I recently received a very disturbing email from a missions organization. In it they were announcing a major shift in their strategy and resource deployment related to the U.S. becoming the third largest missions field in the world, with over 100 million unreached people.
I bristled at what was being communicated by an organization that should have known better. I was concerned by:
1) their apparent confusion of the concepts of lost people with unreached peoples,
2) their apparent ignorance of the basic facts regarding the status of Christianity in their own country, and
3) their apparent misunderstanding of the purpose of missions.
The U.S. Center for World Mission has been a champion for the concept of unreached peoples for more than 30 years. Through resources like the “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” class, Mission Frontiers magazine, and Global Prayer Digest, they have educated and promoted the cause of the unreached.
Growing out of this has been a simple model embraced by missiologists regarding the world of 6.8 billion people we live in today. At a very simplistic level, the world can be thought of in three broad categories:
• world A (unreached – less than 2% evangelical Christian) – 27% of the world’s people (1.8 billion)
• world B (underreached – 2% to 5% evangelical Christian) – 40% of the world’s people (2.7 billion)
• world C (reached – more than 5% evangelical Christian) – 33% of the world’s people (2.3 billion)
World A, the unreached, those with little or no access to the gospel should be the primary (although not exclusive) focus of the mission efforts of local churches and mission sending organizations concerned with completing the task Jesus gave His Church in the Great Commission. Joshua Project has some excellent information about unreached peoples. There are 6900 UPG (unreached people groups) containing the 1.8 billion world A people. Nearly 10% (600+) of these UPG are UUPG (unengaged, unreached people groups) of 50,000+ souls. Engaging these UUPG should be given very high priority by those serious about completing the task. These are people groups with absolutely no access to the gospel.
The 2010 edition of Operation World indicates that there are currently 92 million evangelical Christians (29% of the population) among the 317 million people currently living in the US. That means there are 3 genuine followers of Jesus for every 10 people. This is one of the highest national ratios in the world. Even in traditional “unchurched” areas of the country like New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, the Pacific coast, and in other “unchurched” cities like Denver and my home of Austin, the percentage of evangelical Christians is between 10-15% (solidly in world C). 1 genuine follower of Jesus for every 10 people. That is excellent access to the gospel.
This also means there are 225 million lost people in the US (not 100 million). The US does have the third largest number of lost people in the world (behind China and India), but please realize that we are also the world’s third largest country (behind China and India). Even if the percentage of evangelical Christians in the US doubled to 60% of the population, we would still have the fourth largest number of lost people in the world (simply because of the size of our country). But almost none of these people are unreached. With the exception of a few native American groups in New Mexico, Arizona, and Alaska, and a few groups of recent immigrants in major metro areas across the country, all Americans live as part of reached people groups with easy access to the gospel. Does this mean we should become complacent and stop sharing the gospel where we work, live, and play? Absolutely not. But the US is far from being a mission field.
Evangelism and missions are both components of the Great Commission. Although closely related, they are not the same. Even though the terms are sadly used interchangeably by many churches and a few missions organizations. There is need in the US (and in other world C contexts) for evangelism. Bold, incarnational, culturally relevant demonstration and proclamation of the gospel among the 225 million who do not yet know Christ. I heartily support and commend those churches and para-church organizations that take this challenge seriously. However, missions is a different animal in two important ways. First, missions is always cross-cultural (reaching out with the gospel to those who are different than we are, often significantly different). Second, missions is predominately about providing access to the gospel and a culturally relevant church for those with little or no access to the gospel (world A).
The difference in vocabulary and perspective represented by these reflections and the missions organization that sent me the disturbing email is far more than an academic disagreement. It represents a battle raging in the US Church today. How we look at these issues determines how the Church of Jesus Christ chooses to prioritize its limited financial and manpower resources in its efforts to bring closure to the Great Commission.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
from August 7, 2011 prayer update
I invested this past week at our U.S. mobilization base in Orlando participating in a COP (candidate orientation process). Pioneers holds these five-day events five times annually. They are designed as an orientation to Pioneers for new missionary candidates.
Our August COP was one of our largest ever with 51 adults, representing 32 missionary units (singles and families) from the U.S. As you can see from the photo below, this group of candidates was composed almost entirely of 20 somethings (which is not always the case). A zealous and encouraging group of young adults with a heart for the nations and especially for unreached peoples.
