An Unhindered Gospel - Lausanne Congress Reflections Part 1

Part 1 - An Unhindered Gospel

Part 2 - The Flow of the Congress

Part 3 - The Push and Pull of the Waves

Part 4 - Collaborative Communities

(Read the summaries and debrief posts I wrote after Lausanne 3 in 2010 here.)

I felt like a small piece of wood bobbing up and down in the waves of people. Being in the crowd at the 4th Lausanne Congress on Global Evangelization was an immersive experience. Over 200 nationalities and over 5000 people worshiping God, listening to speakers, rushing for lunch, gathering in groups, laughing loudly, and praying intently. If you listen real hard as you read those words you can almost imagine the constant rushing sound; like when you sit on the edge of the ocean listening to the waves. 

The 80 foot screen punctuated what you felt as you floated through the crowds. It acted as a magnifier to everything you were already feeling. After the first night I was almost numb . . . it was all so much. This experience of worshiping, learning and connecting with so many of Jesus' followers from around the world has always been a dream of mine. And it did not disappoint. I told several people that it felt as if my whole social media network had gone 3D! I met people I have only known virtually for the past decades. I reconnected with believers from around the world who have been a part of my faith and ministry journey. Watching 5000 Christians eat together gave me a new sense of appreciation for what the feeding of the 5000 might have looked like. What a task. 

Once the initial wave rushed over me, I stood up again and got my bearings, I was able to adjust. I settled into an amazing main-session table group and the afternoon collaborative action group. I also hosted daily breakfast groups of innovators (more on the community dynamic of Lausanne in Part 3 of my posts). 

I was also able to get into a rhythm of taking in the content, processing it with others and connecting the dots between so much input. We studied the book of Acts throughout the week and each day had a different theme. Topics such as evangelism, discipleship, social justice, workplace ministry, persecution,  the arts and many others were given room. 

This congress was focused on collective action and so every afternoon people gathered in groups to tackle various gaps identified in Lausanne's report on the State of the Great Commission. I was focused on opportunities around digital discipleship. I am very passionate about the need to develop new approaches to discipleship and they will naturally be highly digitally integrated. Part of my passion to attend Lausanne 4 was because of this interest and my work with my local church implementing discipleship and spiritual growth opportunities. 

The congress also had a Digital Discovery Center with dozens of digital tools for evangelism, discipleship and outreach on display. This space was always busy and it was good to see so many using it as a way to expand their understanding of how they might use technology to reach those in need within their local ministry setting. 

As I reflect on what I learned from the congress, I put it under the category of the "Unhindered Gospel." Both Anne Zaki and Ronaldo Lidorio highlighted the final 2 verses in the book of Acts that says, 

"For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. An no one tried to stop him." - Acts 28:30-31 (NLT) 

That final Greek word in the book of Acts could also be translated "unhindered." Both Zaki and Lidorio challenged us to consider the power of the Gospel to see opportunities where others might see chains. What some would have said was defeat was a wide-open moment for ministry as Paul practiced his trade, recieved gifts, preached, taught, mentored and encouraged. 

Lidorio said it this way, "Paul used all opportunities, even the uncomfortable ones, and intentionally presented Jesus to all who came to him." Zaki focused on the relational side of what Paul did, "It is time we learn from the early church the discipline of creating safe spaces to give ourselves a chance to reconsider our presumed positions in light of what's at stake, namely the unity and mission of the community of God." 

Paul's imprisonment was a courageous opportunity to reach out and reach in . . . to invite and to invest. These last two verses hold a key to much of what is wrong with discipleship in the Church today. It is seen as a passive activity wholly unconnected from God's power to touch a life and transform a heart. Discipleship is the ongoing process of a person who has surrendered their life to Jesus becoming more and more like the one who they call Lord. There is no change of activity between that initial surrender and the ongoing daily surrender; even as there is a dramatic change in our position before God as one who has accepted His grace and recieved forgiveness through Jesus. 

Here were some of the other powerful discipleship related quotes that came out of the congress:

"The Christ that said 'come as you are' did not say 'stay as you are'." Vaughan Roberts

"Know that it must be true, but also want to see it as good." Denise-Margaret Thompson

"The price and the process." Anne Zaki

"Truth discovered is ten times more valuable than truth given." Dale Stephenson

"Persecution never kills the church but a compromised gospel will." Patrick Fung

"Don't send far away those who are not first a blessing nearby." Jesus Lidorio 

In the next few days I will be sharing three more posts that will dive into some of the undercurrents at the event as as well as some of the richness that came from the smaller groups I was a part of. I hope you will follow along with me during these reflections and share you responses and thoughts with me as you do. 

Photo Credits: All photos from Lausanne Movement except the photo of Jesus Lidorio which was from Christian Daily's Hudson True