Daniel

I am terribly sorry you get irritated by the way I spoke to Dion (a self proclaimed Cosmic Chris follower) who ranted and raved about me in his video. A man who is helping Angus Buchan lead hundreds and thousands of men astray. Maybe you would like to take some of that energy you exert towards me, a nobody, trying to warn people of men like Dion instead? Fight the good fight for Jesus Christ instead of coming to give me grief for being ‘sarcastic’ to a New Age teacher. And it’s laughable at how you can get so upset at something so trivial.

I have read the following on your blog: ”I’m confused Dion. So who did you not agree with? There was Graham Power (a good friend of yours), there was Angus Buchan (a good friend of yours), there was Bennie Mostert and Elza Meyer (I presume good friends of yours), and they were all the main speakers and organisers of the entire event.

Graham Power and yourself are the big cheeses of Unashamedly Ethical, along with Angus Buchan, Elza Meyer and Bennie Mostert. Have I left anyone out? If so, I am so sorry. Please do let us know in the comments section below. We have to always give credit where credit is due.”

I have not studied your theology. I accept that it may be 100% pure. The sarcastic way however in which you adress Dion (Note: I do not know Dion – have ehard about hom the first time while reading on your blog) is not in the spirit of love! And as you know nothing is more important than love – as God is love. One cannot fight what one belief to be wrong – and Dion may be wrong – in the flesh!

Kind regards

Daniel Jacobs

Transform your work life!
Tue, 04 May 2010 15:39:30
By: Dion Forster

Dear friends,

It is such a joy to be able to connect with you on Christian Republic. Graham Power and I wrote the book ‘Transform your work life: Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling’ because we know how important your work life is to God and to you!

You will spend between 60-70% of your life at work! That is a huge investment of time, energy, and creativity! Be assured that God has a will for you during those precious hours – He wants to lead you, use you, and bless you.

In our book ‘Transform your work life’ we share many testimonies of how God has used Christians at all levels of society to bring incredible transformation! We tell some of Graham Power’s story, and we share some practical suggestions, Biblical teaching, and even offer a few helpful questions and suggestions to help you to discover and live out your calling in your work place.

Please visit our ‘Transform your work life’ blog for updates and news about the book you’ll find it at

Please also visit the facebook page for ‘Transform your work life’ to share testimonies, ask for prayer, and interact with other Christians who are serving God in the marketplace!

I’d love to hear from you as you read the book!

God bless you in your work life!

Dion Forster

http://www.christianrepublic.co.za/blogDetail.php?blogID=2290

He he he.it will stop soon I hope… When He comes to a city near you!!

In the meantime… "thou shalt not retire spiritually"!!

LOL

>> We invite them to connect offline, to drink coffee together, go to a church, etc.

When will it stop. I feel like I am stuck in a world where everyone is a broken record, where you are hearing the same stuff over and over and over and over and over again.

I really hate Facebook and coffee. No really. I have never liked coffee, it’s terrible stuff. Chocolate… now that is a different story.

The Church as Glocal…Addressing the World and Our Community
By Eric Célérier
May 2010

We are living in a global world—the young generation, especially. We have a global culture. Most of us know Facebook, Michael Jackson, iPhone, Avatar, Nike. Brands are global. Movies are global. Artists are global.

But still, the place where we live is local. We have a home, friends, family. My teenagers, who live in the Paris area, probably love the same music and wear the same kind of clothes as yours do. The main difference is the place where they live. The new generation is becoming more and more glocal.

Glocal Needs to Be Our Model
If we want the gospel message to be relevant for our generation, we need to be glocal in our approach. It’s not an option. If we have a global ministry but can’t measure its local impact, then we don’t have any glocal ministry at all. Let me explain.

A global ministry is a ministry touching nations. A local ministry is rooted in the life of people, touching cities and local communities. So a glocal ministry is a ministry touching nations and having a local impact. And it’s what is needed today to reach our generation.

Glocal as a Process
After reading Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger’s Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples (B&H Books, 2006), I understood that there are two kinds of churches: churches with programs and churches with process.

