Hong Kong 09: Call2All

This most recent trip to Hong Kong had two purposes, first we went to anchor the broadcast for the Global Day of Prayer from Hong Kong. We were invited to be there by the local hosting committee and so we set up the studio at the stadium and used that as the anchor point for the television feed coming in from the hundreds of thousands of prayer events that were taking place on Pentecost Sunday (31 May 2009).

It was estimated that more than 400 million people across the world parcipated in GDOP events.

After GDOP we stayed on for a conference with one of our partner organisations, the Call2All. This is a very interesting strategic network of mission organisations - their intention is to ensure that the Gospel of Christ os brought to every region of the earth in contextually relevant ways through strategic partnerships and the use of technology.

The partnership element aims to ensure that mission organisations position themselves strategically across the globe so that their particular emphasis can best be applied in the most necessary region. So, for example, if a particular organisation has a strong emphasis on mission as social transformation they will seek out those areas that need their skills as a priority. In doing so it is hoped that we will avoid having a saturation of mission agencies and missionaries in certain areas and none in others. And, that the Gospel will be brought to bear in a particular context in a manner that is transformative and socially and culturally effective.

The use of technology is a second emphasis - the Call2All movement has enlisted the skills of computer experts, theologians, sociologists and a host of other experts to plot the work of mission agencies and missionaries all over the world. This done using GIS mapping. Then they have also plotted the presence of Christian communities on the map (and places where there is very little effective Christian witness and work). Such a tool is invaluable for strategically planning mission work.

The intention behind the Call2All is the completion of the great commission (Matthew 28:19 forward). Now this is one area that I am still working my way through. I am a little concerned that there are some persons (particularly evangelical groups from North America) that assume when the Gospel has been proclaimed in every language and every region then the work of evangelism is done.... I am not so sure about that.

I have a different view on the purpose and intention of mission and evangelism. My perspective is that mission and evangelism are supposed to bring about the kind of change that makes the values and principles of God's Kingdom a reality across the world - persons are reconciled with God and one another, there is peace and blessing, the community is stable, there is a just and fair political system, there is food, work and adequite health care for all persons etc., In short the presence of God's wholes and peace, the eternal Shalom, is a reality.

Mission that doesn't transform individuals and society in accordance with the will of God is not truly 'effective' in my view. Steve Hayes, what is your perspective? Wessel, what do you think? Pete, I'd love to hear your ideas on social justice!

Thankfully it is only a small portion of the group that has the 'completion by proclaiming' mindset. And, thankfully we (GDOP and our team) have direct input into the theology and structure of the network. I do believe that it will make some significant strides for God's Kingdom! Do take a look at the Call2All website http://www.call2all.org - by the way also check out how quick some Muslim person have been... They got the domain call2all.com and set it up as an Islamic information site (even the style, fonts and graphics are similar). I had quite a laugh when I saw it!

So, the picture in this post is of the HUGE world map that they used at the Call2All conference in Hong Kong. It was used to give some perspective on the world (population density, presence of the Church, presence of missionaries and mission organisations, and where persons need to be sent or go for the sake of the Gospel of Christ reaching people and bringing healing and transformation). To give an idea of the size of the map (about the size of a football field) you can see some of the thousands of Chinese delegates in the background.
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Comments

[Simon G]

I can't read the great commission as a command that can be completed by Christ's followers, but rather our function until He returns.

Equally I don't really follow the implication that God's kingdom can come in any sense of fullness in a fallen world. Even our current cultural concepts of peace, justice and fairness are fallen as are any other generations and cultures understanding of these. Our "christian" culture has many ancient greek concepts stitched through it which in many cases lead us away from what God revealed in the Bible. In some cases Jews and/or Muslims seem to have a more biblical understanding. (controversial thought of the day)

The great commission is about making disciples of Jesus in the fullest sense. Disciples with a healed relationship with God the Father through Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit to heal their relationships with the neighbours.

Healing our relationship with our neighbour will result in a better place for all with justice and peace. This is only palliative though, and can be wiped away very easily by new growth in the tumour of sin at the core of ourselves, our societies and our planet. There is only one cure, only one way, only one truth and that is a healed relationship with God through His saving grace in Jesus.

Any good doctor offers healing and palliative care to the patient. This is exactly what the great commission is about - making disciples who obey Jesus' commands.

[digitaldion (Dion Forster)]

Hi Simon,

Thanks for the detailed and thought provoking comment! I like your idea that we shall spend the rest of our days working towards the realisation (rather than the 'completion') of the great commission.

Thanks for always adding value!

Rich blessing,

Dion

[Steve Hayes]

Dion,

What is Call2All's view of the Great Commission? Is it simply proclamation, or something else?

I think you omitted another view, that was emphasised by the church growth school in the USA - making disciples is more than just proclamation: it means planting churches. And it is those churches that are supposed to be the leaven in their particular scoiety, culture and part of the world.