When we look at the state of Christianity in the world today, we see a decidedly mixed picture. In many parts of the world, there is incredibly good news: God is authoring a season of multiplication instead of addition in many parts of the world.
Not surprisingly, Christianity’s growth in Africa and Asia is explosive. On average, using data from The Status of Global Christianity, between 2000 to 2020, (7,300 days):
Much of the great momentum is coming from Disciple Making Movements. Christian history has seen rapid movements happen when many thousands, or millions of people in a region became Christ Followers.
We are living in a season of the greatest church growth since the 1st century! But half of the world is missing the move of God. How is it possible that the Global South Church is seeing Christian history being made while the Global North church is struggling for answers? God alone provides the increase, but why there and not here?
What is it that the churches of the Global South are doing that makes so much difference?
Two researchers and Disciple Making practitioners have spent five years identifying several biblical values that Jesus modeled or mandated in his disciples, and which are embraced in the Global South but not in the Global North church. The Kingdom Unleashed was the result of that research.
1. Abundant, and Bold Prayer
In Africa, it is not unusual for churches to commit 50-100 days per year for fasting and prayer. In American churches, seasons of fasting and prayer are not the norm, and if there are prayer meetings, there may be few participants. Some studies suggest that we do not spend much time in private prayer either.
It is easy for us to rely on our many resources rather than on God. And in the process, we lose the privilege of depending on God every day. In the Global South, people often have no choice but to rely on God to meet their needs — they lack the resources to do otherwise. Their acute awareness of their need drives them to pray not just for their physical needs but for guidance and direction, spiritual power and breakthroughs, healings, deliverances, and identifying people to disciple.
2. Discipling to Conversion
American Evangelicals tend to think about Christianity in terms of conversion, forgiveness of sins and Eternal Life
In the Global South, they focus far less on conversion than on disciple making. When Jesus called the Twelve, he discipled them for nearly three years before he asked them for a statement of faith —“Who do you say I am?” In other words, he discipled them to conversion rather than converting them and then discipling them. That is the model used in the Global South.
3. Obedience-Based Discipleship
Even the idea of what it means to be a disciple is different. For us, discipleship is knowledge-based. But in the Great Commission, Jesus tells us to make disciples (not converts) and teach them to obey everything he commanded. Biblical discipleship is thus obedience-based, not knowledge-based. Our sins are forgiven by faith alone, but throughout the New Testament we are told to live out our faith by obeying Jesus’ commands to love God and neighbor. So from day one in evangelistic Bible studies (generally called Discovery Bible Groups), people are encouraged to put into practice what they are learning.
This approach results in personal transformation as well as community transformation. As people sink into Scripture, they learn that it affects all of life. If Jesus is Lord of all, then there is no area of life that is not rightfully his. As Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a single square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is Lord of all, does not cry out, ‘Mine!’”
SOURCE: Christian Post, Glenn Sunshine and Jerry Trousdale with Greg Benoi
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