7 Global Currents That Are Shaping the Future Church

I am featuring this post today because I am in Richmond, VA, and am about to spend an enjoyable day with Fritz Kling, author of "The Meeting of the Waters" and founder of Kling Philanthropy Group.

Original Post: Feb 2010

Fantastic book comes out in a few days called "The Meeting of the Waters: 7 Global Currents that will propel the future church". Author (and friend) Fritz Kling sent me the manuscript last year and I just LOVED the book, and found it hard to wait so long before the release date came around so that I could tell you all about it. But that time is here. The book comes out March 1st but you can order it now.

My official blurb on the book:

"Meeting of the Waters is the most significant book on international mission I have come across in a long time and one that echoes my own observations. Fritz Kling has the skinny on the movements that are impacting the changing landscape of Christian mission. This book is the result of thorough research in a broad sweep of mission situations and the results are both enlightening and challenging. I highly recommend this book for those who want to know what mission in the real world actually looks like."

If I could add to that, I would say that 2010 will be a year of reflection about global mission, its changing landscape and what that means for all of us and I dont know of any better book right now that the Meeting of the Waters. Fritz has traveled to 40 countries to interview key leaders on these changes and the book is a result of those findings. Here's a snapshot of the 7 Global Currents from the book. Click on the icons for more.

MERCY Younger people of faith around the world increasingly demonstrate their piety and their love for others by serving–by feeding the hungry, addressing AIDS, rescuing girls sold into slavery, saving the earth, etc.

MUTUALITY While Americans and the West had long been the leaders of worldwide “Christendom,” now Christians from countries all around the world have the education, access, resources, and confidence to share leadership with powerful countries like the US.

MIGRATION People everywhere are on the move, to meet economic needs, flee repression or combat, seek freedom or asylum, enjoy tourism, etc. While in the past Christian missionaries reached diverse people groups by ships or planes or trains, now everywhere in the world is more diverse.

MONOCULTURE Focusing on helping individual people in the unique cultures and countries in which they live, the Christian church has trained and sent missionaries around the world for a long time.

MACHINES The importance of technology is not news to anyone, but its impact on Christian communities around the world has its surprises. Studies on technology and evangelism abound, so I highlight examples of how technology is radically changing disaster relief efforts.

MEDIATION Many people say that the world is “flattening,” and that we’re all coming closer together. But the internet and available media are actually providing more opportunities, tools, and points for polarization and division. Who will mediate, and how?

MEMORY In the shadow of so many game-changing trends, every country, region and village has its own “backstory” — those historical features, clues and codes that may be unseen but affect everything in those societies. You can click on any of those icons to see more resources, videos and blog posts. I would be happy to post them individually if readers wanted to discuss them one by one. TRIVIA: Fritz Kling and I met at Search Party, 2002, an emerging-missional church event in St Louis that was inspired by Boaz Project's "Epicenter 2001" in Austin.

church planting, fritz kling, meeeting of the waters, mission, missional