Whole-Life Discipleship Consultation - II (Lahore Chapter)

 Whole-Life Discipleship Consultation - II (Lahore Chapter) 15-17 Nov, 2022

The WLD Consultation was conducted from 15th to 17th November 2022 at Hotel Grand Palm in Lahore, Pakistan, bringing together a total of 65 participants, including 24 church leaders and 41 organizational leaders, representing 29 different churches and organizations, who gathered for three days of learning, discussion, and fellowship focused on Family Discipleship, Education and Religion.

Event Preparation

The event was organized to provide a platform for Pakistani leadership to engage in meaningful discussions on discipleship and mission work. By God’s grace, we were able to make all necessary preparations for the event. The attendance exceeded expectations, with 35 participants on the opening evening of 15th November, 43 participants on 16th November, and 65 participants on 17th November, when several uninvited young people also joined the discussion. A detailed list of participants is attached with this report. The training materials prepared for the event were adequate, and the meeting hall, along with the equipment provided, proved to be well-suited for the sessions and created a good environment for discussion and interaction.

 

The presentations and presenters:

• Presentations were good. The following were the presenters:

Rev Jan Wessels (Faith2Share)

Rev Chan Nam Chan (CMS – shared devotional thought)

Rev Asif Khalid (Presbyterian church - shared devotional thought)

Rev Tony William (Main Speaker for Discipleship among Families)

Rt Rev Bishop Samuel Azariah (Main Speaker for Discipleship, Science and Education)

Rt Rev Bishop Irfan Jamil (Main Speaker for Discipleship and Religion)

• Penal Facilitators were:

Farida Carry (from SMS & OTS)

Corien Van de Velde (from Tameer)

Azika Barkat (from Der Mar Thoma)

Rev Rahil (from Scripture Union)

Rev Jamshad Peter (from Victory Churches International)

Event Reflection

·       Yes, we met our goals.

Overall Impression of the Event

The overall response to the event was highly positive and encouraging. Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds, including church leaders, para-church leaders, and young students from different colleges and universities, which created a diverse and dynamic environment.

Many participants expressed their deep appreciation for the opportunity to gather, interact, and have open conversations on the topics of discipleship and mission work. A particular highlight for them was the inclusive approach adopted by Lord’s Home and Faith2Share, where all participating organizations were given space to set up display desks in the conference hall. This allowed participants to present their ministry materials and become aware of the work being done by other organizations, as many of them had no prior knowledge of each other’s resources or initiatives.

The group discussions were especially well received. Participants were seated at tables in groups of six to eight, where they engaged in focused discussions on key thematic areas. Afterwards, each group appointed a leader to present their insights and suggestions to the larger gathering. This participatory format enabled everyone to contribute meaningfully to the dialogue.

The main speakers included Rev. Tony William (speaking on “Discipleship Among Families”), Rt. Rev. Bishop Samuel Azariah (on “Discipleship, Science and Education”), and Rt. Rev. Bishop Irfan Jamil (on “Discipleship and Religion”). While these sessions were greatly appreciated, some participants observed that the key speakers were primarily from mainline churches. They suggested that in future consultations, young and emerging leaders from various backgrounds should also be given more opportunities to speak and play a more active role in shaping the national leadership movement.

College and university students who attended the consultation were particularly enthusiastic. They described the event as a wonderful experience, noting that this was the first time they had been given an open platform to share their views on discipleship and leadership. Many said that this freedom to speak openly was unique and very meaningful for them.

Participants also shared valuable feedback and suggestions through evaluation forms, including:

• Conducting similar consultations on a city-by-city basis across Pakistan, with Islamabad and Karachi suggested as the next locations.
• Extending the duration of future consultations to four or five days to allow sufficient time for deeper discussions and interaction.

There was strong appreciation for the insights shared by the resource persons, and the organizers honored all participants with flowers, event mugs, and shields as tokens of gratitude. The consultation was professionally recorded, and the video, photos, and a brief written summary have been distributed to all participants for their reference.

Throughout the event, there was a spirit of worship, prayer, fellowship, and networking. Participants enjoyed meals and tea breaks together, which provided valuable time to build relationships and strengthen connections for future collaboration.

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Outcome of the Consultation

• Participants began to think and talk more openly about discipleship and its implications for their ministries.
• The consultation encouraged them to reflect on and evaluate their own vision, mission, strategies, calling, and organizational approaches to discipleship and mission work.

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Additional Comments

• Special thanks to Faith2Share for organizing this consultation in Pakistan and for their financial and strategic support.
• Gratitude was expressed to Rev. Jan Wessels for visiting Pakistan and sharing a heart for discipleship and mission work in this context.