The end of 2011 was marked for the Region by the Fourth Lausanne Eurasian Consultation. Held in Moscow, this Consultation gave birth to the project “8+4” which is aimed at urban ministry collaboration between churches and cities on regional and international levels.
Moreover, together with Blair Carlson, Ole-Magnus Olafsrud and Lindsay Brown it was agreed to work on establishing a School of Evangelism for Eurasia with the focus on training a younger generation of evangelists in churches and missions.
The Consultation, a commitment to evangelism training and an emphasis on collaboration has allowed Eurasia to enter 2012 with a strong focus on developing our Regional Network of leaders and partnerships around The Cape Town Commitment (CTC).
The CTC is truly an intellectual document with a Cross-centered Statement of Faith and Call to Action. Our goal is to make this document available in printed form, support a discussion via the Internet and produce short teaching videos to be used by the Mass Media. We are also strongly encouraging leaders in the countries within our Region, including denominational leaders, to provide teaching and reflection on the CTC at conferences and seminars.
This year our challenge and blessing is planning a Central Asia Regional Gathering where most of the countries are Islamic and therefore sensitive or closed to the Gospel. Gatherings such as the upcoming consultation provide an opportunity for constructive partnership development on all levels – local, regional, national and international. Our foundation is the Word of God and our focus on partnership is undergirded by the ideals of the spirit of Lausanne. By God’s grace we will also work on further development of Regional Networks of leaders and will actively participate in the international aspects of Lausanne.
We are looking forward to participating in The Consultation on Global Theological Education that will be held in South Hamilton, MA at the end of May. There, under the guidance of Doug Birdsall, leaders of theological education will have the opportunity to establish constructive friendships and working relationships.
These gatherings, where Regional teams come into collaboration and networking with International teams, help us to support and reinforce the Lausanne spirit of godly partnership for the sake of God’s Kingdom to come in each nation and every corner of the earth.