The first two days were devoted to individual and couple interviews with teams of four Pioneers staff (I had the privilege of participating in six of these interviews) and private individual and couple interviews with licensed counselors. The end result was a thumbs up or thumbs down decision by Pioneers on formal admission into candidacy. 31 out of 32 missionary units were accepted into candidacy. All candidates were given a unique list of assignments to complete prior to participating in their five-day PFC (pre-field connection) a few months prior to leaving for the field.
The list includes unresolved character and relational issues that were identified in the interactions with the licensed counselors, to be addressed through reading, counseling, and / or mentoring. The list also included training and life experience issues that were identified in the team interviews with Pioneers staff like additional Bible / theological training, additional church ministry experience, additional cross-cultural experience, formal language acquisition training, formal cross-cultural sensitivity training, vision trips to specific areas of the world, etc.
Each candidate is then assigned a Pioneers coach who will walk closely with them as they move through the assignments on their list in preparation for departure to the field.
As one of four CPT (Church Partnership team) members participating, we met with individuals and couples during our meal times together to learn about the candidate’s sending church and discuss what partnership might look like with that church. I had the opportunity to meet with nine of the candidates one-on-one from Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, and Texas.
Also included in the five days together were:
• times of corporate worship
• personal testimonies from all 32 candidates
• an overview of each of the seven regions of the world (The Americas, Europe, North Africa / Middle East, Sub-Sahara Africa, Mid-Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia / Pacific) where Pioneers is involved in initiating church planting movements among the least reached
• BAM (business as mission)
• Pioneers mission and core values
• avoiding moral and relational pitfalls
• children
• fundraising and financial issues
• the development of a pre-field plan
• an assortment of administrative tasks
All this made for a very full week.
Participation in this event is one of the new components of my job as a new member of the CPT. What a joy to play a small role in the preparation of these near future front line workers among the unreached peoples of the world.
“Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’” – Matthew 9:37-38.
Our August COP was one of our largest ever with 51 adults, representing 32 missionary units (singles and families) from the U.S. As you can see from the photo below, this group of candidates was composed almost entirely of 20 somethings (which is not always the case). A zealous and encouraging group of young adults with a heart for the nations and especially for unreached peoples.
The first two days were devoted to individual and couple interviews with teams of four Pioneers staff (I had the privilege of participating in six of these interviews) and private individual and couple interviews with licensed counselors. The end result was a thumbs up or thumbs down decision by Pioneers on formal admission into candidacy. 31 out of 32 missionary units were accepted into candidacy. All candidates were given a unique list of assignments to complete prior to participating in their five-day PFC (pre-field connection) a few months prior to leaving for the field.
The list includes unresolved character and relational issues that were identified in the interactions with the licensed counselors, to be addressed through reading, counseling, and / or mentoring. The list also included training and life experience issues that were identified in the team interviews with Pioneers staff like additional Bible / theological training, additional church ministry experience, additional cross-cultural experience, formal language acquisition training, formal cross-cultural sensitivity training, vision trips to specific areas of the world, etc.
Each candidate is then assigned a Pioneers coach who will walk closely with them as they move through the assignments on their list in preparation for departure to the field.
As one of four CPT (Church Partnership team) members participating, we met with individuals and couples during our meal times together to learn about the candidate’s sending church and discuss what partnership might look like with that church. I had the opportunity to meet with nine of the candidates one-on-one from Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, and Texas.
Also included in the five days together were:
• times of corporate worship
• personal testimonies from all 32 candidates
• an overview of each of the seven regions of the world (The Americas, Europe, North Africa / Middle East, Sub-Sahara Africa, Mid-Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia / Pacific) where Pioneers is involved in initiating church planting movements among the least reached
• BAM (business as mission)
• Pioneers mission and core values
• avoiding moral and relational pitfalls
• children
• fundraising and financial issues
• the development of a pre-field plan
• an assortment of administrative tasks
All this made for a very full week.
Participation in this event is one of the new components of my job as a new member of the CPT. What a joy to play a small role in the preparation of these near future front line workers among the unreached peoples of the world.
“Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’” – Matthew 9:37-38.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
from July 3, 2011 prayer update
Kathy and I greatly enjoyed watching a 7 part DVD series on the adult life of John Adams this week. Adams wore many hats over the course of his life. He was a defense attorney in Boston, a key player in the first Continental Congress, the first ambassador to Great Britain, the first vice president, the second president of the U.S., and raised a son who became the sixth president. It was a great way to prepare ourselves for celebrating Independence Day tomorrow. It will be the 235th anniversary of the U.S. declaring its independence from the tyranny of British governmental control and it’s strongly opposed “taxation without representation”.
A guest speaker in my home church today spoke about another independence day, the spiritual freedom that every believer in Jesus Christ now has, acquired through the costly death and the resurrection of Jesus. Sadly most of the world is still under the control of an evil tyrant and spiritual bondage is a daily reality. Pioneers exists to provide access to spiritual freedom to those living within a people group without access to the liberating message of the gospel.
Two weeks ago Pioneers held a pre-field connection event at our U.S. mobilization base in Orlando. 29 missionary units (families, couples, or individuals) met there for five days of final training before they leave for the field. Six of these were from the Red River region which I serve. One from Rogers, Arkansas serving an UPG (unreached people group) in Mexico, one from West Monroe, Louisiana serving an UPG in Thailand, one from Austin, Texas serving an UPG in France, one from Houston, Texas serving an UPG in Mongolia, and two from Lubbock, Texas serving an UPG in Oman. They will be joining 2450 Pioneers workers already on the field worldwide. These workers serve on 229 teams among 146 UPGs in 95 countries.
I am asking God for two things as I begin this new role with Pioneers’ Church Partnership Team. One, to use me to help keep a steady flow of new workers from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas entering into church planting work among the UPGs of the world. And two, to use me to help cultivate healthy, growing partnerships between the sending and supporting churches these workers come out of and what is happening on the field. I would welcome your prayers toward those ends.
A guest speaker in my home church today spoke about another independence day, the spiritual freedom that every believer in Jesus Christ now has, acquired through the costly death and the resurrection of Jesus. Sadly most of the world is still under the control of an evil tyrant and spiritual bondage is a daily reality. Pioneers exists to provide access to spiritual freedom to those living within a people group without access to the liberating message of the gospel.
Two weeks ago Pioneers held a pre-field connection event at our U.S. mobilization base in Orlando. 29 missionary units (families, couples, or individuals) met there for five days of final training before they leave for the field. Six of these were from the Red River region which I serve. One from Rogers, Arkansas serving an UPG (unreached people group) in Mexico, one from West Monroe, Louisiana serving an UPG in Thailand, one from Austin, Texas serving an UPG in France, one from Houston, Texas serving an UPG in Mongolia, and two from Lubbock, Texas serving an UPG in Oman. They will be joining 2450 Pioneers workers already on the field worldwide. These workers serve on 229 teams among 146 UPGs in 95 countries.
I am asking God for two things as I begin this new role with Pioneers’ Church Partnership Team. One, to use me to help keep a steady flow of new workers from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas entering into church planting work among the UPGs of the world. And two, to use me to help cultivate healthy, growing partnerships between the sending and supporting churches these workers come out of and what is happening on the field. I would welcome your prayers toward those ends.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
from June 5, 2011 prayer update
Let me preface my comments by stating my total commitment to both the local and global components of the Great Commission. This is not an “either/or” proposition, rather it is a “both/and”. If it is our desire to live Biblically, it is absolutely vital that we meaningfully engage the lost both locally and among the least reached globally. Both as individuals and corporately as a local church. Better yet, as part of a small missional community of like-hearted believers.
However, there are some disturbing patterns that are emerging regarding the response of the U.S. Church to this bi-focal vision. We are extremely unbalanced in our focus and in the allocation of our resources. Sadly most churches have little involvement in evangelism on either front (local or global). And for those churches that are involved in reaching the lost, it is disproportionally a focus on reaching our own communities.
Did you know that 29% of the U.S. population is composed of evangelical Christians (1 out of every 3.5 Americans)? Even in our most unreached urban centers, evangelical Christians number somewhere in the 10-15% range. According to 2007 stats from researchers Todd Johnson and Charles Tieszen, 98% of the non-religious in North America personally know a Christian. At least creating the potential for them to hear the gospel.
Most of the evangelism efforts in the U.S. target “seekers”. Seekers are mostly nominal Christians with a few non-religious folks in the mix that might visit our church or a Christian event with us if we invited them. They represent about 1/3 of the 71% who are lost in this country. What about the other 2/3s of the lost? They can only be reached incarnationally, on their own turf, by someone presenting an authentic and contextualized gospel to them. If the Church of Jesus Christ in North America is obedient (in inviting the seekers and living incarnationally among the non-seekers), almost all the lost within our country have easy and repeated access to the gospel.
