Lausanne World Pulse – 2010-2020: A “Decade from Heaven”

By Grant McClung
January / February 2010

As we move into the first year of a new decade (2010-2020), there are hopes expressed in the secular press that the next ten years will bring an improvement in our lives and new hope for our world. At the close of 2009, Time magazine made headlines with their eye-catching story, “The ‘00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade from Hell.” Andy Serwer took note of the massive Y2K computer scare at the beginning of the last decade (1 January 2000) and the global financial wipeout at the close of the decade. Also noted was the ten years of misery, mishaps, and misfortunes that caused the decade to also be labeled the “Decade of Reckoning,” the “Decade of Broken Dreams,” and even, “The Lost Decade.”

All of this may be true on the surface, especially from the standpoint of North Americans who finally are catching up to the dismal economic realities already experienced for decades by those in the Majority World.

Followers of Jesus Christ, however, operate from a counter-cultural worldview quite apart from the predictions and prognostications of secular materialism. Living in-between the perils of our time and the promises of God, we follow Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations, going to the ends of the earth until the end of time (Matthew 28:18-20).

Our confidence is that 2010-2020 will be “A Decade from Heaven,” especially on a global scale. Why can we expect this possibility? Already there are signs that the next ten years will bring positive changes.

A Decade of Defined Discipleship. In the Great Commission community (local churches, denominations, networks, associations, mission agencies, mission training systems, laity in the marketplace, students, youth, children) there is a convergence of a generation of international, interdenominational cooperation and partnership in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. This is expressed in the great theme of the Lausanne Movement: “The whole Church taking the whole gospel to the whole world.” There is unprecedented unity and collaboration in place to reach the remaining unreached people groups and most resistant areas of the world with the gospel and new church planting.

A Decade of Demographic Destiny. In the coming decade, one of the largest demographic blocs in modern history (at least in the United States), the “Baby Boomers,” will be firmly moved into retirement years (around the ages of fifty-five to seventy-five). Those keyed into kingdom values and the mission of God will use their financial means and mentoring influence to challenge the next generation.

Dr. Grant McClung is president of Missions Resource Group and a member of the International Executive Council of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee, USA).