4th annual briefing on international missions

Since Tallskinnykiwi blogged about the 2nd Annual Foundation Briefing on International Missions, I think it’s okay for me to selectively post some sound bites from the 4th annual foundation briefing on international missions. This time it’s here in metro Washington DC, and the venue has an open WiFi connection. So I’m live-blogging this.

Andy Crouch of the Christian Vision Project is sitting next to me, and he’s got 2 coveted spots to talk over our meal times, tonight and tomorrow.

Jim Haney (director of IMB’s Global Research Department) leads off with a ’state of world evangelism’ address. He spoke of his time in Africa, “When you eat out of the same bowl with somebody, you have close fellowship…” “it’s not fair there are people out there who haven’t had a chance to hear the Gospel…”

“some people groups speak multiple languages… some languages are spoken by multiple people groups…” “people groups are moving around, some even come here…” “this year marks when half [50%} of the world's people are urban..." "measuring key result areas: engagement of unreached people groups and urban centers, advance toward church planting movements, partner engagement..." "in the past, we have been excited about record numbers... but what if your 'market' is exceeding that? incremental growth is good, but population growth is exceeding that.. we're not keeping up." he shared some exciting statistics about Church Planting Movements (CPMs)...

A Church Planting Movement is a rapid and multiplicative increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group or population segment.

church multiplication is exponential.. churches are planting new churches.. members are bringing the lost to Christ.. long-term service is what it takes to sociologically reach a people group.. lives are being changed -- dramatically! ... networks are more important than teams.. [wild idea] planting a church that won’t be there next year, b/c people will scatter to the four winds and plant new ones all over..

next up, a couple shares about OneStory, a great ministry that’s telling Bible stories to unreached peoples in oral cultures.. he shares about 3 lives of people who were changed by storying.. training people to tell stories.. this is nothing new.. storying workshops that teach people how to build relationships and how to tell stories.. people finally can understand the truth in the Bible.. sharing stories don’t threaten people like tracts or bible.. interactive with the listeners.. okay to ask: what does this story mean to you?

[Day 2 - March 30, 2007]

morning opened with a mention of “Finishing the Task,” a strategy to target 639 unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs) with over 100,000 in population.. this represents over 500k people in 77 countries..

Tom Mullis of Global Outreach, a ministry of Perimeter Church (Atlanta) shares about their big picture on global outreach.. “there are more megachurches per capita in Atlanta than any city… but, all the transformation indicators in Atlanta are all going the wrong direction..” “missions is from everywhere to everywhere.. we have to learn how to work with indigenous ministry.. they need capacity building, and I don’t mean [just] funding..” “what seems to be happening is among the next generation.. the marginalized [via mercy and justice].. the business world (9-to-5 window, in addition to the 10/40 window).. Kingdom businesses..” “our own church planning has been changed and affected by overseas partners, who pray more than we plan..” “most churches are under 2000; so how do you help churches of 50 to 1500 to engage the world.. one way is to use non resident missionary teams to mobilize resources abroad.. cost-effectively.. do no harm..” “re-entry: learn from partners overseas and incorporate it into our own church life..”

“how to build capacity: training of trainers.. seed projects..” “measurement is tough, but you gotta do it.. not b/c we’re Americans, but b/c we’re stewards of kingdom resources.. projects are required to do due diligence.. specify measurable results.. working towards web-based real-time results for Kingdom investments.. [vision trips] help with supplemental giving.. what people don’t see doesn’t touch their heart..”

lively discussion ensued on the effectiveness of short-term mission trips.. referred to an archived CT article “Study Questions Whether Short-Term Missions Make a Difference: Missionaries don’t keep giving after they return; hosts prefer money to guests, Calvin sociologist finds“.. another mention about Kurt Ver Beek’s study at Tough Questions to Ask Before Your Next Missions Trip.. read the study, The Impact of Short Term Missions: A Case Study of House Construction in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch (Word .DOC format); listen to Van Beek’s lecture about short-term missions:

[mp3]http://www.calvin.edu/academic/sociology/staff/01%20Kurt%20Ver%20Beek%201.mp3[/mp3]

Then, a panel discussion about Table 71 with Jerry Rankin (IMB), Roy Peterson (The Seed Company), Steve Douglass (Campus Crusade for Christ International).. “let’s figure out how to get it done..” “recognized we can’t do it alone..” “what pulled us together was a common goal, a vision beyond what we had.. the unengaged unreached people groups..” “identified challenges and barriers as to why they were unengaged..” “it was more of a spirit than the details.. it’s about people.. learning to trust.. work together.. and rely..” “[God seems to be] moving large organizations together.. to focus on the smallest, the marginalized..” “people see the needs.. critical mass and relationships form.. great things happen..” “orality is helping people not only in the illiterate world, but also the literate world.. e.g. college students who can read [very well] but take in information more relationally and conversationally..” “shift in missions thinking.. local church owns it.. mission organizations come along side with expertise to serve local churches..” “big change of focus: engage the unreached people groups and serve the indigenous church planting movements..” “secret ingredient: making time for personal relationships..” “bringing the gifts we have, laying it on the table, let God use it.. and it [continues to] multiply..” “engagement is just the first step.. evangelization has to follow.. church planting movement too..”

Andy Crouch & Mark Labberton (First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley) spoke to the Christian Vision Project’s 2007 theme of mission.. and what would it look like to do mission.. to be the church.. to relate in the form of “Christ crucified” instead of “Caesar triumphant”.. “power differential is diffused through real relationship..”

Andy mentioned forthcoming article in Christianity Today in summer 2007 with Emmanuel Katongole, Associate Research Professor of Theology and World Christianity at Duke University. Keep on the lookout for it.