At this year’s annual Flow Foundation Board meeting, Dan Bouchelle of Mission Resource Network shared the picture of current global Christian reality.
• The global church stopped being predominantly western in the 1980s.
• 70% of Christians now live in the majority world (but only have 17% of the church’s money).
• In 1900, Africa was 9.4% Christian (11.7 million).
• By 2010, Africa was 48% Christian, with 495 million believers.
• By 2025, Africa will have 1.031 billion believers.
• If current growth continues, Africa will be the most Christian continent on earth by 2025.
• Over 1 billion people are migrants--on the move from their home area today (1 in 7 humans).
• 750 million would leave their home country if they could.
• 48 million residents of the U.S. are foreign born.
• More Muslims have come to Christ in the last 15 years than in the previous 1,400 years combined.
• The U.S. is now one of the world's leading missionary-receiving nations.
• The U.S. has only 4% of the world's population but 25% of the wealth.
As we see more clearly the reality of Christianity around the world, what are our roles as U.S. Christians in world missions?
Develop humility
US Christians should have humble spirits and hearts that are willing to learn from and support mission leaders who are seeing God transformation in their work and cultures. Our role is not to tell others what to do, but to support and learn from Christians though whom God is clearly working. We have so much to learn about how God is working to lead people to Jesus.
Pray
In our “doing-dominated” American culture, prayer is often, at best, an afterthought. The practice of “prayer meetings” are relics of a long-lost American churches. What we typically experience is, “Let’s get this meeting started with a quick prayer.” I have heard those ten words spoken hundreds of times, by myself and others, in my church life. Yet, the global church is teaching us that prayer is THE foundational principle that leads to evangelistic success.
Be Generous
As American Christians, we hold a sizable proportion of global church wealth. As an outgrowth of our humble and prayerful hearts, it should be natural that we would share what we have with Christians who are leading others to Jesus.
As Americans we love to lead. Let me suggest as we end 2021 and anticipate 2022, why not decide that as American Christians we will lead the way in humility, prayer, and generous giving with the desire to see God do beyond what we could hope or imagine.
If you feel called to give to mission works, please join The Flow Foundation in providing needed resources to domestic and global mission works.
The FLOW Foundation wishes you the happiest of holidays. What a wonderful time to remember the abundant gift of Jesus!
Bruce
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