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World Church Leaders Imagine The Europe Of 2020
22 May 2006
What will Europe look like in the year 2020? How can the church be more about the future than the past? How can church leaders train Christians to engage the future in a way that positively changes the face of cities and nations?
These were just two of the questions before church network leaders at a unique international summit called 'Europe 2020', which was held in southern Spain recently.
The summit brought together leaders of church networks and national ministries from 12 European nations, plus guests from the USA, Australia, Canada, South America and South Africa.
Two highly acclaimed futurists spoke into the event, offering insight on where the world may be in the year 2020 and how the church might proactively change things for the better.
Dr. Patrick Dixon has been called Europe's leading futurist and was recently voted by an international business forum as one of the top twenty business thinkers alive today. He told the delegates: 'We are all futurists to some degree. We're all interested in what the future holds. If we don't change the future, the future will change us.'
'Christians can thrive in shaping the future. For example, in an age of hi-tech, people are hungry for high-touch and community. That's a great opportunity for the church.'
Dr. Tom Sine, a futurist and acclaimed author based in Seattle, described a world where the values of consumerism and material security have largely overtaken a Christian worldview. He noted, however, that current social trends reflect a desire to return to a life of significance. The church, he said, needs to lead the way.
'The church should be about innovation,' said Dr. Sine. 'Christians need to become the new "merchants of cool": setting the trends rather than slavishly following the values of a consumerist, secularised society. We must redefine what having a better life actually means.'
The event was hosted by Next Wave International, a mission to Europe led by social commentator, speaker and broadcaster Mal Fletcher.
Asked about the purpose of this invitation-only meeting, Fletcher said: 'The church ought to be the most future-minded group on earth. The church is "a city on a hill that cannot be hidden": we represent in microcosmic form what our cities could look like if they lived with the values Jesus taught us.'
The summit also featured a speech by Gary Clarke, leader of the fast-growing Hillsong Church in London. He focussed on the need to reach out to the young and build them into leadership positions in the church quickly.
'I consciously focus my energies on the young more than anything else,' he said. 'They're the ones who will carry the future.'
The summit, parts of which will be broadcast by God TV, published a Statement of Intent, reflecting its major agreements. It includes commitments to build self-help programmes, assisting those who are disadvantaged by the new global economy and to help Christians resist the values of 'McWorld' and become better stewards of time, the new currency.
The event also featured the release of Mal Fletcher's new book, 'The Church Of 2020' which is available in book and e-book form from our webshop.
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