G O D ’ S W O R D T O G O D ’ S W O R L D

M A G A Z I N EO C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

‘I WILL BUILD

MY CHURCH

ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS

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I N T H I S I S S U E

Alun BurtMike ReithDavid WilliamsBen Williamson

W I T H C O N T R I B U T I O N S F R O M

C R O S S L I N K S

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Published byCrosslinks 251 Lewisham Way, London SE4 1XF

Tel 020 8691 6111Fax 020 8694 8023Prayerline 020 8692 5321www.crosslinks.org

Mission DirectorAndy Lines alines@crosslinks.orgOperations DirectorGiles Rawlinson grawlinson@crosslinks.orgGB & overseas circulationcmt@crosslinks.orgIreland circulationIreland@crosslinks.org

Crosslinks works with over a thousand churches in Britain and Ireland. Founded in 1922 as BCMS (TheBible Churchmen’s Missionary Society), Crosslinks isan evangelical mission agency facilitating partnerships largely within the Anglican Communion. In fellowship with churches in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, Canada and Australia, it provides personnel, sponsorship for theological students and support for local mission wherever it happens.

Crosslinks policy is to use all funds received for the purpose to which they are designated. Crosslinks retains the right to use any surplus funds at the end of deployment or at the end of a project, at its discretion for gospel purposes.

Registered Charity number 24 99 86.

What am I?

I was born in England. My paternal grandparents were Scottish. My mothers’ ancestry is French. My name is Irish in origin. It makes supporting any one team in the Six Nations rugby tournament quite traumatic.

Equal opportunities forms are eager to ask your ethnic origin, gender, disability, religious affiliation and hat size. It all adds to the sense that the world wants to define, categorise and label you very specifically.

At various times I have been able to say, ‘I’m a student’, ‘I’m a printer’, ’I’m a graphic designer’, ‘I’m a counsellor’; but none of these things say anything much about me as an individual.

But thanks be to God! My first and most important identity is that I am a Christian: a child of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus. I am in Christ. There is no more meaningful category than that.

Mark Gillespie Communications Manager

COMMENTO C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

I will build my church: All one in Christ Jesus Alan PurserPeople like us

Diversity: challenge or opportunity?Destination Dagenham Mike Reith

Born Free Alun BurtTraining for cross-cultural mission David Williams

Bishop Edwin Ngubane: a personal reflection Ben WilliamsonThe last word Andy Lines

Crosslinks diary and prayer meetings

Front cover image © Scott Creswell

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C O N T E N T S

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THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE, THERE IS NO MALE OR FEMALE, FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.GALATIANS 3:28

‘These are excellent words’ wrote Martin Luther, ‘In the world there is a great difference and inequality of persons.... Contrariwise in Christ, where there is no law, there is no difference of persons but all are one’ [Commentary on Galatians, 1535].

The dismay that led the Apostle Paul to pen his letter to the Galatians (introduced at 1:6 ‘I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel...’ and expressed so forcibly in 3:1 ‘O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?’ ) allows us access to a remarkably sustained piece of apostolic teaching on the great theme of justification by faith, and the folly of turning back to religious legalism. The strength of Paul’s reaction should come as no surprise to the Galatian believers, for he has already publicly confronted his fellow Apostle, Peter, about hypocrisy on precisely the same issue. Conscious of the false teachers (the ‘they’ of 4:17) Paul makes an earnest appeal for the Galatians to come back to their senses, to remember their conversion and to live in the grace and freedom that are their common inheritance in Christ. Part of that privilege is the radical difference that belonging to Christ makes in terms of human relationships across otherwise insurmountable barriers - hence Paul’s statement in 3:28.

JB Lightfoot comments, ‘The conventional distinctions of religious caste or of social rank, even the natural distinction of sex (i.e. gender), are banished. One heart beats in all; one life is lived by all. ‘Ye are all one man, for ye are members of Christ’ [Commentary on Galatians, 1865]

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‘ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS

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Likewise John Stott translates Paul’s statement as ‘You are all one person in Christ Jesus’ and explains, ‘In Christ we belong not only to God but to each other. And we belong to each other in such a way as to render of no account the things that normally distinguish us, namely race, rank and sex’ [BST Commentary 1968].

