Dispatch #3 From Cape Town, Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization

This is Ebony (Dr. Sabrina Black) and Ivory (Dr. Peggy Rayman) reporting to you live from Cape Town, South Africa at the Third Lausanne World Congress on Global Evangelism.  This report contains days 4, 5.

FRIDAY (From Sabrina)

The Oral Story Bible: A Breakthrough Strategy to Help Make Scripture Available More Quickly

When we talk about our global community we give much credit for our access to the world to the internet. Yet with all this technology we are here in South Africa unable to check email daily or upload photos and videos. In addition to the limitations we have to purchase time on the network every 24 hours and pray that we have access before the system jams. Those of you who know me well . . . This may seem challenging however there are those who are still using dial up service and others who have no network at all. Most of us from the west will find it difficult to relate to no access via computer, cell, television, radio, video or film. Yes we have a global community but it has only reached half of the world. There are literally thousands of languages and people groups living with ZERO ACCESS to the Gospel. They are waiting for you and me to come to where they are located. We need to go fulfill the Great Commission TELL the STORY of the God News and make disciples.

The need for Orality has never been more pressing than now as we acknowledge the number of people groups who have not had access to the hope in Christ we profess. The Multiplex session I attended on Friday morning challenged us to know our Bible, live it and tell it well over and over again. The reasons are detailed in the following short paragraph on Orality taken from www.theJosephProjects.org

About two-thirds of the world’s population are oral communicators. That is, they prefer or need a non-literate approach to learning. Oral cultures tend to preserve and transmit their culture through stories, proverbs, poems, songs, dance and such. Primary oral societies pass along everything that matters from one generation to another without putting anything into a written format. Yet, the vast majority of Christian mission work today is conducted through literate means that oral communicators simply do not understand. Since the vast majority of unreached poeple are oral communicators, Finishing the Task recognizes the importance of reaching these groups with oral strategies. As communicators of the gospel, it is our responsibility to present the message in a way oral learners can understand. A highly effective way to reach oral cultures is by telling the stories of the Bible. Oral people love to hear the stories over and over again, memorizing them word-for-word. Since story telling is highly relational and social, Bible stories can spread rapidly within a people group. Many Finishing the Task partners have proven that Bible storying is effective for evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and even leadership training.

During the session I volunteered to engage in an Orality demonstration along with five other participants (one from Switzerland, one from Africa, One from UK and two from India). Our diverse group shared from the text on Blind Bartimeus. This approach to sharing the stories of Scripture was very refreshing. Each person had a chance to tell what they gleaned from the story. It was funny to listen as people adlibbed the text and interjected thoughts of their own. The group took ownership of the story and they were self correcting; identify the verses that supported what they recalled. Our sharing shifted from information to transformation as we shared what we liked and disliked in the story; as well as what we learned about the character of God; and finally what we would do different based on what we learned.

The process of Orality reminded of the Flannelgraph Bible stories we used to hear and see in Sunday School. Do you remember? Those colorful cut-outs provided great visuals. Orality also put me in remembrance of being down south in Alabama with my grandfather, sitting around a fire listening to him tell stories. It would often be the same story night after night; but all of us could tell the story. Just imagine how quickly the stories of the Bible will spread when we begin to tell it often and tell it well. The process of orality does not focus as much on the teacher but on the students and the centrality of the message. I left the session with stacks of books in preparation for sharing the story with our congregation. If you would like to be trained on the process or get more information visit www.lausanne.org

Saturday

On yesterday (Friday) we heard a lot about the impact of Orality and the ability to tell a story in such a way that the application is clear and the hearer can tell it over and over again. In that vein many stories were told to illustrate the point of today’s lesson from Ephesians 4:17-5:29. Although there were many great applications I am just sharing this one about walking in the light. The speaker emphasized how important it is for us to be exposed to the light. Our lives were likened to stones. When a stone has sat a while and you flip it over to allow the sunlight on the back side creatures will crawl out of the crevices. Those creepy crawly things would be paramount to the sins in our life that come out when we are exposed to the light of the Word. Clearly we all know the brighter the light the more dirt is revealed. As Christians we should continue to draw near as we see the areas in our lives that need to be cleansed. Another analogy was that of the African brother who met with a group of leaders in the bush for devotion every morning as they praised God from the rising of the sun. Each mans path where he ventured off the road from his village to this quiet place was well trodden from days of walking that way. After several weeks of not seeing one of the village leaders at sunrise for prayers, another brother went to visit him. It was a very direct yet gentle confrontation. He simple made the statement, “Sir, grass has grown on your pathway. Do you need me to show you the way back.” Many of us know leaders who have lost their way; and others where we can see the grass still growing.