Churches with programs want to have people attending their programs. Churches with process (called “simple churches”) want unsaved people to become disciples. I think we can apply the same principle to any Christian organization. Are we just running programs or are we developing a process to turn seekers into believers of Jesus and then disciples of Jesus?

Glocal is the process most adapted for every organization which considers evangelism as the Great Commission. Behind numbers, there are real people. If we cannot figure out that real people are becoming followers and disciples of Jesus Christ locally, we just have numbers and consider people as numbers.

Sometimes, I hear this kind of declaration: “We are broadcasting our programs in ten million homes.” If we cannot turn this number into real and local people, we have missed the point entirely.

So how do we do it? In our field of Internet glocal evangelism, here is our process.

1. We attract people. To do so, we use global tools like Google or Facebook.

2. We present to these seekers the good news of Jesus Christ. For this, we use websites. A website is essentially global because a language on the Internet can be spoken in many countries. For example, when I started my first website in 1997 (a local church website), my first contact was from Brazil, although I was in France!

3. We connect people online. We connect them to people from their own country and, if possible, from their city. Every step is done through the Internet, but in the end, people are connected to local Christians.

4. We invite them to connect offline, to drink coffee together, go to a church, etc.

This link between the global tool and the local Christian is a glocal connection. Through our ministry, people are becoming followers of Jesus by experiencing his love through our global website and then by being connected to Christians from local churches.

I truly believe that when Jesus said to go into all the world, make disciples, and baptize them, he was giving a glocal order. Nations are global. Baptisms are local. Do you agree? I would love to ear from you. Together, let’s move the world for Christ and answer his glocal call!

A Tool for Your Church: The Jesus.net Widget

One day I was praying with a friend who is also a local pastor. Our question for God was: How can we help local churches to use the Internet? An idea came to mind: create an evangelistic application—the Jesus.net widget—derived from the proven and global concept of our evangelistic websites (1.8 million decisions for Jesus so far). This free application would turn any church website into an evangelistic website and the follow-up would be done locally. A glocal tool was born! See and get the widget at http://www.Jesus.net

In His Words: Eric’s Testimony of a Glocal Experience

I live in Lausanne, Switzerland. From early on, sickness, divorce, projects without God, and even prison were my daily bread. Throughout the years, I developed behaviors that put me “outside of the law.” I was condemned to two years in prison. My marriage, family, work…everything was falling apart. On the Internet, I found the website ConnaitreDieu.Jesus.net.

What touched me most were the testimonies. I wanted to begin all over again, be healed of sickness, and live the life of a happy couple. According to the website, “It’s as easy as a prayer.” I decided to take the challenge and I answered “YES” to the suggested prayer. I also asked for help through an online volunteer. At first I was fearful, but little by little I gained confidence.

This new life, this new beginning with Jesus, has allowed me to rediscover myself…to abandon my past life, and to tell myself that I am not alone—that Jesus is my hope. He is always with me in spite of my failures and my pride. It’s wonderful!

The website put me in touch with an Alpha Course close to my home. There, I met people who knew how to take care of me. Despite my timidity, I asked all kinds of questions. I was touched by their availability. I joined a local church and was baptized. I’m now born again and I want to obey to the word of God. I wish to go further in my walk with the Lord and become a disciple who glorifies him. I desire to speak to others of his word and tell them what he did for me!

_______________________________________

Demands of the Kingdom of God in Relation to Ethnic Diversity
By Victor Cuartas
May 2010

God is the one who established diversity. Galatians 3:28 reminds us that “…there is no Jew nor Greek, no male nor female, no slave nor free. We are all one in Christ Jesus.” According to James Breckenridge and Lillian Breckenridge, “In the quest to recognize and to appreciate diversity of ethnic groups, care must be taken to avoid ethnic labeling and stereotyping.”1

But what are the demands of the Kingdom of God in relation to ethnic diversity? The following elements are needed if we are to work together for the expansion of God’s kingdom.