Taken at face value of course the Apostle’s words are not, strictly speaking, true - not only did the Galatian church comprise some who were Jews and others Gentiles (as regards ethnicity), but there were also slaves and freemen (as regards social status), with both men and women included within the fellowship. And being “in Christ” did not, of course, obliterate such distinctions of birth, social position and gender. So what is Paul saying? The Apostle has adopted a manner of speech that sharply emphasises the reality of being incorporated into Christ, and the magnitude of the transformation that flows from it within a properly functioning Christian community. Stott points out that Paul unfolds three results of being united with Christ: believers are children of God (3:26-27), united together as one person (3:28) and privileged to be Abraham’s offspring (3:29). He writes, ‘When we say that Christ has abolished these distinctions we mean not that they do not exist, but that they do not matter. They are still there, but they no longer create any barriers to fellowship. We recognise each other as equals, brothers and sisters in Christ’.

The challenge for the church of every generation is to give full and proper expression to this transformation in both mission and fellowship.

MISSION

In terms of mission Eckhard Schnabel writes, ‘The evidence shows that Paul did not pursue a missionary strategy that focused on a particular ethnic group. He was concerned to preach the gospel to all people in any given city, irrespective of ethnic origin.’ [Paul the Missionary, IVP 2008]. What precisely did this mean? For example, did Paul expect Gentile Christians to bring the gospel of Jesus to the Jews living in the same locality? Schnabel comments, ‘Many answer this question in the negative, arguing that non-Jews have no business trying to convert Jews to the Christian faith.

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Alan Purser is Crosslinks Church and Members’ Team Leader

A positive answer seems to be more likely, however. Galatians 3:28 is not merely a theological statement but the expression of a salvation-historical eschatological truth that has tangible consequences for the followers of Jesus: if Jews reach Gentiles with the gospel, there is no reason why a converted Gentile should not explain to a Jewish friend or neighbour his faith in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and Saviour of the world’. In other words, Galatians 3:28 has to do with the way we do mission because it speaks of the goal of God’s long-term plan for salvation.

FELLOWSHIP

The Apostle’s mission led not only to the winning of converts, but also to the establishing of churches. Again Schnabel puts it helpfully, ‘Authentic missionaries have a large vision - the calling to sacrificially proclaim the news of Jesus to all levels and all segments of society and to establish communities of followers of Jesus who have experienced the miracle of coming to faith in Jesus Christ, who are experiencing the miracle of the transforming presence of the holy God in their lives, and who rejoice in the miracle of a fellowship in which all are one in Christ Jesus.’

CHALLENGE

This edition of the magazine explores contemporary expressions of the simple but profound truth spelled out by the Apostle in Galatians 3:28. As we read the various accounts it is worth reflecting on the questions raised by this text over the modern missiological idea known as the Homogenous Unit Principle (according to this it is argued that since evangelism is more effective numerically when conducted along the lines of whatever ethnic or social divisions a given society recognises, mission is best conducted in conformity with those same divisions). Equally, if the local church is to demonstrate the unity in Christ that is forged by the gospel in order that ‘the manifold wisdom of God’ be proclaimed ‘to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places’ (Ephesians 3:10), serious issues are raised about the nature and inclusivity of that fellowship. Tragically history is replete with examples of churches sitting loose from this great vision. In our day and generation we will do well to pray that those committed to proclaiming God’s word to God’s world might take the teaching and example of the Apostle Paul to heart, and labour according to the radical implications of Galatians 3:28.

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P E O P L E L I K E U SJ is working with Muslim immigrants in the city of Belfast and providing training

for churches wanting to learn about reaching out to other faith communities with the gospel. Here, she shares some of the insights gained over the past two years.

H O W , T H E N , C A N T H E Y C A L L O N T H E O N E T H E Y H A V E N O T B E L I E V E D I N ? A N D H O W C A N T H E Y B E L I E V E I N T H E O N E O F W H O M T H E Y H A V E N O T H E A R D ?

