Greetings from Seoul! I can’t believe that by the time you read this, I’ll almost be ready to head home (Well, literally, not emotionally!) Getting to attend the Lausanne Congress in person has been an absolutely incredible experience, even more amazing than I could have anticipated. I know that God definitely had a purpose for me being here, which will extend far beyond this week. The connections I have made with brothers and sisters from all around the world are kingdom connections, and I know that what God has joined together will continue to stay together long after the conference is over, to bring a message of hope to a hurting world. Let me share with you three specific ways in which this conference has been a huge blessing.
Amazing Worship
The worship leaders are from Northern Ireland (the Gettys) and have a unique way of leading an international community into worship in very authentic and creative ways. One of the highlights was a violinist who did a clog dance in tap shoes. Very cool!
Amazing Connections
I was part of the Spiritual Formation & Mission breakout group which introduced me to a group of practitioners that helped me see that other leaders are wrestling through this issue. Two trends that I sense the Lord inviting me to address are protecting couples against divorce & decreasing church drop-off rates. It was very helpful to see how others are engaging Jesus followers to the later stages of the spiritual formation process. This is of particular interest in the church plant where Gina and I serve. I believe this is one way to put a dent into the two trends above – cultivating deep people.
Amazing Opportunities
It’s hard to pick just one amazing opportunity, but something that I was able to do that will impact me for the rest of my life is that I got to attend Yoido Full Gospel Church Assemblies of God. If you aren’t aware, Yoido was started by the late David Yonggi Cho, and is the largest Pentecostal Christian church in South Korea, averaging about 480,000 attendees spread across 5 Sunday services. I was struck by two things:
Fervent Prayer – it is evident that the Koreans who attend YFGC have grown beyond my depth in their dependence on God as a result of persecution and rebuilding their lives and country following the war
Desperate Worship – closely related is the vulnerable expression Koreans demonstrate through their boisterous voices in the presence of God.
The by-product of the Lausanne Congress is the networking that occurs spontaneously and by design. It has been fun to reconnect with former clients, friends, and colleagues. It never seems to fail, when I attend a Christian event, I discover that someone I know, knows someone else that I know, and so on – commonly known as “6 degrees of separation”. Then, you have those serendipitous situations when I meet a person God has prepared for me to connect with. This has happened more than once at Lausanne in Seoul, Korea. I’m looking forward to sharing so much more when I return home. Thank you for your prayers!
Bo has a movement to send out church planters, but needs a better way to support them.On the right is Azad, who was responsible for Lausanne to extend the invitation to me; and the gentleman in the middle did the same for him in a previous gathering.Amazing time of worship with the Gettys leading!
Attended Yoido Full Gospel Church on Wednesday evening
In just 1 short day, I will be leaving for the Lausanne Congress, where I can’t wait to connect with men and women from all over the world who are of like mind and purpose, to fulfill the Great Commission! The Lord is expanding the ministry of InFocus into such places as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and India. Lausanne will provide a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and forge strategic partnerships.
The two main reasons why I am attending Lausanne are to accelerate the development of disciple-making and church planting movements. You might be wondering what coaching has to do with disciple-making and church planting. Allow me to show you…
How does coaching fit into disciple-making movements?
Most of the time, I have seen coaching and disciple-making presented as two separate disciplines, but they really are more effective when presented as a cohesive unit. In short, a coach approach integrated with discipleship provides a platform for rapid multiplication in a relational setting. It all goes back to the concept of imprinting. Who are you imprinting on the disciples you are making? Is it the imprint of the Holy Spirit? If it is, then the possibilities of that disciple making other disciples, increases. If however, the imprint you are making is in your image, then disciples will hit a ceiling in their growth, development, and reproductive potential.
How does coaching facilitate church planting movements?
Similar to disciple-making, coaching facilitates church planting movements by imprinting the image of the Holy Spirit on the church planter.
When disciples are coached, and go on to plant churches, coaching is embedded in their DNA. They have seen firsthand the benefits of coaching, and most likely, will continue the process with those who come alongside them. Additionally, as difficult times occur, coaches can help church planters persevere, rely on the Spirit of God, and not get discouraged in the process. They can help them develop the skills and tools necessary to accept challenges head-on and learn how to adapt when plans don’t turn out as expected.
In 2016, I was part of a two-pronged training process combining Disciple Making Movements (DMM) with Coaching in six regions around the world beginning with the Philippines, India, Turkey, followed by the US, then concluding with Spain and Hong Kong. Here are three lessons I learned:
Synergy – utilize practitioners from each discipline to maximize the strengths of both.
Progression–explain how the two disciplines are distinct – then show how they complement one another.
Structural Tension – allow participants to live in the tension of making disciples AND coaching disciple makers to reproduce, cultivate leaders, and to start healthy churches that reproduce and multiply.
I would love to hear how you have integrated coaching with disciple-making and church planting efforts. Please keep me in prayer as I depart in 24 hours. I look forward to sharing my experience and pictures with you when I return!
If you want to see where I’ll be each day, check out the agenda for the conference here.
It’s hard to believe that in only 10 short days, I will be at the Lausanne Congress in Seoul, and even harder to wrap my head around the fact that in a mere 16 days, I’ll be back home again, with only the memories in my heart and pictures on my phone. I know that this conference is going to be incredibly meaningful and memorable, and the sheer fact alone that God opened up a spot for me to attend in person, provided all of the funding in such a short amount of time, AND made it possible for me to receive free lodging confirms to me that I am supposed to be there for such a time as this. I have committed to praying for this conference and everyone attending and facilitating, and I’m inviting you to pray alongside me.
Please see the three key areas below to pray for the specific needs of this conference from now until the end of the month.
Focused Prayer:
Strategic Contacts – With participants coming from all over the world with one mind and one focus, please pray that the Holy Spirit will set up divine appointments that will further the Kingdom of God and help fulfill the Great Commission.
Specifically, ask the Lord to help me connect with leaders of Disciple Making and Church Planting Movements that are looking to develop leaders, in the discipline of coaching.
Logistics – Again, with 5,000 people coming from all over the world, please pray for passports and visas to be processed expeditiously, for flights to be on time, and for all luggage to arrive. Additionally, about 5,000 virtual participants will be attending, so prayers for technology to work as it should are very much needed.
Specifically, ask the Lord to help me manage the various moving parts that are involved with international travel.
Safety for all participants – Great strides are going to be made for the global church as a result of the Lausanne Congress, and because of that, we must pray for God’s protection over everyone attending and involved with facilitating the conference. Please be in prayer for the safe and timely arrival of flights as well as good health for everyone involved.
Specifically, ask the Lord to keep me safe and to be wise in the way I navigate the various opportunities that will be part of the formal gatherings and informal meetings that I schedule.
If you would like to participate in the Lausanne Movement Global Mission Prayer Room, click here.
As I physically, mentally, and spiritually prepare for the Lausanne Congress, I can’t help but get excited at the Congress’ mission for “the global church to declare and display Christ together to a watching world.” For so many years, the Church as a whole has not worked as a cohesive unit; many individual churches have done great work on their own, but the times we’re living in call for a massive commitment to “collaborative global mission.” This has been my heart and my own personal mission for as long as I can remember, and I am truly elated to be able to partner with so many like-minded individuals from literally all over the world. I look forward to sharing my journey with you, and thank you so much for your prayers as I embark on Lausanne 2024 in less than two weeks!
The Lausanne Congress Regional Director of North America, American missiologist, Ed Stetzer does an excellent job explaining the history, vision, and goals of the gathering in a four-part video series. I would like to share those with you below:
Part 1 – Foundations of Faith and the Future of Evangelism
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