1. A focus on Christ. He is our inspiration and example. He died on the cross for all our iniquities. His ministry was powerful and his compassion and love for different kinds of people was evident. In the account of the Samaritan woman, Jesus does not reject her because of her nationality; instead, he speaks with her and meets her specific need. Jesus reveals himself as Messiah and everything changes (John 4:1-26). When we focus on Christ, we can complete the task regardless of the obstacles and challenges. It is not about us, but about working together to bless people who still need to hear the message of salvation.

2. A sense of interdependent work. To work with people from other cultures requires developing a sense of community. We need each other, and what every person on the team does affects everybody else. Thus, values are important when it comes to team work. The substitute to mistrust and paternalism in the relationship between people from different cultures is not independence and self-sufficiency—it is interdependence. And interdependence “comes with a deeper understanding of unity in Christ.”2 Why are we working together? What is the main reason? These questions are essential because they help us to learn from each other.

3. Mutual submission. Jesus gave us his example by submitting himself to the will of his Father. Paul also exhorts us to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). Submission requires us to be humble and respect each other. This kind of submission is based upon our love for God and for each other. Unbelievers will notice when we are exercising mutual submission and accountability. This is for the benefit of the growth of the kingdom.

4. A kingdom purpose. Many of the challenges and friction that come with dealing with diverse people on our teams can be alleviated by remembering that everything we do together will advance God’s kingdom. “One of the challenges we may face is to be driven by personal interest rather than kingdom principles.”3 We are part of God’s kingdom and God has entrusted to us a marvelous commission. We can strengthen each other knowing that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

5. Flexibility. Frustration and resistance arise when team members are not willing to be flexible. This is a humbling process that allows us to grow and understand different perspectives. There needs to be a common ground that facilitates the communication and dynamics within the group. Working with Majority World missionaries requires being flexible. For instance, the sense of time is different in every culture. We cannot assume that everybody will react in the same manner we do.

My hope is that as we continue to interact with those of other ethnic backgrounds, we will increasingly see God grow his kingdom around the world.

Endnotes

1. Breckenridge, James and Lillian Breckenridge. 1995. What Color Is Your God? Multicultural Education in the Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA: Baker Academic, 89.

2. Nissen, Johannes. 1997. “Unity and Diversity: Biblical Models for Partnership.” Mission Studies 14: 1-2: 140.

3. Cuartas, Victor H. 2009. “Implicaciones Éticas y los Desafíos de los Negocios Como Misión en los Países de Acceso Creativo.” Global Missiology in Spanish (July). Accessed 15 February 2010 under “Settings” at http://www.globalmissiology.org/espanol/.

The new site link they got up and running in April 2010.

The Lausanne Global Conversation
THE BIG PICTURE

We are living in a time of enormous challenge and amazing opportunity for the church. The life and witness of the church around the world is being assailed by external pressures while simultaneously being weakened by internal troubles. Yet the church also faces unprecedented global opportunities for the spread of the gospel and open doors for ministry in regions traditionally closed to the witness of Christ.

Unfortunately, a concerted and well-reasoned response to these global issues and opportunities has been difficult because the church, and evangelicalism in particular, is highly fragmented.

The Lausanne Global Conversation is one step towards bringing together the global church to engage with these important issues related to world evangelization.

We believe these global issues need global conversations.

So let’s talk, let’s strategize, let’s work together. Above all, let’s pray–with a sense of expectation and hope–for the Lord to bring wisdom through the counsel of many (Proverbs 11:14).

Your voice in the conversation is needed. Every Christian has unique experience and insight to offer the church.

Join the conversation in these ways:

* Sign up for a free account to participate fully in the conversation
* View all topics to learn more about the issues that are a part of the conversation
* Join conversations about the issues that matter to you

HELP SHAPE CAPE TOWN 2010

The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization (also known as Cape Town 2010 and Lausanne III) will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, 16-25 October 2010. The Congress, held in collaboration with the World Evangelical Alliance, will bring together 4,000 leaders from more than 200 countries to confront the critical issues of our time as they relate to the future of the Church and world evangelization.

