Off to Cape Town 2010! Part 2

Well today I begin an incredible journey to attend Cape Town 2010. As Stephanie and I drove to the airport in Redmond we spent time in prayer. Stephanie prayed in a way that I had not thought about - that today, across the globe over 5000 people from 200 countries begin the journey to Cape Town. The significance of this gathering is immense.

As the participants fly in to discuss global evangelization and global challenges such as HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, and poverty it is clear that the enemy of all that is true and right and good in Christ Jesus, Satan, wants to thwart and disrupt and discourage.

Please pray for the enormous logistical, governmental, and logistical challenges the Executive Leadership Team faces. Pray for those coming from countries and areas of the world that are hostile to Christians. We are already hearing of delegates from parts of the world where their government is threatening them that they cannot leave.

Today I learned there will be two gatherings of all the US delegates - at the beginning and end of Cape Town 2010. It will be a time to intentionally network with US ministry leaders. It is also designed to help determine the US role at CT and after CT. There will also be a post-CT gathering in Orlando sometime in 2011 to determine the US church's response to US evengelization and global missions after reflection and time home for several months.

Today on the flight to Seattle I read a 26 page case for Redeemer Presbyterian Church's view of reaching the largest global cities of the world. They have planted almost 200 churches globally in cities such as London, Rio, Mexico City, Tokyo, etc. A dear friend and former roommate is on staff with Redeemer and oversees the church planting strategy. It is an inspiring work of God to claim the largest cities of the world for Christ. It is an effective means of church planting movements and seeing cities redeemed. If you think about it, these large urban cities of the world are the global influencers today - no longer nation states. In an era of globalization these large cities are the cultural centers for art, media, technology, finance, education and so forth.

I will be meeting my friend, Mark, in CT to learn more about this significant strategy that is being mightily used by the Lord and has possible opportunities for ANM. Consider this fact - 150,000 non-christians move to large cities every day around the globe. This is indeed fertile ground for evangelism and new church plants. And as you read the book of Acts and early church history, the early church targeted the major or capital cities of the Roman Empire. Food for thought and prayer!