The health of the global church:
Have we got lost in bean counting and forgotten the principles of gardening?

Issue 9 Editor: Rob Hay

Revelation portrays the church as the bride of Jesus Christ but in what state is the bride in and how are the priorities and approaches we have in mission affecting this?

Rose Dowsett, long-term member of OMF and Chair of Interserve International, suggests that we have become too numbers focused.  She uses examples from around the world to ask the question ‘Are we making disciples or counting converts?’  Her colleague in OMF, Loun Ling shares the challenges she set before a recent conference in China on the challenges facing the young missions movement in China.  Both of these papers cut to the heart of what mission is all about and pose difficult and important questions.

In a changing world the church must forever face new challenges.  Darrell Jackson explores the challenge of responding missiologically to the increase in numbers of immigrants in Europe and shares a case study of one church’s attempt to ‘make friends with strangers’.  The theme of multiculturalism is continued in the mission team context with Jonathan Ingleby asking ‘Can South and West get on?’ and providing practical illustrations of the tensions that often arise.

• Article 1:  Bean Counting or Gardening:  Is the global church making converts or disciples?  (Rose Dowsett, 4750 words)
  
  
• Article 2:  Toward a Maturing Chinese Mission. (Lee Loun Ling, 3743 words)
  
  
• Article 3:  From Strangers to Friends:  The Churches in Europe in their encounter with the global South. (Rev Darrell Jackson, 3240 words) 
  
  
• Article 4:  Can West and South work together in mission?  (Dr Jonathan Ingleby, 2405 words)

Read what others are thinking on the Discussion Board.  Use the Voice your comments form to add to the debate.

Please Note: The views expressed in articles are those of their authors
and do not necessarily reflect the position of Redcliffe College.