April 2007
IN THIS ISSUE...Contextualizing the Gospel and Other Issues of Global Interest

PUBLISHER'S MEMO:

A Continued Commitment to the Call as World Christianity's Center of Gravity Shifts

By Doug Birdsall
"The whole Church taking the whole gospel to the whole world" looks different, and yet remarkably the same, in light of the shift in the center of gravity of the global Church. Read >>

THEMED ARTICLES:

Contextualization and God’s Global Mission

By Glenn Smith
Missio Dei establishes the priority of God’s activity in terms of mission and characterizes God himself as being a missionary God. Read >>

Contextualization that Is Comprehensive

By A. Scott Moreau
Comprehensive contextualization includes not only theology, but all seven dimensions of the religious life. Read >>

Contextualization in the Islamic Context

By Roy Oksnevad
Contextualization in ministry to Muslims needs to consider all the barriers to why Muslims have historically been resistant to the gospel. Read >>

Integrating the Gospel with Culture Responsibly

By Adrian de Visser
It is imperative to integrate the gospel with culture in a responsible manner and this integration must be done within the context of a community who are mature in their faith and knowledge of scripture. Read >>

Complications of Communicating the Gospel: Why We Should Take the Culture of the People Seriously

By Adrian de Visser
Contextualization is imperative to reaching the unreached. Understanding the culture we are in is the beginning of the process. Read >>

PERSPECTIVES:

Border Station in Guatemala Reaching Mexicans with Christ’s Love

By Kenneth D. MacHarg
Radio Impacto, a small, 1,000-watt FM Christian radio station in La Mesilla, Guatemala, is also planting churches. Read >>

Christian Churches Together Launched in Pasadena, California, USA: Stresses Evangelism and an End to Poverty

A consensus on the importance of evangelism and the need to eliminate domestic poverty marked the official formation of Christian Churches Together. Read >>

Group Plans Interactive Conference on Partnering with Indigenous Ministries

By John Lindner
The annual COSIM conference will be held 11-13 June 2007 in Wheaton, Illinois, USA. Read >>

URBAN COMMUNITIES:

An Overview of Central and South America

By Laurie Fortunak
Central America and South America are filled with God's beauty. They are also filled with corruption, unemployment and nominalism. Read >>

A Focus on Central and South America: Ninety-nine Least-Reached People Groups Remain

A brief look at Central and South America shows great activity among Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and now, Pentecostals. Read >>

Into Their World…The Han Chinese of Cuba

By Laurie Fortunak
As the largest ethnic group in the world, the Han Chinese reside in nearly every country in the world, including Cuba. Read >>

RESEARCH:

One Hundred Years of Christian Growth

By Bradley Coon
A visual look at the shift of the Church from the global North to the global South. Read >>

LAUSANNE REPORTS:

Radical Incarnational Ecclesiology as Focus of Lausanne Theology Working Group Consultation

By Sandra S. K. Lee
The conference focused on the demands of radical discipleship and the inherently inseparable ethical dimensions of Christian conversion. Read >>