 4000 leaders from 200 countries will come together 16-25 October 2010 for The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization: Cape Town 2010. These leaders, carefully chose from thousands of applicants, will represent the demographic, theological and cultural realities of the global church. Young and old, men and women, mission leaders, pastors and theologians, Kingdom-minded leaders from the worlds of business, government, education, medicine and the media – the Congress is drawing the best minds and most creative and courageous leaders the church has to offer. In addition to the 4000 leaders who will be onsite in Cape Town, this Congress is providing an historic opportunity for people around the world to participate in Cape Town 2010 through the Internet-based Lausanne Global Conversation and Cape Town GlobaLink.
GLOBAL ISSUES
Together these
leaders will wrestle with six issues that are of paramount importance to the
future of the church and world evangelization, in terms of profound theological
reflection and strategic action. The
Church is the most thoroughly global entity in the world with the majority of
Christians now in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Together, we must establish a new global equilibrium
for the church whereby we relate to one another on the basis of our shared
vision, our shared calling, our shared wealth and our shared poverty and come
together to address these issues:
- The Challenge of the New Atheism. World evangelization is based on foundational truth claims about the uniqueness of Christ, the centrality of the cross and the authority of Scripture. In light of the aggressive attacks on truth by the New Atheism, we must make a compelling case for TRUTH. We cannot afford to lose the battle for the minds of this generation or the next.
- The Impact of Hedonism. We are bombarded everyday with images and messages that serve to undermine our moral and biblical foundations. The church is being impacted by nominalism, superficiality and the troubling consequences of the prosperity gospel. We must respond with a prophetic critique of the church which calls us to AUTHENTICITY and INTEGRITY. We must call Christians to a deeper level of repentance, renewal and discipleship.
- The Reality of Islam. Islam is a missionary faith with a global vision. With a very deliberate strategy, Islam’s mission and impact has spread beyond the Arab world to significantly influence universities and governments in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The church must develop an equally deliberate strategy that enables us to live in fidelity to the gospel, influence public institutions and faithfully witness to men and women in all WORLD FAITHS.
- The Globalized World. Mega-cities, Diaspora, New Technologies, Social Networking, Political Corruption and Uncertain Futures for the Next Generation, are only a sampling of the challenges and opportunities of a Globalized World that require us to establish NEW PRIORITIES for world evangelization.
- The Brokenness of Our World. If our witness is to be prophetic, we must identify with the pain and suffering in the lives of individuals, families, communities and nations. Not only must we connect with the brokenness but we must also be people of hope and peace as agents of RECONCILIATION, emphasizing the core theme of Cape Town 2010, “God in Christ Reconciling the World to Himself.”
- Seismic Shifts in Global Christianity. Global PARTNERSHIPS for world evangelization, unlike anything possible in the previous twenty centuries, are now attainable as we develop relationships that are based on mutual respect – acknowledging that God has called us to be one in Him. These new partnerships, increasingly led by visionary leaders from the majority world, will also involve more lay people who comprise the vast majority of those who bear witness to Christ in this Century. By sharing the best available resources and best practices, together “the whole church (will) take the whole gospel to the whole world.”
Its going to cost around £1750 for conference fees, flights and accommodation. I'm trusting God for this amount and inviting friends and family to support my participation in the Congress in prayer and financially. If it's appropriate for you to donate, please use the button below. I'll be updating the blog regularly with news about the Congress.
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