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P E O P L E L I K E U SPeople from many nationalities and different faiths live within our communities: this has become the reality in Northern Ireland over the past decade. They are ordinary people, just like us: this is the most important thing to remember when engaging with people from other-faith backgrounds. We share the same hopes and fears, expectations and doubts, practical, physical and emotional needs but they may never have encountered someone who believes that the gospel of Christ is for everyone from everywhere.

Most of these immigrants will not have met a committed Christian before and may assume that everyone in Northern Ireland is a Christian because Christianity is the main faith of the land. They will presume what they see of popular culture in the media reflects the reality of life here and that will raise concerns about our level of morality. Much of what they observe in our free ‘lifestyle choices’ may confirm these presumptions. However this provides an amazing opportunity for Christians to dispel some of these misconceptions. It is important that we express our dismay at the state of our society and make it clear that immoral or unjust behaviour is not appropriate for those that are true Christians. This will help to establish us as people of integrity who can be trusted. Our actions, however, must be consistent with our beliefs and we must be seen to live out the Christian faith that we profess in loving service to others.

Be aware that some think Christianity is only something that we practice on a Sunday as this is the only day we go to a place of worship. Ask them questions about their faith: for example ‘how do they prepare for prayer?’ Maybe men-tion that you prepare for each day with a time of devotion. This may all be new to them and form the basis for deeper conversations in the future. Try to dispel misconceptions about Christians not being devout in their faith by talking about how it impacts your life. However, be honest about the challenges you encounter and how Christ helps you to face them.

In sharing the gospel there is no need to get into deep theological discussions or heated debate, instead try to talk about your faith and how it relates to your everyday life.

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A Crosslinks Associate Mission Partner, about to start working for a church in Denmark with refugees and asylum seekers, reflects on the ethnic and cultural diversity that these people bring and the opportunity that affords for the gospel in Europe.

Is diversity a challenge or an opportunity? Many feel that diversity in Christian groups, whether linguistic, national, socioeconomic or simply diversity in age or wealth, while desirable in principle, is an unrealisable dream. It’s not hard to see why. Having people from different backgrounds and nationalities will inevitably mean different approaches, leadership styles, agendas, assumptions and, therefore, misunderstandings and, potentially, at least, conflict. We only have to travel as far in the early church’s history as Acts 6 to see that such issues have a long and distinguished pedigree! If this is the case, why is it that the Bible envisages bringing such diversity together? Wouldn’t it be easier just to agree to disagree and let each group do their own thing?

Because Jesus, in destroying the wall of hostility that existed between us and God, came to destroy the walls of hostility that exist between one another, and in so doing, to realise the potential that co-operation and partnership in the name of Jesus and for his kingdom can achieve. We in Jesus’ church have the opportunity to demonstrate the power of the gospel to do this.

Go to almost any modern European city and you will find people from every continent on the globe. Creating diverse communities centred on the gospel of Jesus is something that many churches around Europe are setting out to do. Among these is a church in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I will soon be working. Here in recent years there has been a great influx of refugees and asylum seekers from oppressive regimes and/or regions of current conflict. Many, if not most, have never encountered Christianity before and a large number have been eager to find out more about it. Baptism classes are full and there is a thirst for the word of God and for his kingdom that is sometimes hard to parallel in established congregations in the West. This is not to diminish the real challenges that exist in terms of integrating the different groups and helping each to see the gifts and talents that God has given to his children. Yet the rate at which people are coming to Christ and the fervour with which they are living for him is nothing short of breathtaking. If it were Europeans coming to faith we would be calling it revival.

Could revival be God’s plan for Europe? Could it be that through the dynamic faith of these new believers, we might awaken and grasp what is right on our doorstep? Diversity in the church may bring its challenges, but it is also bringing the life-blood of the gospel back to our continent.

challenge or opportunity?

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challenge or opportunity?

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These are early days but the photograph here, taken after a recent service, shows 28 people from seven nations, with a mixture of ages from under one to over 70 – including a family from Morocco, a homeless alcoholic, a Hungarian family brought in by the Toddler Group… amongst believers who range from an ex-alcoholic to a GP!

Having been vicar of Dagenham Parish Church for 20 years, Mike Reith left his job to launch a new church plant on a neighbouring estate. Here, he explains how and why.

