節錄四月號宣道總會通訊
異象宣言：「神呀！我們全心等候基督藉一運動改變教會、加拿大及至全世界。」
當宣道會祈求「被基督改造，改變加拿大與世界」，究竟是什麼意思？如何實現這一目標呢？
我們認定惟有基督透過聖靈，才能夠改變。或者我們會因此陷入混亂、困惑、挫敗，惟有基督能夠將禱告異象變成美好。希望這可以在我們個人和教會實現。盼望在未來《會長的話》裡，與你分享這個題目。現在我集中討論，改變加拿大意謂著什麼。
改變加拿大並不是期待加拿大成為一個基督教國家；我們所渴望的，是加拿大有很多人歸向基督，愛祂及跟從祂，在浸禮中承認祂是生命的主及救主，能夠活出聖潔和公義的生命，從而國家亦變得更公義。
我們如何達到這目標？最簡單的就是向別人傳講基督的故事，邀請他們與基督建立生命的關係。問題是，怎樣實行這件最基本的事，似乎變得越來越複雜。複雜的因由，加拿大社會變得前所未有的世俗化，世俗化至對任何有關宗教的抗衡。基督教不但被忽略，而且被漠視。不但被漠視，而且被嘲諷，最終可能極度勢微。
面對這情況，我們過往守株待兔傳福音的模式似乎已經過時了。我們很容易將信仰私人化：這正是世俗主義者希望見到的被關起來，完全無害。 讓我們破繭而出：摒除心中的恐懼和芥蒂，再次願意表明我們是有信仰的。這信仰是影響生命的；這信仰是值得探索的。我們能否重整生命的故事，以誠懇的態度，從心裏清楚向人講明嗎？我們可以重新認識福音，掌握福音的內容，能夠向別人講述神救恩計劃，領他們到基督面前，祈求他們的罪被赦免，從而得著永生嗎？
在此我鼓勵你們重溫其他有幫助的資源。我兩個首選是：1) 來自澳洲的課程http://www.xee.info/，透過一系列的對話來分享福音，是三福運動的延伸及更新版。2) 啟發課程http://www.alphacanada.org/仍是有效的渠道，把人帶到基督面前。此外，我鼓勵牧者們藉復興佈道的信息，講解十架的真理，呼召人決志。親愛的讀者，我亦鼓勵你們邀請人到教會，讓他們能聽到福音。
總而言之，我們活在一個抗拒福音的社會。人心實在被蒙蔽，但天父能把基督福音的真光，照亮人的心。讓我們真誠地為加拿大禱告，盼望這國家能透過福音得以改變。
When the Alliance Family of Churches prays to “be transformed by Christ, transforming Canada and the world,” what do we mean? And, how do we go about that?
Here we acknowledge that only Christ, by the Holy Spirit, transforms. We can muck up, we can entangle, we can wreck, but only Christ can transform into beauty in the way we envision when we pray. We want that to happen to us and to our churches. We begin here. I wish to speak on that in a future Table Talk, but right now I want to focus on what it means to speak of transforming Canada.
It does not mean that we expect Canada to become a Christianized society. It does mean that we desire to see many people in Canada come to Christ, to love him and follow him, identifying with him as Lord and Saviour through baptism, and for these people to live lives of holiness and justice and see the nation be more just.
Now, how do we go about that? The quick answer is to tell people the story of Christ and invite them into a life giving relationship with him. The problem is that how to do this very basic thing seems to have become more complicated. The complication arises from the fact that Canadian society is not only more secular than ever before, it has become belligerent in its secularity. Christianity is not only ignored, it is shunned. It is not only shunned, it is derided and to whatever extent possible, diminished.
In the face of that, some of our standby modes of sharing our faith seem so yesterday, and we easily default to private faith, which is exactly where the secularist wants it, locked up and harmless.
Let’s break out. Can we begin to put away fear and awkwardness, and again be willing to let it be known that we have faith, and that yes, it impacts our lives, and yes, we believe that it is worth exploring. Can we think through our own life story so that we can speak it clearly, speak it from our hearts, and speak it invitingly? Can we again learn the gospel, and summaries of the gospel, so that we are able to present the plan of salvation and lead people to Christ, to the forgiveness of sins, to life everlasting?
There are still helps available and I encourage you to examine them again. Here are two of my favourites. From Australia comes a program to share the gospel over a series of conversations, an outgrowth and updating of Evangelism Explosion. Check it out at http://www.xee.info/ . Alpha is still here, and people are still coming to Christ through Alpha. Check out Alpha at http://www.alphacanada.org/. Added to this, I wish to encourage our pastors to revive evangelistic preaching, to explain the cross and call people to commitment. And I also wish to encourage you, dear reader, to bring people to your church so that they may hear the gospel.
Having said all of that, I wish to say that we are living in a society that is resistant to the Gospel. Hearts are truly blinded, but the Father can shine the light of the glorious gospel of Christ into any heart. Let us truly pray for Canada to be transformed through evangelism.
