The Global Network of World Centers of Mission

A brief report on the GNWCM meeting in Singapore that Meng Eng and I attended as representatives of the MCGM in April 09.

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The GNWCM was held from 20th to 23rd April @ St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore, a beautiful site that is a mix of both the old and the new, the traditional and the contemporary. The old Cathedral stands out amongst the modern buildings that surround it in the busy streets of central Singapore, as an icon from the old world, dignified, showing its age yet still well kept, like everything else in Singapore. It is also a recognised heritage site drawing visitors from the world over who are free to walk into the august sanctuary and view the beautiful interior of the stained-glass building. The doors are opened every day for the faithful to come and pray (and we saw a few) amidst the curious gaze of the casual tourists.

Ah, the new! Just beside the old cathedral, a modern, contemporary sanctuary built underground from funds provided by the Singapore Government (unasked for, we were told!) that had a clear glass window on the roof, opening up to the sky where at one end, if you stand in the middle, you may gaze at the cross at the top of the old cathedral and at the other end, you behold the glistening dome of the mosque across the street! The Dean (or pastor) of the Cathedral tells us that he stands and prays in this new sanctuary for the faithful in the mosque for the grace of God to be shown to them in the person of Jesus Christ!

And in this significant place, leaders from 11 Centers of World Mission together with the US Center of World Mission met, after a lapse of many years, to renew their commitment to the vision of a global network of world centers of mission and to chart its future path.

The meetings in the day were mostly devoted to updates by the different world centers of mission on their present ministries and directions, the casting (or re-casting) of vision and the shaping of common values for the global network that will guide the world centers of mission in the their future operations and will mark them out as belonging to the same family.

The outstanding benefits of the meeting for Meng Eng and I were the new friends we made from the other centers of mission, a clearer vision for the role of MCGM and the discovery of the fact that we all spoke the same language of love for the Lord, love for the unreached people groups and love for food!

We also discovered that there are two global level partnerships. There is:

1. The Global Network of Mission of Mission Structures (GNMS) - which is a global network of mission sending structures that are actually deploying workers to the field formed in 2004.

Then there is:

2. The Global Network of World Center of Mission (GNWCM) - which is a network of Center of Mission organizations around the globe which focuses on getting the whole Church involved in frontier mission work through mobilization, training, strategy and research.

The GNWCM reaches back to the Church for strategic involvement, while the GNMS's concerns are for the unreached people groups.

The PsALMist - Thought for the Day!

TRUST YOU ARE ALL WELL!

Since receiving a copy of the latest edition of the PERSPECTIVES at the Global Network of World Centers of Missions Consultation in Singapore in April 09, I have embarked on this massive reading project . . . to finish the entire reader, doing it a chapter from each section a day, whenever possible i.e. 4 chapters in a sitting.

This morning, whilst I was waiting @ the Perodua Service Center for the car to be ready, I took the opportunity to continue reading PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT.

What a fantastic book this is . . . a collection of the finest articles on missions, arranged in four sections that took a lot at missions from the Biblical Perspective, the Historical Perspective, the Cultural Perspective and the Strategic Perspective.

Allow me to challenge you with some thoughts from one chapter within the Strategic Perspective . . . “The Challenge of the Cities” by Roger S. Greenway. Let me quote sections from his writing:

“Traditionally, most mission work was done in rural areas. In the past that made sense because most people lived in rural communities. But the greatest challenge is now in cities, and there we find a shortage of worker . . . Unreached villages certainly need to hear the gospel. But in the view of the masses of unsaved and unchurched people in cities, more attention must be given to urban centers.”

Just a thought-provoking idea.

What if the Christians in Penang were see beyond their noses, lift up their eyes and behold the masses of immigrant workers in our city here to work and to send money home to their families often residing in closed-access nations? This could lead to a church planting movement in that nation! From the city back to the village!

UPG Short Notes 2

Stages in Reaching an Unreached People Group

Terms and definitions used based on the above definitions

Stage 1-"Reported" The people group is brought to the attention of a Christian research group which strives to verify them as unreached and lists them as such.

Stage 2-"Selected" A denomination or mission agency, capable of reaching the group, accepts responsibility to reach them and mobilize churches and Christians to adopt this people group so that a church may be started in their midst. They are actively recruiting churches and fellowship groups to adopt this group and partner together to reach them.

Stage 3-"Adopted" One, or several, churches or fellowship groups (could be a mission fellowship, student group, Sunday School class, etc.) has made the establishment of a strong church among the unreached people group their personal goal. They agree to support the work with prayers and finances. This is done with their denomination or in partnership with one or more mission agencies.

Stage 4"Engaged" The work has begun and cross-cultural workers are "on site" with the goal of establishing a "viable, indigenous church-planting movement."
A people group may already have been engaged when a church or fellowship group chooses to adopt. The church then commits itself to partner with the "on site" workers.

Stage 5-"Reached" A strong, indigenous church-planting movement has been established that is of sufficient size and strength to evangelize the rest of the group with no (or very little) outside help.
"Reached" does not mean the work is done, but the missionary thrust is closing and the evangelistic phase has begun which is now the responsibility of the indigenous church. They have moved from unreached to unevangelized. Quoted from US Center of World Mission

UPG Short Notes 1

Adopt-A-People Campaign

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO

It means that a church congregation or fellowship group makes a serious commitment to do all they can to reach their adopted people group by working in partnership with the mission agency of their choice. All adopting churches agree to provide informed, concerted prayer for their people. Depending on the mission agency chosen, a church may also be asked to help fund the effort to reach their people or supply personnel to help reach them. Quoted from "Adopt-A-People" Campaign Website