On Easter Sunday Dagenham Parish Church (DPC) launched a plant in a council estate in the next parish. It represents a hotchpotch of different nations: a good number of white Brits, a large number of Africans (mainly Nigerians), and a mixed assortment of white Europeans. The BNP launched its bid for power here in 2006 specifically to exploit the volatile tensions on the estate. We saw that the area was ripe for an experience of God’s compassionate love for all sinners, expressed through his Son’s rescuing death for us on the cross.

Crosslinks has supported this plant because it sets out to draw these different groups to unity in Christ. There was no other way for this plant to be Anglican because the local vicar, who describes herself as a Liberal Anglo-Catholic, is unhappy with it and so the diocese is unwilling to endorse the initiative.

God, in his goodness, provided the financial

We are a diverse group of ordinary people meeting in an insignificant hall, but, as

Richard Coekin strikingly puts it, ‘A source of wonder in the heavenly realms’

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support, a house (a Christian charity the planters had not heard of phoned out of the blue and offered to buy one), and a place to meet (a London City Mission hall). So on 20 April I left DPC after 20 years and started knocking on doors around the estate. That evening the new church had its first service with 13 people (which included the London City missionary and his wife who already belong to another church).

Knocking on doors is the only comprehensive way for a small team to systematically meet and get to know all the different types of people on the estate. We send a letter out explaining why and when we’ll come to a street and then the whole church goes out to knock on doors during the Sunday afternoon, before the evening service.

We set out to have relational conversations that get to know our neighbours and explain why we feel that it is only the gospel that can bring unity to the estate. Loving God leads to a love for your neighbour.

The uniting work of the Holy Spirit has created the feel of a very happy family gathered around the Lord Jesus.

You can find more about Mike and Debbie Reith at www.crosslinks.org/mission-partners/mike-and-debbie-reithC

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It has been 20 years since apartheid ended in South Africa, but many find themselves trapped in the culture and mindset of the old system. Alun and Debbie Burt, at St Thomas Church, Heideveld, on the Cape Flats, still see signs of its legacy around them.

“I think we need to deal with the racism in our group” said our children’s worker Brigitte. We were planning the upcoming youth camp for our church and she was voicing something we had both been concerned about for some time. It was not that we had witnessed young people in church go out of their way to offend or insult others, but the language they used to describe people from other cultures showed that deep down they had imbibed racist attitudes.

Until very recently of course South Africa was officially racist. Before the end of apartheid your humanity was measured by the colour of the skin God had given you. The darker your skin, the less human the state considered you. Less human in terms of the educational opportunities they would give you, less human in the social services and healthcare you were provided with, less human in the entirety of your life. Apartheid is an Afrikaans word meaning ‘separateness’, and the state worked to separate the ‘races’. In some cases this hate-filled ideology was even supported by churches and other religious organisations.

But all that ended 20 years ago, when the African National Congress won the first democratic elections in our nation’s history. Racist laws were dismantled and replaced by one of the most liberal constitutions in the world – everyone was proclaimed equal. South Africa was dubbed the Rainbow Nation, where modern day heroes such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu taught forgiveness

and reconciliation to people who had been brought up to hate and fear one another.

So why were we seeing racism in children who had been ‘born-free’, that is born since the end of that wicked system? Why were we seeing racism in children whose own parents had suffered the indignity of being called derogatory names by people with lighter skin than theirs? It is sad to conclude that the apartheid system played upon, as well as fed, some of the deepest urges to self-centeredness that we have within us. So that the changing of the law, whilst a great victory for justice, had not changed the hearts of many of the citizens of the rainbow nation. The children in our group were picking up racist attitudes from the generation that had fought against a racist government.

Well a weekend’s camp, with plenty of time in God’s word, and plenty of time to share with one another and learn from older Christians, was the place to deal with it. A thoroughly integrated leadership team enabled the leaders to model

God. Proud and rebellious, God divides them so they cannot carry out their destructive schemes. But what happens when proud and rebellious people are divided? The answer is that they turn against one another, all fighting for the top spot. Perceived ‘racial’ differences are just one way that they could define, and oppress, other nations. This is why all of us are prone to racism. We have all rebelled against God, in hope of taking his place in the universe. We are all selfish and liable to tread on others to secure the top spot for ourselves. We are all capable of using another person’s ‘race’ to belittle them compared to us. Many of us were convicted that we carry around racist attitudes, which we betray in the words we use or the little actions we take.