But this is not true globally, especially in Asia and north Africa. According to Johnson and Tieszen, worldwide 87% of Muslims do not personally know a single Christian (not one). Neither do 86% of all Hindus and Buddhists. These are not folks who have rejected the gospel after repeated exposure. These are folks with absolutely no access to the gospel. What priority are our churches assigning to reaching the billions of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists without access to the gospel?
“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One who 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)
Do you have beautiful feet?
However, there are some disturbing patterns that are emerging regarding the response of the U.S. Church to this bi-focal vision. We are extremely unbalanced in our focus and in the allocation of our resources. Sadly most churches have little involvement in evangelism on either front (local or global). And for those churches that are involved in reaching the lost, it is disproportionally a focus on reaching our own communities.
Did you know that 29% of the U.S. population is composed of evangelical Christians (1 out of every 3.5 Americans)? Even in our most unreached urban centers, evangelical Christians number somewhere in the 10-15% range. According to 2007 stats from researchers Todd Johnson and Charles Tieszen, 98% of the non-religious in North America personally know a Christian. At least creating the potential for them to hear the gospel.
Most of the evangelism efforts in the U.S. target “seekers”. Seekers are mostly nominal Christians with a few non-religious folks in the mix that might visit our church or a Christian event with us if we invited them. They represent about 1/3 of the 71% who are lost in this country. What about the other 2/3s of the lost? They can only be reached incarnationally, on their own turf, by someone presenting an authentic and contextualized gospel to them. If the Church of Jesus Christ in North America is obedient (in inviting the seekers and living incarnationally among the non-seekers), almost all the lost within our country have easy and repeated access to the gospel.
But this is not true globally, especially in Asia and north Africa. According to Johnson and Tieszen, worldwide 87% of Muslims do not personally know a single Christian (not one). Neither do 86% of all Hindus and Buddhists. These are not folks who have rejected the gospel after repeated exposure. These are folks with absolutely no access to the gospel. What priority are our churches assigning to reaching the billions of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists without access to the gospel?
“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One who 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)
Do you have beautiful feet?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
from May 15, 2011 prayer update
Lesson 15 of the “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” class is titled “world Christian discipleship”. It is the final lesson and designed to draw the class members into a time of reflection regarding their personal response to all the challenging content they received during the first 14 lessons.
In this lesson I discuss the importance of personal response, review key concepts from the first 14 lessons, and define what a “world Christian” is. Most of the lesson is devoted to exploring 10 landmarks on our journey to becoming world Christians.
The 10 landmarks include:
1. misseo dei
2. live missionally every day
3. continually place yourself on the altar (family, career, free time, check book, …)
4. cultivate a wartime lifestyle
5. become a life-long learner about missions
6. become a global intercessor
7. find a like-hearted community and join it
8. participate in short-term missions trips
9. engage in David Platt’s one year experiment
10. discover and embrace your primary missions role (sender, welcomer, goer, or mobilizer)
Special emphasis and attention is given to the 10th landmark.
This spring I had the opportunity to teach this lesson with three classes: in Tyler, TX on April 25. In San Jose, Costa Rica on May 2. And in Fort Worth, TX on May 4. What a joy to see these students grapple with the long-term implications of living as a world Christian and seeking to identify next steps that God would have them take on their journey.
My time with the class in Costa Rica was especially meaningful as this was the first time Perspectives has ever been taught in this country. Costa Rica is a one of several Latin American countries that is rapidly becoming a sending country. With many of its workers going to serve among unreached peoples in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East, where they are received much more positively than someone from the U.S.
I am grateful that this may not be my last time to serve in this beautiful country. I have been invited to return to teach again with their second Perspectives class this fall.
In this lesson I discuss the importance of personal response, review key concepts from the first 14 lessons, and define what a “world Christian” is. Most of the lesson is devoted to exploring 10 landmarks on our journey to becoming world Christians.
