Because Sermons are NOT Big Macs!

16 March 2017 |

If ever one needed visible evidence of the extent of Langham Preaching’s global family, the recent Regional Coordinators’ gathering in Accra, Ghana, was it! Many of our movements were represented, with many more connected indirectly.

Preaching coordinators from different countries collaborate at the consultation.

  • Americas: Bolivia*, Canada*, Colombia, Peru, USA*
  • Caribbean: Trinidad & Tobago
  • Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana*, Nigeria*, Togo, Zimbabwe
  • Europe: Bosnia & Herzegovina*, France*, Romania, UK*
  • Eurasia & Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Pakistan
  • Oceania: Australia*

(Italics*= LP staff / Bold = Programme Partner)

After more than a decade of exceptionally rapid expansion, the challenge will always be sustaining that growth while preserving our values. There’s also another complicating factor: with only a few exceptions, all our country coordinators give their services freely, alongside already demanding ministries.

Deeply motivated

Langham Preaching does not want to offer a one-size-fits-all approach, because sermons are not like Big Macs!

Each has clearly been gripped by the vision, and are deeply motivated to make things happen. But they are all juggling.

So the risk of losing cohesion is real. At the same time, we want to avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality at all costs.

Sermons are not Big Macs and Langham is not a multinational franchise! Preaching must always reflect the contexts into which it takes place.

Unity-diversity tightrope

This means we need to talk regularly, to meet when we can, and to share our lives with one another as much as possible. That’s the only way to walk the unity-diversity tightrope. It’s not a hierarchical model – but a ‘from everywhere to everywhere’ Kingdom of God model whereby we seek to listen to and learn from each other.

An important aspect of the global preaching consultation was group work.

Such meetings are therefore always stimulating and fascinating, even when we’re discussing tricky issues.

Accra 2017 was a case in point. We had much to discuss: from our curriculum, to agreeing country coordinator roles; from enjoying the quirks and encouragements from each region, to welcoming 2 national movements that are sufficiently established to be recognised as full Programme Partners (countries in bold above, though several more are close); from considering the significant needs of the world’s oral learners to the opportunities that technology offers us.

Smiles at the end of a tiring but fruitful week in Accra.

But the value of these meetings is surely that the sum is always greater than its parts.

It is thrilling and encouraging just to be together! Since it is a genuine foretaste of the day Jesus promised us, when “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 13:29)

 

 

Mark Meynell, Associate Director Langham Preaching (Europe & Caribbean)

 

Tags: , ,