The third talk was the good news for Christians. Taken from Ephesians 2 we saw how God had saved his people from every cultural group equally. We were all equally sinful, and in need of salvation. Brought near to God through his son Jesus, we are all brought near to one

another. The old dividing walls are broken down and we can function as one body, regardless of skin colour or cultural background.

We have been thrilled to see how things have changed in the group over the last few months. We don’t have perfect teenagers yet! But we have seen young people stop each other in the middle of a statement, to correct a word or attitude that betrayed a racist mindset. We have seen young people more confidently mingling across cultural lines. And we continue to pray that racism will not be something that South African churches are known for in the next generation.

what was being taught, and allowed the kids to reflect on all sides of the varied forms of racism on show in our country.

The first night’s talk was from Genesis 1 and 2, where we learnt the simple but profound truth that God did not create races, but one human race. People with different skin colours are not different ‘breeds’ of people, but all gloriously created in the image of God, for his glory and service. This was an earth-shattering truth to young people growing up in a country that still asks individuals to define which racial group they are part of on a regular basis.

The next day we dived into the difficult question of, ‘If God created only one race, why is racism such a big problem?’ By the time of Genesis 10 there are nations whose peoples have differing coloured skin, but that’s no problem since Genesis 11:1 tells us they all worked together. However as the story of the tower of Babel continues we find out that everyone was working together in opposition to

You can find more about Alun and Debbie and their work at www.crosslinks.org/mission-partners/

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Paul’s letter to the Galatians affirms the glorious truth that God’s people are all one in Christ Jesus. This wonderful declaration is based on a series of universal truths. All people everywhere face God’s wrath and judgement. All people everywhere are commanded to repent and believe the gospel. All people everywhere can find redemption and new life in Jesus Christ.

While Paul’s letter affirms these great universal truths, it also reflects the reality of cultural diversity. Jewish Christians have proclaimed Christ crucified in Asia Minor. Now Galatian Christians are confused about what it means for them to follow Jesus. Must they be circumcised?

Christian mission takes seriously both the universal truth of the gospel and the cultural diversity of the people we seek to reach. This double commitment is worked out in many ways, not least in our commitment to translation and to learning language and culture. We do not believe that people must learn to speak Greek or Hebrew or English in order to hear the gospel. We believe that God’s word can be translated into other languages. At the heart of cross-cultural missions lies a commitment to enable people to hear and respond to the gospel in their own language and culture.

Learning another person’s language and culture is hard work. It takes time and effort. It is difficult enough for

me to muster up enough schoolboy French to buy an ice-cream on the Champs-Élysées. To learn

language well enough to share the gospel and answer people’s heart-felt questions is a long-term project.

Training for cross-cultural mission is a vital part of a Mission Partner’s preparation. Research in this area is unequivocal. Mission

partners are far more likely to survive and thrive if they have had extensive training that is

specifically focused on cross-cultural preparation.

David Williams is a Crosslinks Associate Mission Partner teaching cross-cultural

mission in Melbourne, Australia. Here he explains why it is so necessary.

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You can find more about David and Rachel Williams at www.crosslinks.org/mission-partners/david-and-rachel-williamsC

C U L T U R A L

At St Andrew’s Hall, we train mission partners for CMS Australia and CMS New Zealand. We would love to train people for Crosslinks too, but realise that 10,000 miles is a long way to travel! This semester we have welcomed a trainee from George Whitefield College in South Africa. Our trainees have to complete at least a year at Bible College before they join us. Our focus is on the specifically cross-cultural component of mission preparation. We teach missiology, anthropology and practical cross-cultural preparation. Our conviction is that learning to cross cultures is like learning to drive a car. Theory is helpful, but you really need to get your hands on the wheel and your feet on the pedals to make sense of it. So all our trainees spend time in cross-cultural relationships; this enables them to put flesh on the theory we are studying in class. We ask them to attend a “language other than English” church – there are plenty to choose from in Melbourne. And we ask them to develop a friendship with someone who is not a Christian and comes from another culture, in order to understand their worldview.

