Missional Papers

Missional Papers provide in-depth, biblically grounded, and globally informed engagement with key theological, missiological, and practical issues facing the church today. Written by theologians, practitioners, and thought leaders from across the global church, they bring careful research, contextual insight, and applied reflection to help leaders participate faithfully in God’s mission.

  • Polycentric MissionsTheology

    Polycentric Christianity: Theological Multiplicity and Unity

    Introduction In Acts chapter two, the second volume of his two books written for Theophilus, Luke documents a momentous event that occurred on a Pentecost day in Jerusalem. The event of that day has great significance for what we today call Christianity or the Christian faith. This chapter, known…
  • ContextualizationTheologyTruth and Pluralism

    Understanding Global Change and Cultural Shifts in the Religiously Pluralistic Context

    Introduction The church today must respond to the centuries-old call of proclaiming gospel hope in a world formed by unprecedented global change and cultural transformations. Globalization, the emergence of religious pluralism, and changing cultural identities all require a nuanced application of gospel contextuality. Timothy Keller writes: “Contextualization is not…
  • Children at Risk

    Towards a Biblical and Theological Framework for Child Participation in the Missio Dei

    Introduction Abstract Children can declare and display the glory of God. In this Lausanne Missional Papers (LMP), the authors present a compelling case for the ways in which mission to, for, with and by children is a precious gem which the church has a Biblical mandate to unearth, clean…
  • ApologeticsTheologyTruth and Pluralism

    God’s Saving Truth: The Foundation of Trust

    Introduction From the halls of power to the huts of the poor, trust matters. As finite social creatures and social beings, we are dependent upon one another for life and flourishing. Trust within human relationships is marked by steady dependence on others and their reliability in terms of character,…
  • ContextualizationPolycentric MissionsStudy of Global Christianity

    What are the Emerging Demographics?

    Introduction God sends the church on an unchanging mission into an ever-changing world. Like the men of Issachar,1 Christian leaders must discern their times if the church is to effectively live out her calling. Like the Apostle Paul, we too should understand the ministry contexts to which God has…
  • DiscipleshipGenerationsTheology

    Passing on the Faith to the Next Generation

    Introduction How does the Bible describe the importance of passing on the faith to the next generation as a fulfillment of the Great Commission? One way to address this question is to consider the consequences of not passing on the faith. In Hebrews 3:7-4:13, the author reflects on the…
  • ChurchGlobal ChristianityMissional Community

    Ethnic Diversity in Community 

    Introduction In July 2019, the British Guardian online newspaper published an article by Akram Khan titled “Ethnic diversity makes Britain’s culture great. It would be a disaster if we lost it.” This article spoke to what has become a global reality, acknowledging and celebrating the richness of ethnic diversity…
  • Disciple-Making ChurchesDiscipleship

    Discipleship and the Great Commission

    Introduction My journey into vocational ministry began as a church-based youth worker. My motivation was to share the good news of Jesus in such a way that young people would be persuaded to trust Christ for their salvation. Giving witness to the Gospel took varied forms of creative engagement,…
  • TechnologyTheology

    Mental Health and the Church: Strategies for Faithful and Compassionate Ministry

    Introduction Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. – John 14:27 (ESV) It has been said that much of the world is in a mental health crisis, especially in this post-pandemic era. "At least one in five,…
  • Men and WomenSexualityTheology

    Christian Mission and a Theology of the Body

    Introduction The Lausanne movement has always had a keen interest in rooting missiology in theological reflection. Missiology is, fundamentally, about the embodiment of the Christian message in the lives of those who faithfully seek to communicate it across sometimes hostile terrain. In that sense, this chapter is a missiological…
  • TechnologyTheology

    Technology and Missions

    Introduction We live in a rapidly changing technological world. Globally we are beginning to understand some of the impact of technology on our world. But in some ways humanity seems to lag behind due to the sheer speed of technological development and the excitement that surrounds it. Things we…
  • DiscipleshipTechnologyTheology

    Ministry in a Digital Age

    Framing the Question Technology has changed our world in the last century, even since the first Lausanne gathering in 1974, continuing through the last one in 2010. Even though the world has exponentially increased in its population, we are more tightly connected than we have ever been. Technology has…
  • Freedom and JusticeIntegral MissionTheology

    Biblical Justice & The Great Commission

    Introduction The Lausanne Covenant that emerged from the First Lausanne Congress in 1974 served as a rallying cry for Evangelicals in the latter part of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century. The Covenant has been instrumental in shaping the modern evangelical movement as an enduring expression of…
  • Gospel for Every PersonSpiritualityTheology

    Hope is Not a Dream

    In Human, All Too Human, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche asserted, “In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of man.”1 Hope is delusional, he argued, because it keeps us from living and striving in the real world.  Instead of accepting reality as it…
  • DiscipleshipTheologyTruth and Pluralism

    Discerning Trustworthy Truth

    Introduction: Deciding Whom to Trust For God’s truth to set us free, we must appraise, acknowledge, and act on it. Christians judge the Bible to be trustworthy truth: something upon which they can rely and stake their lives. Disciples demonstrate their understanding of God’s word, and their trust, by…
  • Men and WomenSexualityTheology

    Scripture, Sex, and Gender: Part 1

    Introduction The topics of sex, marriage, and gender identity are not easy to navigate, especially within the context of the church that strives to declare and display the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Thankfully, the Scriptures speak to these issues with both clarity and compassion. This essay…
  • Men and WomenSexualityTheology

    Scripture, Sex, and Gender: Part 2

    Introduction According to the Bible, God made humans “male and female” both equally in His image (Gen. 1:27) and called them to “Be fruitful and multiply” and to rule over His creation under Him (Gen. 1:28). In Genesis 2, while the man is created first, the woman is created…
  • DiscipleshipMissional CommunityTheology

    Biblical Community and the Great Commission

    Introduction A biblical understanding of community rightly begins where we first encounter a vibrant community of faith. In Acts 2:42-47, we see the practices that defined the life of a newly constituted body of Jesus’ followers. While they are not named as such, these practices essentially became pillars of…
  • Digital MinistryTechnologyTheology

    Digital Life: Reframing Christian Presence in a Technological World

    Introduction In an era where technology increasingly shapes every aspect of our lives, Christians face a pertinent question: How should Christians understand presence, or being physically present, in a world where technology has the ability to erase traditional boundaries of distance and time, especially in relation to the Great…

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