The second day of the All India Congress on Church in Mission (AICOCIM) featured a deeply reflective plenary address by Rev. Dr. Jayakumar Christian, former CEO of World Vision India and past lead for Faith & Development at World Vision International, who urged the Indian Church to recognize its calling to live and serve from the margins of society.
The proverb, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never harm you” has been proven wrong too many times as words have traumatized people, whether or not the speaker/writer intended to. The internet has lifted restraint on our communications and words are being easily weaponized. Here are seven disciplines to help followers of Jesus to use their words with Kingdom-minded intention.
Conservatives and liberals in the United States (and increasingly elsewhere in the world) are accusing each other of creating an environment that contributes to political violence. We need to be very careful about making cause-effect connections. However, if we legitimize violence as a way to solve problems, we should not be surprised if others turn to violence also. If we sow the wind, we should not be surprised about reaping the whirlwind.
Evangelism can become little more than a sales formula, with such evangelists nicknamed "The Jesus Guys" in Asia. This style can inoculate people against Jesus. Mr Huang testifies that a more effective method is to build long-term relationships while sharing biblical values, principles, and truths in a natural setting.
As challenges increase in the world, knowing that facing struggle does not mean that life is out of control or terrible can provide great hope. It is hopeful to remember that a cold dark night on the side of Everest isn't a destination, it is a means to an end. Similarly, the stuff that life throws at us is a pathway to growth in Christ.
The second day of the All India Congress on Church in Mission (AICOCIM) opened with a plenary address from Bishop P.K. Samantaroy of the Church of North India, who offered a frank assessment of the Indian Church. Balancing “joy and sadness,” he celebrated the growth of Christian communities while lamenting what he called a “deficit of impact” in their witness.
Sadhu Sundar Singh, the barefoot Indian evangelist remembered for bridging Indian spirituality and Christian discipleship, continues to speak relevantly to the global Church nearly a century after his death. That was the central message of a two-day international webinar where scholars and church leaders from different parts of the world revisited his theological legacy and what it offers to Christians today.
