Bigger than you think - A German Perspective on L4
There’s a video that starts with a close-up of a girl lying in the grass, zooming out to reveal the layout of a city, the continents, and finally the vast expanse of space before zooming back in. Attending the 4th Lausanne Congress in Seoul-Incheon felt much like that, taking me far beyond my usual context of local and national church ministry in Germany to give me a sweeping, and at times dizzying, view of the global Church and its mission.
The Church is Bigger Than You Think
Walking through the convention centre surrounded by believers from over 200 countries was an awe-inspiring experience. Worship in diverse languages, led by Northern Irish and Korean musicians, painted a vivid picture of the beauty of God’s people from all nations. This impression was deepened through personal encounters:
A Welsh pastor longing for revival in his homeland.
A young Kenyan woman advocating for people with disabilities.
A former Indian businessman-turned-law student, who fled persecution and now prepares to fight for justice.
These interactions highlighted how vastly different our concerns can be. In Germany, we wrestle with secularisation, while others face persecution, extreme poverty, or cultural barriers. Yet we are one body, each part bringing unique gifts and experiences.
“As the church in Germany and in the West in general struggles with secularisation and decline, Lausanne reminded me: the Church is alive and vibrant.”
There were the theologians from Nigeria and Ghana who reminded us of the necessity of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and of a “repentant return” to its affirmation where we had been too influenced by Enlightenment thinking. There was the Iranian pastor who introduced himself as belonging to the “bleeding part of the Body of Christ”, as he joyfully shared about how Christ sustained him through years of imprisonment. There were our Korean hosts who recounted the miraculous growth of their churches despite persecution and division. And for the first time, Chinese delegates were present, sharing their bold vision of sending out thousands of missionaries despite ongoing hardships.
As the church in Germany and in the West in general struggles with secularisation and decline, Lausanne reminded me: the Church is alive and vibrant. There is a much bigger picture to see!
The Task is Bigger Than You Think
At the first Lausanne Congress in 1974, Ralph D. Winter introduced the concept of “hidden peoples”, or Unreached People Groups. Lausanne CEO Michael Oh reminded us that 50 years later, there are still “3.4 billion people who live among 7,400 Unreached People Groups in the world that will likely never hear the Good News of Jesus Christ before they die”. Billy Wilson of Oral Roberts University pointed out that while the Church is growing, the world’s population is growing faster. Despite missionary efforts, Christians have remained at about one-third of the world’s population for a century.
At least in part, evangelicals in Germany have woken up to the reality that fulfilling the Great Commission begins in our own neighbourhood. I wonder: How can we maintain and increase this missional momentum – and at the same time see a new movement of mobilisation for global missions?
The Mission Force is Bigger Than You Think
Despite the enormity of the task, the Congress revealed the immense and diverse mission force God is raising up. Missions are no longer about “the West to the rest” but “from everywhere to everywhere.” Thousands of Chinese workers have gone out, not as traditional missionaries, but as professionals sharing their faith while building roads and pipelines. Similarly, many domestic workers in the Middle East are Jesus followers from Southeast Asia who left home with a clear sense of mission.
This struck me as I looked around the great hall at the Congress: It’s not the “big names”, the people we would recognise. Many of “God’s generals” remain anonymous to most of us, like the nameless believers who planted the Antioch church in Acts 11. Yet God raises them up!
Julia Garschagen from Germany pointed to the potential of the 99% of Christians who are not pastors or missionaries but who work in “secular” professions – just like all the preachers of the Gospel in the Book of Acts! She reminded marketplace leaders, who made up one-third of the Congress attendees, that their workplaces could be mission fields. Most of their colleagues have no one else to pray for or bless them. This insight challenged me as a pastor to better equip my congregation to see their daily work as part of God’s mission.
“Many of “God’s generals” remain anonymous to most of us, like the nameless believers who planted the Antioch church in Acts 11. Yet God raises them up!”
The importance of the next generation in mission was a recurring theme. It is easy to point out potential weaknesses of “Gen Z”,but we should be looking for their potential! In my local church, a large part of our volunteers are Gen Z so I was encouraged to focus even more on equipping them and discipling them.
A Call to Humility and Revival
I have been asked several times: What are your main takeaways from the Congress?
My conviction has grown: If we want to see a move of God in Germany, we need to embrace humility. We are so caught up in thinking that we always know best (building the best cars, the best engineering, the best theology …) that we don’t realise our spiritual poverty. May the Spirit lead us to confess that we come with empty hands, and to the realisation that this is exactly what will qualify us, because the Spirit of God will be able to fill those empty hands!
Secondly, we need revival. Testimonies from Korea’s Pyongyang Revival and the Asbury Outpouring in the U.S. stirred my heart. This is not a nice-to-have, but we need the Holy Spirit to revive our churches so we can fulfil our part of the Great Commission. As Sarah Breuel of Revive Europe declared, “Europe is not post-Christian; it is pre-revival.” This hope calls us to prayer, repentance, and preparation for what God is ready to do.
Alexander Hirsch
Pastor, Anskar-Kirche Marburg
National Leader, Anskar-Kirche Deutschland
Read more here:
European Perspectives
· As Seen From Europe – Reflections on the Fourth Lausanne Congress
· This Silent Roar coming from the South: A Spanish Perspective on L4
· Reasons for hope - a French perspective on L4
· Observing a paradigm shift: An Asian in Europe's perspective on L4
· Challenges and Opportunities for Global Mission: an African Missionary in Europe’s Perspective on L4
· Unity of the church in evangelism: A Ukrainian perspective on L4
· "How Great Thou Art": A Swedish Perspective on L4
Reflections on the Seoul Statement
· Participant Perspective: Building on a firm foundation
· An Outsider Perspective: A Kind of New Mission Model and a Clear Position on Ethical Issues