News and Stories

The Lausanne Movement, known around the world for its historic congresses and thought leadership in global mission spanning the last five decades, has unveiled its refreshed brand identity. The updated look and feel reflects the Movement’s evolution and growth while staying true to its core values and mission. The new brand identity has been designed…

African missions are coming of age. What does this mean for the Sahel region? Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series by Patrick Johnstone, author emeritus of Operation World, on the Sahel region of Africa. Read the first and third articles. Setbacks in the Sahel The Sahel,[1] a large component of the western…

On 20 March 2023, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on the latest state of the created world. The report is sobering: a continued increase in greenhouse emissions contributing to a dangerous rise in global temperatures, a 15-fold increase in deaths caused by ever-intensifying and more frequent natural disasters,…

What are the stories from the Bible you hold in your heart? Which did you hear as a child? Which ones have you told to your children? [. . .] Now, what if these stories were all in darkness? What if you couldn’t fully understand the foundation of the gospel because you never heard the…

Byron Spradlin has seen the Lausanne Movement grow since its inception in 1974 through today, playing integral roles in the Second and Third Lausanne Congresses. As he finishes his second and final term as the Lausanne catalyst for the arts, he provides some reflections on the importance of the arts and imaginative expression as we…

Have you ever been at a gathering that changed your life? I have—at least, I believed so. But did the gathering really change your life, and why this gathering and not all the others you attended? Probably because of something that you didn’t take into account: the networks you became a part of. I love…

As we look toward the Fourth Lausanne Congress in 2024, we look back at the impact that Lausanne congresses and gatherings have had on the global church. Six years ago when I first joined the Lausanne staff, I had never heard of the Lausanne Movement before. What soon dawned on me, however, was that though…

Nominations can be the gateway to personal opportunities and growth, and consequently the transformation of the world. Who will you nominate? You can change the world through a nomination. Does that seem like an overstatement? Think again, though. Have you ever been recommended for a job or a promotion? Perhaps your name was put forward…

A closer look at one of the most challenging regions for global missions today. Editor’s Note: This article is part 1 of a three-part series by Patrick Johnstone, author emeritus of Operation World, on the Sahel region. Read parts two and three. Africa is a part of my life. It was my sphere of ministry for…

How would our church cultures be different if every family believed they had a strategic part in God’s story of blessing the nations? The year was 1727. The place was Germany. The Moravian community, one of the oldest Protestant denominations, was fasting and praying. Just like at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit moved, bringing revival and focus.…

Population ageing and ageism are global challenges. How can Christians obey the biblical command to care for the elderly? In his book The Force of Character, James Hillman writes, ‘The twenty-first century may or may not be greened by ecological awareness, but it will certainly be grayed by its aging population.’ Not only demographically, but…

One of the key guiding messages of the Lausanne Movement is that we believe the only way to move forward as a global church in mission is together. In 2022 we gathered and worshipped together, spurring one another on to greater action. We proclaimed the gospel together and sought to make disciples of every nation. We…

A single question runs right from the garden of Eden through all of human experience: To whom will I look to satisfy my hunger? ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.’—Matthew 5:6 On February 8, 2023, God visited Asbury University in the small town of Wilmore, Kentucky in a truly unique…

A Lausanne scholarship initiative equips younger leaders from the Majority World with graduate education to help shape the world for Christ. Throughout the history of the Lausanne Movement, experienced leaders have opened doors for younger leaders to pursue formal study. This embodies the Movement’s mission to connect influencers and ideas for global mission. The Lausanne…

Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT what I needed to do to become a disciple. This was its instant response. As a millennial, I consider myself pretty tech-savvy. While I can’t write code, fix your broken laptop, or hack into a server for you, I can comfortably navigate between different devices or platforms and quickly…

The Lausanne Movement is pleased to announce the opening of participant nominations for Lausanne 4 gatherings, which include the various regional gatherings in 2023 and the Seoul 2024 Congress. Nominate Now Participant Selection The prayerful, open, and rigorous participant selection process is one which has formed a core element in every major gathering and congress…

In the past 100 years, the face of Christianity has drastically changed. What does this mean for believers globally? I have a friend living in the London area. He recently shared a story with me that reflects the changing shape of the global church. He said, ‘Since I’ve lived in London, I’ve had three people approach me…

A 2021 mental health meta-analysis of 35 studies in South Asia during the Covid-19 pandemic shows a high prevalence of 34 percent for depression and 41 percent for anxiety. If South Asia is taken as representative of Asia, more than 1.5 billion people out of the total Asian population of 4.7 billion are currently struggling…

What is the role of the church in fulfilling Christ’s heart for children, especially those who live daily in extreme risk? We live in an unprecedented time in history as the Global Church rises up to seriously address the importance of children, especially considering all of the children at risk. We see these children in…

Digital media is now an unavoidable fact of life for many across the world. What does this mean for our Christian communities? For an increasing proportion of the global population, digital forms of communication are becoming normalised in everyday life. A telling statistic in the latest We Are Social annual report is that the world’s…