Recently, Dr Martin Robinson, Principal of Springdale College, gave a lecture amongst the leaders of Global Horizons on the spiritual-religious landscape of Europe. It’s an interesting survey of what is currently taking place in Europe, which is quite different from occurrences in the rest of the world.
See the video below. Continue reading
Over at From Distant Quarters, blog of my friend, John Lietzel, an update is given on the work that is taking place in Zambia and Zimbabwe. John writes:
For the final week of the Hope College May-June Term, Global Horizons sent Alan Scotland, Barry Fitzpatrick, and Ian Rawley [part of the core team] here to Lusaka at the same time. They taught the Diploma students, then on the weekend we hosted a Leadership Summit for about fifty pastors from Zambia and Zimbabwe. This Summit represented the coming together of six different church networks, expressing a desire for a greater relationship with one another. As we’re seeking to strengthen our brothers and sisters in leadership in Southern Africa, this Summit was a significant step–and a powerful time together.
If you know African culture, or planet earth culture in general, you know it is hard for groups to come together, to form team. Especially men! But God has been opening the doors for us to see the leaders of these African church networks come together to form a more connected and strengthened core team, that the evangel of the kingdom might be better proclaimed in southern Africa.
This is Africa’s time! It’s exciting news!
In my last post, I mentioned a special gathering of some of our more mature as well as younger leaders, within Global Horizons, gathering together for discussion and prayer. In the discussions, we talked about some of the ‘non-negotiables’ that have become near and dear to our hearts. Not in any sense of wanting to break fellowship with others who might not hold to these things, but those foundation stones, even revelations, that the Lord has shown as dear to his own heart.
Of course, there is already a sense of the importance of the essentials of the faith, centred in Christ and the gospel, his death and resurrection. But these points came forth as part of the charismatic restoration movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. These became so very important, as we understood them as important to Christ himself.
So I list them here. They are in no particular order and some of them repeat somewhat. But these stand as non-negotiable foundation stones of Christ, the cornerstone, and the apostolic-prophetic foundation that has been and is being laid (Eph 2:19-22). Continue reading
As I mentioned, this week I had the opportunity to travel over to England to be with many of the leaders that we work with in the UK. I continue to be amazed at the doors open to a relatively smaller grouping of churches. But God has been gracious to entrust such opportunities to us around the world.
From India to southern Africa to South America to the Asiatics to the western world, it is no doubt stirring to see what is taking place as we partner with churches and ministries in the varying parts of the world.
This week we also launched a new website that more fully explains what we are about. Currently, Lifelink International has been the banner under which our churches have worked. And such will continue to exist. But the larger banner we are now identified by is Global Horizons. This new website explains even more fully what we are about with regards to church, ministry, training, and serving in humanitarian aid.
I am back to the UK again next week for another opportunity to spend time with some of our leaders. I look forward to more time for strengthening and encouragement.
The Prodigal Thought 