Doctor David Livermoore, Executive Director of the Global Learning Center.
USA (MNN) ― Cornerstone University's Grand Rapids Theological Seminary was where more than 100 mission leaders and pastors joined together for what they called, "The Global Learning Center's Symposium on 'Counting Sheep.' The second annual event asked the question, 'how do you measure missions efforts in the 21st century.
Director of the GLC, David Livermoore says counting the number of conversions isn't enough. "It's got to be connected with (the question) is there transformation in their life? Is there transformation in the community in which they're a part. The second piece was in saying culture is a part of how we assess, but that doesn't mean we don't have something to gain from hearing someone from a very different culture perspective."
The General Director of SEND International is taking information back to his organization. He says this will help SEND, "In trying to become better, more effective, in connecting the local church with the missionary they're support, or the missionary that they're sending."
Janzen believes many missionaries are looking at unique ways to communicate their work to churches and supporters to get the funding they need, rather than on programs the are effectively helping the communities in which they're serving.
While assessment was the focus, Livermoore, says mission leaders are ready to make a change in the way evangelism is done. "A number of people from very strong existing missions organizations and church are actually calling for whole new paradigm of mission in the 21st century that gets rid of some of the tired phases of, 'we're the sending field and they're the mission field. And, so my hope is we'd at least be a part of taking that conversation forward."
Livermoore hopes to release results of the symposium in the days ahead.
