The CMS Summer School blog is being provided by Paul and Cathy Sampson.

The Sampsons are new CMS missionaries heading to Tanzania later this year in preparation for long-term ministry in Kenya. They're spending this week at CMS Summer School in Katoomba.

2010 SUMMER SCHOOL BLOG #1

As we thought about writing this year's Summer School blog, we came up with three top reasons you shouldn't read our blog…

  1. We've never written a blog before.

  2. There are better things you could be doing with your time, like attending CMS Summer School.

  3. We're going to challenge you to think dangerously, and to consider your part in God's global mission.

So, assuming you're still reading, here's just a little snapshot of what you're missing at Summer School 2010.

Dennis Tongoi, head of CMS Africa (that's right, Africa is now an exporter in the missionary biz) presented some fascinating statistics underscoring the major demographic shifts occurring in our world.

For instance, as Christianity declines in the West, there are probably some 70 million Christians in China - more than the entire population of the UK! 

In fact, in this Sunday's paper the 2009 list of the most popular names in Australia was published. There were no real surprises. (Despite a personal disappointment that Paul's name no longer appears as close to the top of the list.) But more generally in the West, big changes are being riven in the socio-cultural landscape. Did you know that the number one, most popular name in Amsterdam today is 'Mohammed'? The Arabic presence in Europe is an undeniable reality, and the question is: will we see this as a threat to or an opportunity for the gospel?

We will see in our lifetimes a major reversal: from people like ourselves going to Africa to train and teach, to African missionaries coming to Australia to minister to and with us. It's no longer 'the West to the rest', but 'everywhere to everywhere'. The game is changing. 

We need more missionaries to send out into the world. But all of us need to be missionaries here, if that's where God keeps us to minister. The good news is that the world is coming to the West. We see this in the faces of our suburbs and universities and workplaces. Immigration provides us with amazing new opportunities for evangelism. So, with the world on our doorsteps, how are we to reach out with the gospel?

Just a hint: it has something to do with 'connecting'. We're sure we've heard that somewhere before!