How can the global Church apply the collective time, energy and resources to finish the Great Commission? A plan could be developed by 400 Christian leaders representing 39 European countries meeting for the FINISH Europe Summit, September 4-6, 2023, in Zurich, Switzerland.
FINISH 2030 is organized by Global Church Network and is a collaboration offering new overarching strategies for pursuing the Great Commission — “one that is synergistic, global in scope and capable of outpacing population growth and getting the Church to the finish line sooner than we ever dreamed possible,” according to GCN.
“FINISH 2030 is about reaching the hardest places in the world with the Gospel—sooner rather than later,” said Founder and President of Global Church Network, Dr. James O. Davis. “This is not something that any one person, church, denomination or ministry organization can do alone. We are moving past ego and logo to ‘we go together.’ The Church is moving from competing with each other to working together to complete the Great Commission.”
The organization works with thousands of organizations and more than 700,000 churches, spanning virtually every denomination and world region. In 2017, they added a finish line: 2030 — the 2,000th birthday of the Church.
Following FINISH 2030 Summits previously held in Asia and West Africa, leaders in attendance at the FINISH Europe Summit in Zurich will set collective, missional goals for:
- The launching of 39 ministry hubs throughout Europe;
- The equipping of at least 100,000 new pastors and ministers in the next ten years;
- The establishment of Global Church Divinity School campuses in every nation;
- The mobilization of prayer in local churches throughout Europe.
The Summit will consist of six plenary sessions, led by 19 distinguished leaders, each presenting a portion of the FINISH acronym:
- FIND the world’s unreached people groups and engage them.
- INTERCEDE for the unreached and for one another.
- NETWORK together for the greatest synergistic impact.
- INVEST time, talent and treasure into this Kingdom cause.
- SEND young missionaries into the world regions where the Gospel isn’t known.
- HARVEST together until the very last person has heard.
Amid the ongoing, unpredictable turmoil in Ukraine, Dr. Valery Reshetinsky, President of the International Center of Christian Leadership in Kiev, is driving 1,300 miles each way to speak at the summit. Reshetinsky will bring one of the final messages of the Summit, sharing the dynamic, supernatural ways he has witnessed God protect the people there since the Russian invasion.
“We’re living in the greatest battle of lives. Our Lord has commanded us to fight the good fight of faith and to finish the Great Commission,” said Reshetinsky. “The FINISH Europe Summit gives us the opportunity to join forces with Christian leaders, from throughout Europe, to synergize our energies together to win the battle for millions of souls throughout our world region.”
Dr. Tim Hill, Church of God Overseer in Cleveland, Tenn. says the denominatino is committed to challenging and completing the Great Commission in our generation. “It is a joy to unite our efforts with Dr. James O. Davis and the Global Church Network at the FINISH Europe Summit to mobilize Christian leaders toward the finish line,” he said.
Another major denomination, Church of the Nazarene which is headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., wants to ensure that all ethnicities and groups around the world are reached in the effort.
“For more than a century, the Church of the Nazarene has focused on preaching the Gospel to all people groups,” said Carla Sunberg, Church of the Nazarene General Superintendent. “I’m honored to speak at the FINISH Europe Summit in Zurich in order to further mobilize prayer throughout the Body of Christ.”
She says that we are living in the generation where Church leaders are woring together in their efforts in evangelism and church planting in the hardest regions of the world.
Dr. John B. Sorensen, President and CEO of Evangelism Explosion believes this is the greatest revival in the last 60 years and possibly ever. “How critical it is to join together to evangelize the lost and to equip young evangelists to carry the Gospel to new, uncharted areas. I believe that we are living in the days of the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ!” he said.
FINISH Europe Summit co-hosts include Andi Bachmann-Roth (Co-General Secretary, Teamleitung), James O. Davis (Founder, Global Church Network), Marco Hofmann (President, Swiss Pentecost Mission), Urs Daniel Schmid (Founder, LiFe Evangelism) and Florin Cimpean (Administrative Bishop, Church of God).
For more information about FINISH 2030 or to register online for the FINISH Europe Summit, visit finisheurope.com. Those unable to attend are encouraged to partner in prayer.
The Global Church Network now consists of more than 700,000 churches and has become the largest pastors network in the world. For more information, visit gcnw.tv.
–Metro Voice