The Flow of the Congress - Lausanne Congress Reflections Part 2

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 often walk next to Geneva Lake in Southern Wisconsin. One of the intriguing things about bodies of water both small and large are how they are fed. As I take my walks, I often find myself hoping over small little streams that wind their way from their source towards the low-lying lake. The stream always seems so small compared to the size of the lake but I know that those little streams are vital to keeping the lake healthy and full. 

As I reflect back on the 4th Lausanne Congress on Global Evangelization, the themes that flowed into the event are particularly important. They represent the fresh thinking that washed over us as we were engaging in the event. 

But it is easy to forget about the streams of thought that drove the event because of so many people, activities and perspectives hitting you all at once. So let's take a minute to talk about the focus of each day and how that focus added to the big picture of what was happening. 

It is important to note that throughout the congress we were studying the book of Acts. On Monday we explored the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-21, on Tuesday it was unity in the Church from Acts 15, on Wednesday we were challenged on the topic of how the Church responded to persecution in Acts 11-12, on Thursday we explored the role of workplace ministry from Acts 1-2 and 16, on Friday we were in Acts 20:22 talking about servant leadership and finally, we ended our time on Saturday in Acts 28 with a challenge to courageous outreach in word and deed. 

This powerful time of daily Bible study gave way to the streams of focus that fed the congress daily. There was a key word that gives a framework for the daily flow:

• Sunday - Gathered: Welcome to the delegates and reinforcing collaborative action.
• Monday - Coming: Celebrate the power of the Holy Spirit and His outworking in word and deed.
• Tuesday - Unity: Join together as the Global Church to disciple the nations. 
• Wednesday - Persecution: Understand, grieve, stand and rejoice . . . even in persecution.
• Thursday - Witness: Expand the view of outreach to the workplace and celebrate the impact there.
• Friday - Service: Servant leadership in the Church and intentionally welcome every generation
• Saturday - Commissioning: Prepare for action and then join with others in obedience to Christ. 

Obviously there were countless other topics and themes explored over the six days but these six streams provide a sense for the flow. All of these themes were couched within the congress theme to "Declare and display Christ Together." For a curation of the daily wrap-up videos plus analysis from Doug Lucas, make sure to visit Brigada's wrap-up. 

As these themes flowed into the lake, the four spaces where they fed rich engagement are important to mention as well:

• Big rooms: The most overt place where the ideas were processed was the main meeting halls that hosted the meetings of the full group and secondary issue groups. The energy in these rooms was powerful as people were worshiping, learning, praying and processing.
• Small groups: The main sessions and the afternoon collaborative action sessions prioritized time with small groups. Some had amazing experiences of discussion, sharing and insight. Others had tables where people did not show up or did not connect well. Not everyone's experience was the same but the potential for significant impact was there (More on my experiences in my final reflection).
• Side connections: As always, the hallways, sidewalks, dinner tables, coffee shops and shuttle bus benches were full of old and new friends connecting. With an event like this, the relationships made in those informal times are extremely valuable and some will be lifelong.
• Digital Discovery Center: For anyone interested in digital ministry, this physical space dedicated to digital tools was an amazing space for connection, awareness and sharing. Some people had to visit several times to simply get through all the displays and interact with the organizations. To learn about all the organizations and tools featured visit this overview page. 

As I reflect on the streams that fed the congress and the passion of the organizers to see collective action result from the event, I think again of my walks along Geneva Lake. Out on the lake you see a variety of activities. In the early morning many are fishing or paddling in the still waters. As the morning progresses you begin to see water skiing and sailing. By the afternoon the water is full of swimmers and boaters enjoying the lazy sunny days. As I think of those different lake dwellers, I realize that each of them engages with the lake differently. 

The same streams fill the lake, but the response of those receiving the benefit is different. I saw that on display at the congress. Some were dialed into the sessions and small groups, others spent most of the time in side meetings and hallway conversations, still others were busy convening and coordinating. All benefited from the streams but that looked different. It reminded me to be intentional to think about why I am attending an event and watchful for the steams feeding the water in which I am swimming as I attend.