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What Church Planters Can Learn from the Global Church: Reflections from Lausanne 2024
It’s a good practice for those on the frontlines of planting churches to cultivate relationships beyond their own zip codes, state lines, and even national borders.
Church planting can often feel like a solitary endeavor. It’s easy to become consumed by local challenges, unaware of the broader context of what God is doing around the world. That’s why it’s a good practice for those on the frontlines of planting churches to cultivate relationships beyond their own zip codes, state lines, and even national borders.
I was reminded of this at the Fourth Lausanne Congress in South Korea, where more than 5,000 leaders from over 220 nations gathered to discuss the global state of mission and evangelism. This wasn’t your average conference where everyone sits in rows facing a speaker on a stage. Instead, we spent the week sitting around tables of six, representing a wide spectrum of languages, cultures, and traditions. It was an environment that fostered relationship-building, not just note-taking. And it was an experience that showed how local ministry gains a richer texture when woven into the larger tapestry of what God is doing across the world.
The Neighborhood of God’s Kingdom
When you’re focused on building a church in a specific community, it’s easy to get locked into the distinctives of your own denomination or cultural context. Yet, one of the unique blessings of engaging with the global church is the opportunity to encounter various “homes” in God’s neighborhood, each with its own unique contributions.
Yes, denominational distinctives are important—they’re like load-bearing walls that give shape and integrity to the house. But at the same time, our denominational homes are not prisons; we can learn from the treasures found in other Christian traditions and contexts. The Lausanne Congress was a reminder that we’re part of a larger neighborhood of faith, and engaging with believers from other traditions and countries can help beautify our own homes, making them more hospitable for the people God has called us to reach.
The Testimony of the Persecuted Church
One of the most profound experiences for me at Lausanne was hearing from church leaders who serve in contexts of intense persecution. An Iranian speaker, who had spent several years in jail, including solitary confinement, after speaking at the 2010 Congress in Cape Town, opened his remarks this year with gallows humor: “Last time I spoke at this Congress, I then went to jail for five years. I’m hoping things turn out different this time.” The audience responded with laughter, but it was tinged with the weight of his words—a reminder of the persecution many Christians face. This reality was evident throughout the event, as some attendees wore badges indicating they could not be photographed for safety reasons. After one session, a speaker’s family was threatened due to a photo shared online, prompting many of us to urgently check our phones to ensure we hadn’t unknowingly put someone in danger. Moments like these highlighted the sobering truth that, as one global body, we share in the suffering and perseverance of our brothers and sisters around the world.
For church planters, there’s something humbling and inspiring about listening to stories of the persecuted church. It shifts our perspective, making our own struggles seem lighter in comparison. Their example challenges us to count the cost of discipleship more seriously and to take heart in the assurance that Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness.
Lessons for Church Planters
- Embrace the Global Perspective of Suffering and Mission
Engaging with the persecuted church forces us to wrestle with the question: What does faithfulness to the gospel look like when it costs you everything? The answer we find in these global contexts is that suffering doesn’t quench the fire of mission—it fuels it. For these brothers and sisters, opposition often serves as a catalyst for deeper intimacy with Christ and greater boldness in witness.For church planters, this is a reminder to see our local mission in light of a broader context. Just as persecution doesn’t deter believers in hostile regions, the challenges we face in our own context shouldn’t dampen our resolve. We should be encouraged by their example to persevere, knowing that God uses our faithful witness—even in difficult situations—to advance His kingdom. - Seek Relationships with Global Leaders
At Lausanne, I met leaders from countries I may never visit, and yet they felt like family. Why? Because the same Spirit at work in us is at work in them. For church planters, cultivating relationships with believers outside of North America isn’t just a nice “add-on”—it’s essential for ministry health. These connections remind us that we’re part of something much larger than our immediate field of work.Developing relationships with leaders from different parts of the world will deepen our understanding of God’s work globally and challenge us to see new dimensions of church planting that we might otherwise miss. The wisdom of the global church can refine our ministry approaches and help us see aspects of the gospel that are less prominent in our cultural setting. - Rethink Our Perspectives and Strategies
Different cultural perspectives and ministry contexts shape the way we wrestle with theological questions and church challenges. For instance, conversations around gender and sexuality—a flashpoint issue in many Western nations—were approached with fresh insights from those in Asia and Africa, where the cultural frameworks and societal pressures differ. When we listen to how believers in other parts of the world are addressing these issues, we see new dimensions of these debates.For church planters, this means recognizing that some of the strategies or apologetic approaches we’ve leaned on may not be as universally applicable as we think. A deeper engagement with global voices can help us refine our methods and approach—learning from those who may see the gospel intersect with culture in a way that’s unfamiliar, yet deeply biblical.
The Beauty of the Global Body of Christ
The most moving moment of the Congress for me came when participants were invited to wear the traditional dress of their countries. As I looked around, I saw a variety of colors, patterns, and designs from hundreds of nations. It was a reminder of that future day when people from every tribe, language, and nation will bring their cultural tribute to the feet of King Jesus (Rev. 21:24–26).
When we plant churches, we’re not just planting for our community but for a global movement of people redeemed by Christ. As Vance Pitman likes to say, “When God births a church, He always has the nations on his heart.” Connecting to the global church helps us engage our local context with settled confidence that the church is going to be fine. Jesus is building his church worldwide. Countries come and go. Empires rise and fall, but the kingdom is unstoppable, and the church is a beautiful bride Jesus is preparing for that glorious wedding day.
