Collaborative evangelism was the focus of the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Mission America Coalition (MAC) in San Diego in November. Coalition partners met in small groups and roundtable discussions to focus on how together they might share Christ in word and deed throughout the nation.
The document “Loving Our Communities to Christ - A Framework for Grass Roots Initiated Strategies for Transformational Impact” was central to much of the discussion. The document, which is meant to serve as an outline to help call Christian leaders together for collaborative evangelism, was developed first by the MAC Strategic Task Force and has since been shaped through thoughtful input from more than 200 leaders. The document is now being distributed to all MAC partners and other leaders asking them to prayerfully consider dedicating resources, materials and staff to advance this church-based, community-focused framework for “Loving Our Communities to Christ.” Already leaders in ten cities have indicated a strong interest in having their communities chosen as a model location for implementing this strategic framework.
Mr. Alan Andrews (Director – U.S. Navigators) presented a sobering message on the state of American culture in which he outlined four major trends facing the church today: globalization; urbanization; pluralism; and tribalism. Andrews said the trends open the door for presenting “the whole Gospel, to the Whole person” but then asked whether the church is prepared to meet that challenge. “We have no idea how much pain is underneath the surface of people’s lives,” he added, emphasizing that the Gospel must be “proclaimed in a much more holistic manner in order to touch lives and transform communities.”
SHAPING ETERNITY FORUM
Preceding the MAC Annual Meeting, on November 1-2, some 40 missions leaders representing denominations, larger churches, agencies, foundations, youth movements and other sectors that are focused on the world’s unreached peoples, gathered to consider forming a North American Unreached Peoples Network. Rev. John Quam, MAC’s National Facilitator of Global Ministries says the Shaping Eternity Forum (SEF) “recognized that despite immense resources and multiple initiatives in the United States, the national approach to unreached peoples ministries is still quite disconnected with many unaware of what others are doing.”
Out of the meeting came an identification of existing roadblocks to partnership and a clear call for a new level of collaboration and connectivity. The SEF also found a need to reengineer the understanding of “doing missions,” from the language used to the roles and relationships of goers, churches and agencies so they work more strategically and effectively to reach the unreached and least-reached peoples around the world. The meeting led to significant agreement to take the next steps in expanding the table for a potential North American Unreached Peoples Network. The Shaping Eternity Forum will seek to convene a larger group to explore this potential in the next 18 months. Quam was asked to continue to facilitate the leadership team.
CITY IMPACT ROUNDTABLE
The MAC City Impact Roundtable (CIR), November 1-2, was an invitation-only meeting for veteran and strategic city reachers. Attended by 45-plus men and women, the CIR marked the conclusion of Rev. Phil Miglioratti’s tenure as CIR Convener and the beginning of Tom White serving in that role. Migliarotti says one important component of the meeting was encouragement “which is vital to city reachers who have little funding and often even less support from other Christian leaders.”
Attendees included Bishop George McKinney (St. Stephen’s Church), from the host city San Diego, who participated in the Monday evening session of praise and prayer; a time devoted to seeking the mind of Christ for an understanding of city reaching’s present and future. This CIR had an excellent diversity of city sizes, styles and strategies, though ethnic representation continues to be a struggle. Several indicated this was one of the best CIRs yet due to the length of relationships and the depth of dialogue and discussion.
White, along with Rev. Jarvis Ward and Rev. Glenn Barth who are both MAC National Facilitators of City and Communities Ministries, is forming a Design Team for the spring 2005 CIR. It is hoped that gathering will draw over 150 people working in and toward city reaching ministry. The new Design Team, formed mostly from those present, will set the course for what may be the most significant CIR to date; a conference that combines teaching, praying and interacting. The Regional CIR strategy which brought a local flavored roundtable to over 15 cities was also affirmed for the future.
NATIONAL OUTREACH CONVENTION
Following the MAC Annual Meeting, the Coalition served as a co-sponsor of the 2nd Annual National Outreach Convention in San Diego. Nearly 1,500 ministry leaders, speakers and resource providers participated in the over 80 workshops presented on various aspects of outreach and evangelism in the U.S.
Many MAC partners and National Facilitators led workshops in the Collaborative Outreach Learning Track. The general sessions focused on outreach from a world, national, community and personal perspective. Curt Coffield led worship and plenary speakers included Luis Palau, Ed Young, Mike Pilavachi and Greg Laurie.