We run an eight-day intensive course that teaches people how to learn another language. We use the Growing Participator Approach that encourages people to spend lots of time listening to a new language before they start trying to speak it. This is a model that enables people to take control of their own language learning. We commit to supporting our Mission Partners in their language learning for their first three years of cross-cultural service. This happens through skype calls and on-line forums.

For families, we think about the implications of taking children to another culture. We help parents plan for their children’s education overseas. We run a kids fun day where the children talk about the things they are looking forward to and the people they will miss.

Some of our Mission Partners will be serving in sensitive locations where it is difficult to speak openly about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We help them to think through different ministry strategies that might be appropriate.

In such sensitive contexts, bible storytelling can be a useful way of sharing the good news.

Rachel and I remain deeply grateful that when we first applied to Crosslinks we were told to get ourselves well trained in cross-cultural mission first. We are so glad we took that advice. We spent our first few years in Kenya saying to each other – “thank goodness we got some training.” We would never have survived without it.

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CENTRAL TO THIS IS A COMMITMENT TO LIVE ALONGSIDE LOCAL PEOPLE IN ORDER TO “DO LIFE” WITH THEM AND SHOW THEM WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE AND FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS.

B I S HOPE d w i n N g u b a n e

Bishop Edwin Ngubane was a faithful minister of the gospel in the heart of Johannesburg. After suffering a number of strokes he went to be with the Lord on the evening of Sunday 29 June 2014. He was 41.

The life of Edwin Ngubane is a testimony to the gospel of grace that he committed his life to proclaiming. Raised in rural Kwazulu Natal by a family steeped in African traditional religion, Edwin heard the gospel through street evangelism in Durban. He believed what he heard and committed himself to following Jesus. This commitment came with a cost: his family felt he had rejected his cultural heritage and the relationship broke down.

After teaching and working in the gold mines Edwin ended up living on the streets in Johannesburg and would come to Christ Church Hillbrow to be fed at the church’s soup kitchen. Edwin became part of the church and eventually trained at George Whitefield College. On completion of the course he served two curacies and two rectorships and then was made a bishop in the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa. As area Bishop he was always keen to see the gospel reach the more deprived areas of South Africa: during his last 18 months he led by example and became rector of Christ Church Hillbrow, inner city Johannesburg. He spent his time there building the ministry and it was here that I, as a Crosslinks Mission Partner, had the privilege of being his assistant.

As a boss Edwin was energetic and exciting - you never knew what would happen next. His energy, however, was devoted to one thing: enabling others to know the Lord Jesus better through God’s word. He constantly worked hard in preaching and counselling to make sure that the magnificent

truths of the gospel would come to all. As rector and bishop he sought to encourage many young men and women, whether in his congregation or at George Whitefield College, in ministry. I will never forget how he relished having teams come to work with us for a week or so. The logistics were always chaotic but these teams were given the benefit of Edwin’s wit, friendship and wisdom. He took people alongside him and he was always there for support and encouragement. I will never forget his thanks and encouragement after I had preached my first sermon at Melville Union Church. No-one who worked with him, least of all me, went away unchanged.

I will miss his humor, his preaching, his wisdom and his constant encouragement. We hold his wife, Genevieve and his two children in our prayers, and our thanks go to the Lord for his faithful service.

A P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O N B Y B E N W I L L I A M S O N

Ben Williamson is a Crosslinks Mission Partnerand was a close friend and colleague of Bishop Edwin.

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Bishop Edwin Ngubane

LASTWORD

Bishop Edwin Ngubane

‘Let us go up together. We are all equal here.’ said the great Duke of Wellington to an elderly labourer hesitating to accompany him to the communion table. This is just one example of a professing Christian who grasped the significance of the truth of being ‘all one in Christ Jesus’, a miraculous unity in Christ irrespective of ethnicity, gender and (in this case) status. The purpose of this Last Word is to consider the implications of this truth in world mission in the 21st Century.

