A Holistic MISSION GUIDE The Church’s Response in Times of Crisis Global Ministry Resource A Holistic Mission Guide: The Church’s Response in Times of Crisis Copyright © 2021 Baptist World Alliance All rights reserved. Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): KING JAMES VERSION, public domain. Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked NAS are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD (NAS): Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM. Used by permission of Zondervan The Baptist World Alliance recognizes that there are differing theological convictions and perspectives within the global Baptist family and has sought to give intentional expression to this diversity. Contributions, both in print and video format, are the perspective of the contributor rather than an official position of the BWA. The Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1905, is a fellowship of 241 conventions and unions in 126 countries and territories comprising 49 million baptized believers in 174,000 churches. For more than 100 years, the Baptist World Alliance has networked the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ with a commitment to strengthen worship, fellowship and unity; lead in mission and evangelism; respond to people in need through aid, relief, and community development; defend religious freedom, human rights, and justice; and advance theological reflection and leadership development. Baptist World Alliance 405 North Washington Street Falls Church, VA, USA 22046 BaptistWorld.org 5-30-21 CONTENTS Letter from the General Secretary Foreword Acknowledgements Theological Reflections A Future for Church?.................................................................................................................................................1 A Time for Redeeming Human Sanity.....................................................................................................................4 After the Pandemic: Where Do We Go from Here?.............................................................................................8 Are You Curious?......................................................................................................................................................12 Back to Normal?.......................................................................................................................................................15 A Christian-Buddhist Dialogue on Suering.........................................................................................................19 Evangelism, Discipleship, and Integral Mission in the Time of COVID-19.......................................................24 Faith in the Time of COVID-19: Why Should We Respond?.............................................................................29 God Is Not in Crisis.................................................................................................................................................35 Justice and Compassion: Mission in Post-COVID Society................................................................................38 Misery, Messages of Hope, and Miracles..............................................................................................................43 Paradigm Shift: Thinking about the Future of the Church in a Post-Pandemic World....................................47 Reimagining Ritual: Compassion During a Time of Crisis....................................................................................51 Theology in Times of Crisis.....................................................................................................................................54 The Church's Response to the World in the New Normal...................................................................................59 The Great Omission................................................................................................................................................64 The Power of Last Words........................................................................................................................................69 The Priesthood of All Believers..............................................................................................................................73 Theology of Discipleship: Jesus's Discipleship Model of Suering and Sacrifice............................................79 Three Groanings.......................................................................................................................................................83 Unstoppable: COVID-19 and the Church............................................................................................................87 Zoom Ecclesiology: The Church Scattered and Gathered..................................................................................90 Grassroots Stories A Church Response to the COVID-19 Crisis: The Case of the Baptist Church in Central Africa...................94 A Radical Change Toward a Full Conversion.........................................................................................................99 A Reflection on the Church Response to the Pandemic Crisis from a Naga Context...................................102 CONTENTS Letter from the General Secretary A Society's Outpouring of Kindness.....................................................................................................................106 Foreword An Emergency Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic......................................................................................111 Acknowledgements Be the Church Outside the Temple......................................................................................................................116 Care Project Connects Church to Community .................................................................................................122 Theological Reflections Discovering Joy in Burma......................................................................................................................................126 Equipping Youth and Children to Be Worshippers...............................................................................................131 A Future for Church?.................................................................................................................................................1 Finding Hope in a Pandemic.................................................................................................................................134 A Time for Redeeming Human Sanity.....................................................................................................................4 From Relapse to Hope...........................................................................................................................................138 After the Pandemic: Where Do We Go from Here?.............................................................................................8 I Was Hungry and You Fed Me.............................................................................................................................142 Are You Curious?......................................................................................................................................................12 Initiatives in the Church Amidst the Current Situation in Japan.......................................................................147 Back to Normal?.......................................................................................................................................................15 Light in the Dark, Tiny Room................................................................................................................................150 A Christian-Buddhist Dialogue on Suering.........................................................................................................19 Rethinking What It Means to “Gather" the Congregation.................................................................................153 Evangelism, Discipleship, and Integral Mission in the Time of COVID-19.......................................................24 Teaching Children to Persevere During the Pandemic.......................................................................................158 Faith in the Time of COVID-19: Why Should We Respond?.............................................................................29 The Church and the Response to Crisis: Working with Migrants.......................................................................160 God Is Not in Crisis.................................................................................................................................................35 The Church Is Sharing Our Burden: The Response of the Lebanese Baptist Church to Syrian Refugees..........165 Justice and Compassion: Mission in Post-COVID Society................................................................................38 The Impact of COVID-19