The 10 landmarks include:
1. misseo dei
2. live missionally every day
3. continually place yourself on the altar (family, career, free time, check book, …)
4. cultivate a wartime lifestyle
5. become a life-long learner about missions
6. become a global intercessor
7. find a like-hearted community and join it
8. participate in short-term missions trips
9. engage in David Platt’s one year experiment
10. discover and embrace your primary missions role (sender, welcomer, goer, or mobilizer)
Special emphasis and attention is given to the 10th landmark.
This spring I had the opportunity to teach this lesson with three classes: in Tyler, TX on April 25. In San Jose, Costa Rica on May 2. And in Fort Worth, TX on May 4. What a joy to see these students grapple with the long-term implications of living as a world Christian and seeking to identify next steps that God would have them take on their journey.
My time with the class in Costa Rica was especially meaningful as this was the first time Perspectives has ever been taught in this country. Costa Rica is a one of several Latin American countries that is rapidly becoming a sending country. With many of its workers going to serve among unreached peoples in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East, where they are received much more positively than someone from the U.S.
I am grateful that this may not be my last time to serve in this beautiful country. I have been invited to return to teach again with their second Perspectives class this fall.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
from April 17, 2011 prayer update
On April 4-6 I had the opportunity to participate with 700 other local church, para-church, and sending agency evangelism and mission leaders from across the U.S. in Mission America Coalition’s annual conference in Orlando. This year the event had both a national (as usual) and global (in response to Lausanne 2010) focus.
Our morning and evening sessions were together as a large group. We had times of corporate worship, plenary messages, and times of small group interaction / prayer around the messages. We heard from Lon Allison, Hwa Yung, Doug Birdsall, Esme Bowers, among others.
Our afternoon sessions were divided into more than 25 specialized breakout sessions addressing some excellent national and international outreach issues. I participated in the largest of the breakout sessions, focused on “mobilizing the U.S. Church for global missions”. Steve Shadrach with the USCWM very capably planned and led this breakout session. Nearly 100 of us interacted in small groups in six sessions around practical issues related to engaging the U.S. Church more effectively in taking the gospel to the least reached around the globe.
In session 1 and 2, I participated in 2 of 8 topical discussions. I chose the topics: “What is the USA’s role now that the Global South is sending – every nation to every nation” and “What do tomorrow’s missionaries look like in closed access countries? Tentmaking and BAM vs. traditional missionaries without a covering”.
Session 3 was focused on how to ENGAGE the unmobilized to have a vision and passion for personal involvement in global missions. I served as 1 of 10 table facilitators broken down by a focus on youth, college, mid-career, finishers, and entire church.
Session 4 was focused on how to EQUIP believers to get involved in global missions locally and equipping long-term goers.
Session 5 was focused on how to CONNECT believers to strategic opportunities for global missions. I served as 1 of 9 table facilitators in this session.
And the sixth and final session was a Q&A time with a panel.
My biggest take away from the three days together was the opportunity to interact and network with like-hearted colleagues from across the country. Another take away for me was the complexity of and changing nature of the task of world evangelization. It is amazing how much is happening globally despite how disjointed so much of what we do is.
Our morning and evening sessions were together as a large group. We had times of corporate worship, plenary messages, and times of small group interaction / prayer around the messages. We heard from Lon Allison, Hwa Yung, Doug Birdsall, Esme Bowers, among others.
Our afternoon sessions were divided into more than 25 specialized breakout sessions addressing some excellent national and international outreach issues. I participated in the largest of the breakout sessions, focused on “mobilizing the U.S. Church for global missions”. Steve Shadrach with the USCWM very capably planned and led this breakout session. Nearly 100 of us interacted in small groups in six sessions around practical issues related to engaging the U.S. Church more effectively in taking the gospel to the least reached around the globe.
In session 1 and 2, I participated in 2 of 8 topical discussions. I chose the topics: “What is the USA’s role now that the Global South is sending – every nation to every nation” and “What do tomorrow’s missionaries look like in closed access countries? Tentmaking and BAM vs. traditional missionaries without a covering”.
Session 3 was focused on how to ENGAGE the unmobilized to have a vision and passion for personal involvement in global missions. I served as 1 of 10 table facilitators broken down by a focus on youth, college, mid-career, finishers, and entire church.
Session 4 was focused on how to EQUIP believers to get involved in global missions locally and equipping long-term goers.
Session 5 was focused on how to CONNECT believers to strategic opportunities for global missions. I served as 1 of 9 table facilitators in this session.
And the sixth and final session was a Q&A time with a panel.