Cape Town 2010 (CT2010) is not just a one-time meeting, but rather is a collaborative Congress that will connect hundreds of locations and thousands of people around the world for what will be, God willing, a catalytic event in the life of the church. Together we will seek the Lord as we examine the world and our culture to discern where the church should invest its efforts and energies to most effectively respond to Christ’s call to take the gospel into all the world and make disciples of all nations

Observations, ideas and comments shared within the Lausanne Global Conversation will help shape Cape Town 2010. A Data Mining Team will be combing through all parts of the conversation to highlight significant and compelling input and bring it to the attention of the CT2010 Programme team, Congress presenters and others so that your input and ideas can impact what they’re doing

During the Congress itself, videos of each session will be posted within the LGC, allowing Christians around the world to comment and respond, ultimately impacting future Congress sessions and the discussion on these important issues.

After Cape Town 2010, the LGC will serve as an ongoing discussion and collaboration platform for the global Church.

The conversation focuses on the themes and topics to be addressed at Cape Town 2010.

Glocalization, Diaspora Missiology, and Friendship Evangelism

By Tuvya Zaretsky
May 2010

In five months, Lausanne Cape Town 2010 (CT2010) will be a fresh opportunity to think about creative approaches for relational forms of evangelism. One new paradigm to consider is glocalized evangelism at the intersection between global people movements and local contexts for cross-cultural evangelistic ministry.

Glocalization
The term “glocalization” combines the words globalization and localization. Globalization came into late twentieth-century international business culture as a descriptive reference to the spread of products, technologies, and philosophies throughout the world. Sociologist Roland Robertson is credited with popularizing the term. At a 1998 international conference on “Globalization and Indigenous Culture,” Robertson reportedly described glocalization as the simultaneous co-presence “of both universalizing and particular tendencies.”1

In business practice, it refers to tailoring a service or product to cultural distinctions of local markets around the world. A frequently cited example of glocalization is the international proliferation of McDonalds restaurants that feature menu items specifically tailored for local tastes.

In the mission context, it is cross-cultural communication of the unique salvation in Messiah Jesus [insert his name in your culture] to a people or social group that is different from our own. Today, the cross-cultural experience is not taking place in a foreign land. The world is coming to our doorsteps as people on the move.

Diaspora Missiology
Glocalization is happening as diaspora phenomena. “Diaspora” is a Greek word meaning “dispersion or scattering.” It describes when ethnic communities or social groups are dislocated, are on the move, or are in a transitional process of being scattered. Diaspora can be a global phenomenon with local implications or a local phenomenon with global implications.

The idea of diaspora is generally thought of as “forced” resettlement due to expulsion, slavery, racism, or nationalistic conflicts. Today, however, diaspora can be the result of push and pull forces.2 For example, Thomas Friedman described East Indian Zippies as highly mobile, high-tech specialists who are pulled to the world outside of India as part of an Indian economic migration.3 However, migrations of scattered people are presenting wonderful opportunities for evangelism right on our doorsteps.

In recognition of this developing mission frontier, the Lausanne 2004 Forum for World Evangelization in Pattaya, Thailand, featured a new “Diaspora Issue Group” that produced Lausanne Occasional Paper 55, “Diasporas and International Students: The New People Next Door.” In 2007, Lausanne appointed Sadiri Joy B. Tira as senior associate for diasporas. Since then, a Lausanne Diasporas Leadership Team was assembled and diaspora will be one of the featured perspectives at the CT2010 conference.

Diaspora missiology studies social groups that are identified by ethnicity, migration patterns, or pop culture. They are either outside of their place of origin or are in the midst of transition. Globalization presents the Church with an opportunity to study various peoples in a state of diaspora. They may be:

* international travelers for study, business, tourism, or labor migration,
* political refugees of conflict,
* displaced populations due to disasters, or
* a community experiencing social transition due to new cultural trends.

All of these are diaspora conditions that present opportunities for missiological study and formulation of new strategies for evangelism.

