While each of the 31 specific Issue Groups were called together with focused vision on their topic, they were challenged to apply their issue globally in light of unprecedented research to be presented at the 2004 Forum. The action plans developed by each group not only address the depth of their topic issue but it will be woven into what we are hearing God saying to the Church through a two year global inquiry process. Working with the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and the School of World Mission of Fuller Theological Seminary, Luis Bush presented at the 2004 Forum the findings of a two-year Global Inquiry. This process of “listening to the world” took Luis and teams of Inquiry Leaders to visit over 200 cities or nations to understand what God is doing and saying to his people all over the globe. But unlike other efforts to research leaders, this inquiry was not limited to leaders who represent larger groups of evangelicals, but also probed into direct dialog with the pastors and mission leaders who are being used of the Lord for cutting edge ministry.
Inquiry Purpose:
The purpose of the “Evangelising Our World Inquiry” was to further enhance world evangelisation in the 21st century by means of a quantitative and qualitative research enquiry using a survey and focus group consultative process to gather, compile, organize and communicate the insights of Christian leaders throughout the world.
Inquiry Objectives:
- Listen to what God’s people are saying.
- Discover the citywide, countrywide, continent-wide and global current realities, plus the obstacles and opportunities for evangelisation.
- Collect insights, beliefs, and attitudes about issues, leadership and structures related to world evangelisation.
- Identify a unifying paradigm of mission (a paradigm is an archetypal example, prototype or pattern that provides a model for a process)—or ascertaining that compelling regional paradigms must co-exist of God’s distinctive purposes.
- Mobilize God’s people to participate with God in evangelising our world.
One of the significant outcomes of the World Inquiry process was to identify emerging leaders. Through the process, senior leaders were invited to identify three emerging leaders and to come with them to the 2004 Forum to join together a special track of sessions, along with full participation in significant dialog with all Forum participants.