The world is changing. The global church is changing. The Australian church is changing.
The centre of Christianity is moving from the global north to the global south (in 2020 67%of Christians lived in the global south; this figure continues to grow). The world is growing increasingly urban, with estimates that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in urban centres. Australian neighbourhoods and churches are becoming increasingly intercultural. How do these, and other changes affecting our global family, impact the way we participate in God’s mission locally and globally?
For over 150 years, Baptist Mission Australia has been seeking to respond to the call of God to serve the changing needs of the world with innovation, flexibility, and love. As we continue to see global and local change within nations, communities, and the church, we have embarked on an intentional discernment process. We have taken time to pray, look, review, research, and dream to consider what our Future Direction in God’s mission might be.
In considering the future, we have developed four key causes to guide and broaden our mission approach.
- Flourishing Faith Communities: seeing people who love Jesus, show others about Jesus.
- Passionate Missional Leaders: joining with God and His followers to care for those living with injustice and need.
- Local Community Transformation: supporting local leaders in the Global South
- Innovative Partnerships: imagining with our partners about how God’s mission is carried out creatively and innovatively.
We would love to see churches and individuals joining with and praying for us as we move into creative and innovative ways of sharing God’s love with our neighbours and the world.
To learn more about Baptist Mission Australia’s Future Direction for mission, visit our website.
Words by Lisa Cornish
Baptist Mission Australia