The morning devotions on Ephesians have been very enlightening and thought provoking. Each lessons has moments of hmm, aha, and wow!. Today we discussed what it means to be on the Path of Humility, Integrity and Simplicity (HIS). The following three key idols were presented as areas that cause us to get off the path:

1.) Idols of Pride and Power – As believers we need to come to a place where we worship God alone. Then in humility we serve him and fulfill his plans in the earth. Many leaders have become entranced with title and building their own kingdoms instead of advancing the Kingdom of God.

2.) Idols of Popularity and Success - We need to stop just tantalizing the crowds and give them a Word from the Lord. Our five point outlines, anagrams and alliterations are irrelevant if they don’t present the Gospel messages. We tickle the ears of the listener to gain a following and have a need to compete with our brothers instead of complete the task of the Great Commission.

3.) Idols of Prosperity and Provision – Man needs more than bread. In our quest for the abundant life we have abandoned the notion of suffering and sacrifice. The warning in Jeremiah 6:13-16 could be for many leaders today. “ From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them," says the LORD. This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'

Church leaders and missions leaders have fallen prey to these idols unnecessarily. We need to remind ourselves of Jesus example in Matthew 4:1-11; he overcame the temptation of all these idols and provided the strategy in the Word of God to utilize the Word.

Because of our ineffectiveness our work has been challenged. We are viewed as hypocrites and told to clean up our own back yards. Integrity is often even challenged when we look at our statistics and outcomes. Have we really accomplished as much as we have claimed? Our data is misleading. Have we gradually walked away from the path of truth?

We need a radical return to the Lord. We need to be called to repent and return to the Lord. The Lord is calling you now even as you read these words. Where have you wandered? Before we go out into the world we need to come back to God. Before we seek the lost we need to seek His face. We need to walk toward the light of Christ that will reveal any area in our life that has moved us from being people that are HIS (walking in Humility, Integrity and Simplicity)

Our devotion from Ephesians brought to mind the list of scriptures outlined in the “HELP! for Your Leadership” book (www.globalprojects.org) where we are provided ‘10 Ways Not to Walk’ and ‘Seven Things to Walk In’ (pg 116, 123). The book provides a healing, encouraging and living perspective for overworked and overwhelmed leaders.

EPHESIANS STUDY (Peggy)

Good morning all.  Just wanted to add a few comments from yesterday.  One of the very encouraging things that is going on in Africa is the tremendous growth of the Church.  Over the last 100 years, the Church has grown 3000%!  It has turned from a missions receiving continent to a missions sending continent.  May God humble the West as we consider our own poor showing as far as church growth is concerned.  One of the statements last night really struck me.  “Attempt something so great for God that it is doomed to failure unless God be in it.”  Surely the reaching of the remaining people groups is such a task.

This morning, the Ephesians study was very powerful and sobering.  We studied Eph. 4:17-6:9.  The presenter, Bishop Calisto Odede (from Kenya) challenged us to actually apply the instructions.  He says of the Church’s three main enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, the Church has been absorbed by the world and the flesh, and only gives token importance to the wiles of the enemy.  We have made Christianity unpalatable because of the way we live.  There is no distinction between us and the world.  We are not the people we claim to be.  We need to have a renewal of turning orthodoxy into orthopraxy.  The statistics for divorce, sexual immorality, abortion, corruption, etc., are no different for the Church than for the world.

Into the middle of our mess, Paul commands us to WALK.  A Maasai warrior could determine from a set of footprints,who had left them.  He could tell whether they were male or female, young or old, whether they were walking or running, carrying a load or not.  The question is what will people be able to notice about us from the footprints that our lives have left?

We had quite a time of repentance at our tables as we grappled with just how much we, ourselves had hindered the Gospel.

At lunchtime, we had our final meeting of the African American delegation, and it was quite an exciting and fruitful time.  Sabrina will share more about that, but I felt very encouraged that there is gathering momentum as we head towards Orlando in 2011.

Please continue to pray as we go into the final day tomorrow.  Dr. Woodward will head home tomorrow, and I will be following on Monday.  Please hold some room in your hearts and your schedules that we can get together when I get back.

Friday

Oral Storytelling ‘Breakthrough’ in Evangelizing Unreached

From the Cape Town Lausanne Daily News.