While the Church continues to send missionaries to foreign fields, it also has an opportunity to consider appropriate ways to reach communities that are coming to our locations. Diaspora missiology provides a method for learning ways to build relationships with global people groups, learn their culture, and invite “the stranger” into our local context (see Matthew 25:35). This, then, is an opportunity for glocalized evangelism: the world at our door.

Theological Reflection
Diaspora is a characteristic most often associated with Jewish people. Abraham’s clan was scattered from Padam-Aram into the land of the Canaanites and the Egyptians. At God’s command, Moses led an exiled nation out of Egypt and gathered them back into the land of promise. Subsequent dispersions with intermittent re-gatherings have typified world Jewry from 722 B.C. until today.

The Lord has used diaspora for evangelistic purposes in history. A good example is found in Acts 2:5, 8-11. On the occasion of the Jewish festival of Shavuot (Pentecost), diaspora communities sent Jewish pilgrims to the city of Jerusalem to honor the Lord’s command (see Deuteronomy 16:16). In this incident, the Lord communicated the gospel to the Jewish pilgrims, in their own languages, employing a method that was culturally, linguistically, and religiously appropriate. The message was relevant, compelling, and personally appealing to each one present. The result was that three thousand of those who heard the gospel believed (Acts 2:37-42).

So the curse of scattering, through the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:8), was reversed. In one day, people heard the unique salvation message that gathered their hearts together through faith in one living God. The Lord’s people gathered as one body. They would soon be scattered again for God’s evangelistic purpose.

After Pentecost those three thousand new disciples carried the message back home to their cities and synagogues in the diaspora communities. In those cases, the evangelist was a safe and trusted member of the community who returned with a new and powerful message. However, after the martyrdom of Stephen, the Jerusalem-based Jewish believers were scattered as a new evangelistic force, and “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:1, 3-4). Those are examples of the push and pull factors associated with diaspora missiology and which can produce the conditions for glocalized evangelism.

A New Paradigm
In five months, the CT2010 delegates will have a new opportunity to take a fresh and creative approach to relational forms of evangelism. One new paradigm to consider is glocalized evangelism. Employing the disciplines of diaspora missiology, it is possible to study ethnic groups that are on the move, in transition, and outside of their physical place of origin or usual culture pattern. By acquiring greater understanding, it is possible to formulate new, effective methods by which to communicate the gospel among people who have entered our local context.

Case Study #1: Israeli Youth

In Cochabamba, Bolivia, a New Tribes Mission station established to reach out to ethnic tribal peoples became a local stopover for small groups of young Israeli tourists. North American missionaries developed a short presentation for the Israelis of the message they were bringing to the Bolivian tribal people. It was done in a manner that was appropriate for Jewish religious culture.

The Israelis were provided with a home-cooked meal, given a night’s lodging at the mission, and received a New Testament in Hebrew and a clear presentation of the gospel. Every group had an opportunity to have their picture taken for the mission house guestbook. In that way, the mission station documented over eight thousand Israeli Jewish visitors who heard the gospel.4

Case Study #2: Intermarried Couples

Diaspora does not necessarily involve crossing international borders. It can refer to people who are in social transition. The American Jewish community, for example, has been experiencing dramatic culture change where since 1985, fifty-two percent of all Jewish people who married have married Gentiles.

A 2004 study on the challenges experienced by Jewish-Gentile couples in the United States found that one of their most significant issues reported is the inability to find spiritual harmony. That realization had missiological implications in helping strategize for appropriate evangelistic ministry to these couples.

Endnotes

1. http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci826478,00.html

2. See Wan, Enoch. 2007. “Diaspora Missiology.” Occasional Bulletin, Spring. Push factors might include war; political persecution; natural or human-made disasters; poverty; or health crises. Pull forces might result from opportunities for political freedom, apparent economic improvement, or educational advancement.

3. Friedman, Thomas. 2007. The World Is Flat. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

4. http://jewsforjesus.org/publications/havurah/1_4/cochabamba