Leading boldly in a shifting culture: part two

This is part two of Allison’s three-part series. You can read part one here.

Many cultural and spiritual tensions are shaping today’s world, revealing a critical opportunity for the Church to lead with renewed clarity, compassion and Christ-centred hope.

The data is clear, and we know where the trend is heading – we are seeing revival, especially amongst young people.

There is hope. Allison has sat with pastors and focused on what it takes to be a faithful witness to Christ in this context. Together, they have wrestled with a critical question: how do we pursue lasting, global transformation?

The conviction is clear: bear witness to Christ in life, word, deed and sign.

World Vision is a partnership of Christians called to follow Jesus in serving the poor and marginalized and to bear witness to him. To change the lives of our kids, youth and families, we need to operate in the Christian faith, shaping and influencing the world in which we live.

At World Vision, we bear witness in Christ in these ways:

Life

We’re committed to living in a way that our presence prompts the kind of questions to which Jesus is the only answer.

Embodying Christ in the place we serve means our staff and partners do more than deliver aid and lead life-saving interventions. We live, work, breathe, and dwell in some of the most challenging contexts over the long term. We build lasting relationships and trust by walking with communities to understand their vision and strengths. Together, we walk through stages of crisis and recovery toward long-term resiliency.

Word

We bear witness in word by proclaiming the truth that reveals Christ’s presence. We partner with the local church everywhere we work. We recognize the vital role of the local church as God’s chosen instrument to bring hope and healing where it's needed most.

Through these partnerships, we support and strengthen the church’s voice in sharing the message of Christ with clarity and authenticity.

Deed

We bear witness in deed by walking alongside the church as it lives out its mission to share the Gospel, make disciples and nurture faith in locally relevant ways.

And by doing so, we walk with people in some of their darkest moments, engaging with their deepest questions about suffering, justice, purpose and meaning. We sit in what is spoken and what is unspoken, and we invite them into the truth of Scripture.

Sign

World Vision works in some of the world's hardest and darkest places. But where there is darkness, there is a God at work and we believe and pray boldly for Him to do what only He can.

We look for signs of His presence, name them, point to them and invite others to see. In doing so, we join in His work as His Kingdom advances and His Spirit moves.

This isn't just a World Vision framework. It is a biblical and holistic way for the church, for us, to bear witness in these changing and challenging times. Where there is fragmentation, we can offer belonging by living out our witness.

This is a three-part series, you can read part one and part three here.