CAPE TOWN (Oct. 22, 2010) Oral telling of Bible stories is at the vanguard of a new push to evangelize previously unreached people groups. In six years, 200 people groups in 40 different countries have heard the Gospel message for the first time in their language and cultural learning style, but 350 million still wait to hear about Christ in their own tongue. “The majority of the unreached people of our world are primarily oral learners who learn very differently from those who are literate,” Ron Green of Campus Crusade for Christ International told The Third Lausanne Congress in Cape Town. “This is a critical moment to review all of our methods and strategies of ministry so we're prepared to face this challenge with creativity and God's heart of compassion for the lost.” Green, who is head of the JESUS Film Project, has been involved in what he called a “breakthrough strategy” for engaging with those whose language is among the 2,250 still waiting for any Scripture to be translated.

Teams of two or three, often from a nearby culture, live among an unreached group for several years, developing a set of Bible stories spanning the overarching story of Scripture. As they tell the stories and interact with “listening groups,” they are able to continue to refine the story so that it is accurate and easily told orally, and add more stories until they have a set of around 20.

These are then recorded as an “oral text” of Scripture, which both protects the stories' accuracy until written Scripture arrives, and can be distributed and used widely as part of a church-planting strategy. They may even be broadcast on radio. This multi-ministry project has seen hundreds of small story groups starting, and thousands of new believers in Christ who now have access to His Word, Green told one of the four Multiplex sessions on Friday afternoon. “We dream of the day when every language, tribe and people group will have access to the Gospel, and we dream of it happening in our generation!” he said. “Could we dream and plan and pray and work together so that every language hears in this decade? Could we commit ourselves afresh to starting the Great Commission effort in every language group?”

Saturday

African American Delegates – Lausanne 2010 Cape Town

The 3 Day Journey from Celebration to Consideration to Confirmation

Today (Saturday) was the third and final meeting at Lausanne Cape Town 2010 for the African American Delegates but also the first round of many gatherings to come. Over 40 African American missionaries, missions mobilizers, students and pastors from Africa and the Diaspora meet for discussion on our role and history in world missions as part of the Lausanne Movement. When we convened Monday it was a time of CELEBRATION as we identified those in the room and our involvement over the years in world missions. We have all at some point asked the question, ”Where are the African American missionaries?” How exhilarating it was to walk into a room and see so many of us; a diverse group representing career and short term missionaries, those who are new to the field and those who are seasoned. It was a time of legacy and heritage. What a blessing to put names and faces together with stories we have heard over time of our fellow sojourners who are evangelizing the world and making disciples. We also here the question, “Where are the brothers?” Well I am a witness. They were in the room and they are on the field leading other brothers to Christ, making disciples who will make more disciples. My heart rejoiced.

Wednesday was a day of CONSIDERATION. It was hump day - the time to wrestle with the basic questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? It was a room filled with leaders, each with full calendars and schedules wondering, “Now that we are here . . . “ The dialogue was fast and frenzied as many points were made in a limited amount of time about what will and will not work in the African American community as we seek to engage our brothers and sisters in missions mobilization. In the midst of all the activity and meetings at the Third Lausanne World Congress this group of leaders chose to be here because they are passionate about our people and the people of the world. The sacrifice was made to come because we want to see something done.

Saturday was a day of CONFIRMATION. The African American delegates gathered serious and sober minded ready to lay out plan that we can all support which will help us expand our reach to the global community. Donovan Case assisted by Tom Fortson gave direction to the meeting. We were divided into four groups facilitated by Claude Alexander, Sabrina Black, Denise and, Henry Joseph. The discussion focused on providing clarity and definition to the tentative mission statement: “To ignite and mobilize the African American Church for global missions.” Each of the key words were defined followed by providing additional insight on the implementation of this vision. Data was gathered from the four groups on suggested METHODS (i.e., prayer, denominational leaders, pastors, radio, TV, newspapers, periodicals, social media), MATERIALS (What currently exist? What needs to be created?) TIMELINE (Who does what next and when?) OUTCOME (What does success look like?) WHAT IS MISSING? (What has not been included) and the WORKING TEAM (Who will carry on the work following Lausanne 2010?).

With less than 90 minutes to converse we were able to talk through and present dynamic ideas and strategies to carry us forward. The synergy and excitement about what God has done and is about to do permeated the room. There was a great buzz and laughter as these African American world leaders in missions exchanged contacts and made plans to connect and partner as co-laborers in the Gospel. A full report of the outcomes along with a database of those in attendance will be distributed after the Lausanne Congress. If you would like to be a part of the Movement or have information that might be relevant or vital to what the Lord is calling us to accomplish contact Do navan Case at www.icm.org