My biggest take away from the three days together was the opportunity to interact and network with like-hearted colleagues from across the country. Another take away for me was the complexity of and changing nature of the task of world evangelization. It is amazing how much is happening globally despite how disjointed so much of what we do is.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
from April 3, 2011 prayer update
After 20 years of investing my life in college students as a younger man (through The Navigators and through three different Austin area churches), it is a real joy to participate in an event like Passion 2011. A Passion conference was held in Atlanta earlier this year, with the second held this weekend in Fort Worth. 10 thousand college students packed out the downtown Fort Worth convention center.
Passion is a very appropriate name for this event and the organization that makes it happen. These folks clearly love Jesus, and He is center of what they do. They preach a very simple message, sadly one that much of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Western world only gives lip service to. It is all about Jesus and His mission. The key verse this ministry has highlighted since its inception is Isaiah 26:8, “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we eagerly wait for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls.”
Featured were several big name Christian bands (David Crowder, Charlie Hall, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, Kristan Stanfill, Chris Tomlin) and three big name Christian speakers (Francis Chan, Louie Giglio, John Piper). A little more hero worship and preoccupation with “cool” than is healthy, but that happened back when I was a college student too. And it is an issue that can trace its roots back to the first century Church (I Corinthians 1:12).
In addition to the music and the speakers (which dominate this 20 something event), there were small group breakout sessions where students could process what they were hearing and a large GO Center with an area called “Do Something Now”. There was the usual emphasis on social justice that is commonly associated with the millennial generation’s perspective on world missions (creation care, HIV prevention, orphan care, stopping sexual trafficking, water wells, etc.). Sadly these issue are often promoted without any kind of meaningful linkage to evangelism or church planting, resulting a very hollow and short-lived social justice.
But this was not the case at Passion 2011. I was delighted to see the premiere focus of the global outreach component of this event focused on a Bible translation project among an unreached people group in Mali, Africa. And a challenge to the students to make themselves available to serve among the nearly 6900 unreached people groups in today’s world (less than 2% evangelical Christian). A challenge that about 1/3 of those present responded to with affirmation. WOW! I am now hoping the Passion folks will somehow link these students with mission sending agencies serving among the unreached to seize this fantastic opportunity.
I had the opportunity to serve as one of 700 volunteers working behind the scenes to help make this event possible. Having been responsible for leading several missions conferences in the past gave me a huge appreciation for the scope and quality of what took place with this event.
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.” (Psalm 71:18)
Passion is a very appropriate name for this event and the organization that makes it happen. These folks clearly love Jesus, and He is center of what they do. They preach a very simple message, sadly one that much of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Western world only gives lip service to. It is all about Jesus and His mission. The key verse this ministry has highlighted since its inception is Isaiah 26:8, “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we eagerly wait for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls.”
Featured were several big name Christian bands (David Crowder, Charlie Hall, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, Kristan Stanfill, Chris Tomlin) and three big name Christian speakers (Francis Chan, Louie Giglio, John Piper). A little more hero worship and preoccupation with “cool” than is healthy, but that happened back when I was a college student too. And it is an issue that can trace its roots back to the first century Church (I Corinthians 1:12).
In addition to the music and the speakers (which dominate this 20 something event), there were small group breakout sessions where students could process what they were hearing and a large GO Center with an area called “Do Something Now”. There was the usual emphasis on social justice that is commonly associated with the millennial generation’s perspective on world missions (creation care, HIV prevention, orphan care, stopping sexual trafficking, water wells, etc.). Sadly these issue are often promoted without any kind of meaningful linkage to evangelism or church planting, resulting a very hollow and short-lived social justice.
But this was not the case at Passion 2011. I was delighted to see the premiere focus of the global outreach component of this event focused on a Bible translation project among an unreached people group in Mali, Africa. And a challenge to the students to make themselves available to serve among the nearly 6900 unreached people groups in today’s world (less than 2% evangelical Christian). A challenge that about 1/3 of those present responded to with affirmation. WOW! I am now hoping the Passion folks will somehow link these students with mission sending agencies serving among the unreached to seize this fantastic opportunity.
I had the opportunity to serve as one of 700 volunteers working behind the scenes to help make this event possible. Having been responsible for leading several missions conferences in the past gave me a huge appreciation for the scope and quality of what took place with this event.
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.” (Psalm 71:18)
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