Responding to needs, building relationships, establishing churches—those are some of the themes we see as we go around the world in this week’s missions round up.

First to Cuba, where the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reports growing churches thanks to an effective evangelism strategy. The growth key, says Rev. Tricia Lloyd-Sidle, the denomination’s liaison to the region, is that their churches have made a concerted effort to be part of the neighborhood. Through home prayer and Bible study groups, along with traditional worship services, many Cubans have been attracted to church. Sanctuary doors are kept open during the week with members on hand to greet visitors; medicine and food, when they are available, are shared with needy families; and counseling services are offered, all of which have added to the church’s growth.

The Foursquare Church is reporting significant growth in South Asia with 2,000 churches and meeting places established and growing. According to a Foursquare Church missions report, their missionaries have focused on “teaching, coaching, encouraging and resourcing” national leaders who are introducing tens of thousands of people to Christ. In urban areas, missionaries are reaching families by offering evening tutoring sessions and by conducting vacation Bible school. They also are actively training families on hygiene and parenting. In addition, they have introduced micro-business models to enable churches and pastors to be financially self-sustaining.

Finally, to Niger, the fifth poorest nation in the world but it has the highest birth rate. The high births and low income have resulted in thousands of children suffering from curable disabilities that parents don’t have the resources to treat, according to a Mission Network News report.  Even if parents could afford surgery, the report says that there are less than 10 orthopedic surgeons in the entire country. CURE International hopes to change the landscape there with the recent opening of an orthopedic children’s hospital in Niger’s capital. The hospital will perform over 2,000 surgeries a year and be a training resource for new surgeons. CURE is a faith-based, non-profit organization headquartered in Pennsylvania that seeks to provide physical and spiritual healing to disabled children in developing countries.

It has been called the widest and most diverse gathering of Christians ever held in the history of the Church. It was the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism, which met in Cape Town, South Africa October 17-25.

The Congress focused on six key issues facing the Church today, addressing one issue each day of the event. The first issue was truth–the truth of the Christian message and the uniqueness of Christ; and how the Church can declare and defend the gospel in a pluralistic and relativistic world.

The second day dealt with reconciliation–how the Church can bring the peace of Christ to a divided world. Day three delved into world faiths–the challenge of bearing witness to the gospel message to people of other faiths. The issue of priorities was the subject for the fourth day–the evangelistic priorities of the Church in our generation.

Day five highlighted the importance of integrity–a fresh call to the global Church for its integrity and authenticity. The Congress concluded with the issue of partnership–how the Church can partner effectively, especially between the northern and southern hemispheres, in the cause of the gospel.

The last issue, partnership, is what many participants were talking about as they returned home. Lindsay Brown, International Director of The Lausanne Movement, explained his organization’s role in partnerships. “Lausanne has no desire to replicate. Where networks, consultations or collaborations exist, we will not set up new ones but point people to what is there, in a spirit of partnership and cooperation.”

Brown said they are also considering “launching a biennial global evangelical forum, bringing together several hundred key leaders; to develop a database of information on the global evangelical Church; [and] to form a staff team who would be available to teach and minister according to specific issues wherever there was need across the globe.”

One of the 4200 delegates from 198 nations that participated in Cape Town 2010 was David Guiles, executive director of Grace Brethren International Missions. He summarized in a blog post what he took away from the event. “To borrow a title from a well-known book, the church is bigger than you think! To meet with representatives of the Body of Christ from over 190 countries – and only God knows how many people groups – is nothing short of a paradigm-breaking, faith-strengthening, passion-increasing experience.”

He added that, “In spite of rumors to the contrary, the evangelical church is healthier than one might think. Certainly problems and challenges abound. But having talked personally with leaders from 37 countries, I am encouraged that we remain committed to the fundamentals…under the broad umbrella we call evangelicalism are 420 million Christ-followers that will never completely agree on everything, but our commitment to the Great Commission opens doors for collaboration and partnerships.”

We hope you have enjoyed this series of reports on Cape Town 2010. Just a reminder, whether you are heading to a global evangelism conference, leading a short-term mission team, and traveling for any missionary or humanitarian purpose, Ministry Travel can save you money with our specially negotiated missionary contracts with most major airlines. Contact a Ministry Travel agent today at 1-877-541-5726 or on the web at www.ministrytravel.com for details and a no-obligation quote.

The representatives from 198 nations that gathered last week in Cape Town, South Africa are home now, but the impact from the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism is expected to last for years to come. There was one nation not represented, however, although some 200 delegates where invited from it.

For the second time, delegates from China were not allowed to leave their homeland for the global gathering. Baptist Press reported that about 100 Chinese delegates were detained by about 1,000 police officers when they sought to depart Oct. 13 from Beijing International Airport. The Chinese delegation absence was noted at the Cape Town 2010 opening ceremony during a special time of prayer.

Although the 200 Chinese delegates didn’t make it to South Africa, 4200 other delegates did. The vast diversity of the crowd was noted by a number of participants, including blogger Krish Kandiah. “I sat with a young Pentecostal student from southern Sudan, the head of the Bible society in Jamaica, the leader of an ecumenical mission agency in Norway and a young Indian entrepreneur,” he wrote.

Each of the six days of the Congress began with a study in Ephesians, led by pastor-theologians from around the world. Blair Carson, Congress Director, said they wanted the Ephesians study to “be a grounding for a whole new movement of communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The oral telling of Bible stories was also highlighted at Cape Town 2010 as part of a new push to evangelize previously unreached people groups, according to Palmer Holt of the Cape Town 2010 communications team.

He noted that in six years, 200 people groups in 40 different countries have heard the Gospel message for the first time in their language and cultural learning style, but 350 million still wait to hear about Christ in their own tongue.

“The majority of the unreached people of our world are primarily oral learners who learn much differently from those who are literate,” Ron Green of Campus Crusade for Christ International told the Congress. “This is a critical moment to review all of our methods and strategies of ministry so we’re prepared to face this challenge with creativity and God’s heart of compassion for the lost.”

We’ll conclude our wrap-up of Cape Town 2010 with our next post, as we examine the key issues addressed by the Congress. Did you attend Cape Town 2010? We would love to hear your impressions of the global gathering. Please post your comments.