The latest issue of Lausanne Global Analysis, from The Lausanne Movement, is available online from here, including pdfs of individual articles as below.
The summaries are taken from the Issue Overview by Loun Ling Lee.
Wonsuk Ma
A Radical Vision of the Whole Church
Wonsuk Ma identifies ‘the challenges in today’s mission in fulfilling this novel vision’ – only a very small percentage of today’s Christians are directly involved in mission; ‘the specialized and professionalized status of missionaries’; and the ‘resource-heavy mission paradigm’ as a practical obstacle for Global South churches. He proposes three areas in resolving the challenges – shaping ‘Christian mission according to the biblical vision’; discerning ‘the leading of the Holy Spirit in the formation of the missionary movement’; and opening ‘our eyes to see new and creative mission practices across the world.’
Alexia Salvatierra
The Whole Gospel and Community Organizing
Alexia Salvatierra defines the whole gospel as both ‘the proclamation and incarnation of the love of God in Jesus Christ’. She ‘illustrates how different activities can express and communicate the love of Christ,’ using the gifts from God for the transformation and wellbeing of ‘the whole person, in the whole family, in the whole community, in the whole world.’ One powerful example is a joint project with the city and the private sector for homeless people where Christians ‘work side by side with the secular society, witnessing the love of Christ that motivated us,’ she concludes.
Joshua Bogunjoko
The Whole World and the Unreached
Reviewing the data from various sources, the international director of SIM shows that ‘the actions of the global church and our use of resources have not reflected that Lausanne call.’ Based on an initiative by SIM called ‘Faithful Witness to Forgotten Communities’, he describes the SIM model which ‘aims to place hundreds of more missionaries from around the world over the next few years in a project we believe could advance the gospel in communities where Christ is least known.’ He suggests some practical steps for leaders of churches and organizations who are committed ‘to the urgent and unfinished task of making disciples of Jesus Christ in the whole world.
Kirst Rievan
Missions in a Post-COVID World
Kirst highlights some of the significant changes resulting from the loss of life, economic crisis, mental health issues, reduction of expatriate missionaries, work dynamics, and other factors. But the greatest implication is probably the shift in global mission of a ‘West to the rest’ mentality to an ‘everywhere to everyone’ model. In conclusion, the author asks us to ‘reflect and build on our COVID experiences’ and engage wisely with the long-term implications of COVID.
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