|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| 섹션 |
 |
AFMI > |
등록일 |
|
2011-02-14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 작성자 |
|
관리자 (admin) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Editorial Comments… |
|
| John Kim |
|
The second annual conference of AFMI-ASFM was held on October 2010. Around 100 participants who attended the confer-ence mostly came from mission leaders, reflective field practitioners, theologians, and missiologists. Cutting edge thinking and sharing on an international level was made as described in the vision statement. Whole three day sessions were divided into three main tracks dealing with "Global Cooperation", "Asian Initiatives", and "Insider Perspectives". Both the Asians and Westerners practiced humble spirit to learn from each other. Around twenty presentations and workshop sessions were made. People were asking how to keep maintaining the momentum of this new Asian initiative in the atmosphere of international cooperation for frontier mission. It seems that we need to encourage or initiate similar movements in other countries. All of the presented articles were compiled in the proceedings of the conference. (If you need an electronic version of “the proceedings of ASFM/AMLF 2010”, you may contact John K. at yahya_kim@hanmail.net).
ASFM has 6 objectives among which you see the following definite statement including insider perspectives( See the back page of this bulletin):
“ To promote, though not exclusively, thinking and focus on insider perspectives and to support insiders who have heart and faith alle-giance to Jesus and the Bible.”
In order to meet this objective, the next gathering for ASFM (Oct. 2011) will be sharply focused on “Insider Perspectives”. Nowadays we have been observing new movements to Jesus "happening" within non-Christian major socio-religious people groups on the earth. The Gospel looked confined within Jewish culture and religion in its early stage. Since it started to be spread out of Judaism, the faith community has become such a globalized but diverse Christianity among so many people groups in various cultures. However, at a glance we may recognize almost all of those Christians are only found among the tribe peoples, savages, barbarians, animists, and shamanism/folk believers. However, throughout the Kingdom history, we now seem to see God‘s own marvelous redemptive work for His Kingdom that has never been observed. This looks like what Peter confessed,
“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”(Acts 10:34)
What Peter said is surely understood when we observe such a multitude who are moving towards Jesus from within Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other socio-religious people groups. This is the fulfillment of God‘s own promise as He declared His own marvelous redemptive work that human could never even imagine. We are so privileged to see His Kingdom development in such a dramatic way.
Rick Brown continues to talk about the Kingdom of God and the mission of God. This is a part of what he presented at AFMI event on October 2010, that is the second part following his previous work.(See the last issue of AFMI Bulletin) Insider perspectives must be based upon the Kingdom perspective. Rick as a Bible scholar, through his comprehensive work on the theme of "the Kingdom of God and the Mission of God", shares the foundational basis and nature on such a peculiar redemptive work of God that we now see in various socio-religious people groups in a grand scale:
"From the foundation of the world, God prepared the future Kingdom for his children to inherit at the end of this age (Matt 25:34), and we can say that the mission of God has been to direct history towards this goal. To that end God gave us the Scriptures and the Savior, Jesus Christ—who is God himself, the Word of God incarnate—to be the Messianic King of God‘s present (and future) Kingdom and to save people into it for God‘s eternal glory…. Jesus did not found an institutional religion or commission his disciples to propagate one. Never-theless, organized religions have enormous instrumental value in serving God‘s mission. Christian religious institutions provide an organ-ized means of evangelizing, baptizing, discipling, and teaching, supplemented by home groups. When disciples of Christ in non-Christian cultures remain outside of institutional Christianity, they must rely on home meetings alone for these services. On the other hand, when these disciples retain their native social identity and take a Kingdom-of-God approach to mission and ecclesia, the Gospel of the Kingdom often spreads throughout their social networks, leading many more to faith in Christ. This rarely happens with a conflict-of-religions ap-proach."(p. 10)
To complete the mission of God, many of us have been involved in the "closure movement". If you are interested or involved in the closure movement, here Kevin Higgins’ article will give you a fresh insight. This was originally published in IJFM and presented at the last ASFM gathering (Oct 2010) as somewhat post-Tokyo reflection. In the closure movements, the terms like
"unreached" or "unengaged" are important to be determined in certain scale (ex, IMB scale—see Kevin‘s article). However, new Jesus movements taking place within major religious affinity blocs seem to appeal somehow new but the Bible old definitions. Regarding this matter, Kevin appeals as follows and proposes four ways to deal with "insider perspectives" in the closure move-ment. 1. "Gamaliel-Open", 2. "Security-Closed", 3. "Grace-Tongued", and 4. "Biblically-Reformed".
"If follows of Jesus within Islam, or Buddhism, or Hinduism are reaching a people group by sharing the gospel and developing appropriate forms of fellowship for believers, is that people now engaged?"
We are now observing new Jesus movements within so called world religions such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The implication of the insider perspectives for missionary task must be found in any socio-religious groups as long as they pertain to the Biblical basis and appropriateness for the Kingdom development.
Thus in this issue, you are to read some articles dealing with the insider perspectives and issues in those major affinity groups. Case studies will guide you to have concrete and practical understanding whether they are local ones or nationwide. H. L. Rich-ard is talking about the church and the Hindu heritage by sharing 5 historical case studies in India. According to his conclusion through those case studies, pioneering new approaches that seek truly Hindu expressions of ekklesia (church) seems a commend-able effort. Harun Kim serving in SEA shares his own practice in a local Muslim context, based on insider perspective. Not many Asians are found in the ministries driven by insider perspectives yet. In fact, Asians are surrounded by those insiders as their neighbors. Harun as a Korean outsider describes some steps that we need to take and share case studies in order to experi-ence meaningful sign of breakthrough. David Lim introduces somewhat nationwide movement in Philippines where he tries to find any linkage with the closure movement and insider perspectives. Philippines is a good example as a country where we can see what kind of mission efforts are now made in this era of globalization. Diaspora and tent-making ministries at overseas coun-tries are the key words. David reports a recommendable situation for Buddhism ministry in this nationwide mission movement.
In order to foster the worldwide frontier mission movement, training is one thing we should consider carefully. For this year too, AFMI provides a training opportunity not only for Asians but also for Westerners who are willing to seeking for the King-dom development on the cutting edges of frontier mission. Some reflections that two trainees share after their training experience will help you understand how things are going through the training. AFMI will call for ASFM (Asia Society for Frontier Mis-sion) conference and provide the training in September and October 2011. (See p. 37-41 for more details)
AFMI-ASFM is always waiting for your contribution not only in the form of articles but also by sharing your direct inputs, feedbacks and reflections through emails. (email contact: yahya_kim@hanmail.net) We expect to see many more contributors take their participations in this Asian initiatives through Asia Society for Frontier Mission.
May His abundant joy and blessings be with you in this new year of 2011 as you seek for His Kingdom!
John Kim
CALL FOR PAPERS
Our primary focus this year will be INSIDER PERSPECTIVES. Participants are encouraged to submit papers providing relevant insights, models, and/or case studies toward the purpose of Kingdom advance—the Biblical Jesus movements in other socio-religious traditions like Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, and postmodern atheist groups.
The due date for submitting papers is Aug 31 2011. Please feel free to contact John Kim at yahya_kim@hanmail.net if you have any questions. Decisions on which papers to include will be made by the steering committee.
The 3th Annual Conference of AFMI
Asia Society for Frontier Mission in SEA
4-8 Oct 2011
|
|
|
| |
|
 프린트
 메일보내기 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
)
)