I have often quoted a western theological college lecturer in East Africa: ‘The students whom I am helping to teach the Bible will preach the gospel in places to which I will never be able to go, in languages that I will never master, with an understanding of cultures that I will never possess, and they will keep doing it long after I am gone.’ I still shamelessly use this quote in convincing people of the value of partnering with Study or Project Partners, because there are clear truths here about the value of linguistic and cultural knowledge, as well as the significance of longevity in a climate of short-term mission engagement; but actually the quote was designed to show the importance of training trainers, men and women who will under God be able to magnify the impact of the training received. The fact is that the trainer of those trainers was a western Mission Partner who, by his own admission, had significant limitations of time, language and cultural knowledge. If we were to slavishly follow the principle that ‘church planters who enable unbelievers to become Christians without crossing such barriers are more effective than those who place them in their way’1 then we would be questioning the effectiveness of that Mission Partner. To do so would ‘reflect the assumption that the main barrier to conversion is not religious or theological but sociological’. 2

To follow that principle unthinkingly would mean that we would not bother with proclaiming the gospel to the Asian or Somali or less fortunate member of our neighbourhood, and certainly not consider the spiritual needs of people and peoples in other parts of the world, just the kinds of people whose need spurs Crosslinks to serve local churches in global mission endeavours. If our forebears had thought like

that then the gospel would never have reached us in the first place. We do not proclaim Christ to people because they are powerful or numerous or

influential or poor or strategic but because they need Christ. The Lord is just as able to use the weak and sinful man that I am to reach someone of a different nationality, gender or status, as to reach someone of like background because his is the work of conversion not mine; he works for his glory not mine.

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Andy Lines is Crosslinks Mission Director

1 McGavran, Understanding Church Growth, p 168.2 Schnabel, Paul the Missionary, p 405.

We do not proclaim Christ to people because they are powerful or numerous or influential or poor or strategic but because they need Christ.

THELASTWORD

M E E T I N G SP R A Y E R

BELFAST3 NovemberAll Ireland Crosslinks Office, 32 Montgomery Rd, Belfast Contact Val Ellis on + 44 (0) 28 9079 6028 for details

BOURNEMOUTHSecond Tuesday of each month at 10.30am at St Paul’s Church, Throop, BournemouthContact Douglas Newport on 01202 397342

CHORLEYAt St Paul’s Church, Bury Lane, Withnell PR6 8SDContact cmt @crosslinks.org or 020 8691 6111

DUBLINSecond Monday of each month at 8pmContact Val Ellis on + 44 (0) 28 9079 6028

FRINTON-ON-SEAFirst Thursday of each month at 3pm at 34 Ashlyn’s Road, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 9EUContact Tricia Hamilton on 01255 676376

OXFORDAt St Ebbe’s Church, OxfordContact cmt @crosslinks.org or 020 8691 6111

RIPONFirst Saturday of each month at 1.30pm at 2 All Saints Square, RiponContact William and Ruth Deeth on 01765 690366

WARINGSTOWN10 November at 8pm at 78 Murray Wood, WaringstownContact Val Ellis on + 44 (0) 28 9079 6028

WEYMOUTHSecond Monday of each month 7.30-9pm.Contact Derek Saunders on 01305 779510

ARCTIC FELLOWSHIP – OADBYContact John Tonkin on 0116 281 2517

If you can start a prayer meeting in your region, contact cmt @crosslinks.org or 020 86916111

E V E N T S

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MISSION DAY CONFERENCE Saturday 8 November 2014Whitemoor Lakes Conference Centre, LichfieldA one-day conference for all who want to engage in God’s mission, either locally or globally. Designed for church leaders, mission committees and those interested in serving cross culturally, it includes teaching and resource materials.See www.crosslinks.org/events for more detailsor call 020 8691 6111.

AUTUMN PRAYER CONFERENCE 6-10 November 2014Whitemoor Lakes Conference Centre, LichfieldThe Crosslinks Autumn Prayer Conference is a wonderful opportunity to pray together for global mission, as well as to enjoy good bible teaching, meet current Mission Partners and spend time with old and new friends. It includes the Mission Day Conference (below).See www.crosslinks.org/events for more details or call 020 8691 6111