Need a New Perspective on Life?

By Duane Reeves

“Perspectives calls and challenges every Christian to become engaged in the greatest enterprise of all.” (Dr. Luis Bush, Director, AD 2000 & Beyond Movement)

Forty years ago, veteran missionaries from dozens of mission fields around the world assembled to gather their formidable personal experience in discussion of the progress of world evangelism in the last 200 years. Having in mind to define new points of view, they studied the shortcomings and victories of world missions so far. What resulted was a synthesis of new ideas and insights which would prove to multiply effectiveness in reaching un-reached peoples with God’s truth and light. Because of their efforts, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (Perspectives) – a three credit hour course offered in hundreds of locations around the world – was developed to teach God’s missionary heart to Christians, and especially those students who attended the early 1973 Urbana Mission Conferences. Twenty-three percent of those present at Urbana ’73 indicated they were eager to dedicate their lives to missions.

The first Perspectives course was designed to meet the needs of those students who had made a decision to commit their lives to missions. Originally called Summer Institute of International Studies, it was held in Wheaton, Illinois in the summer of ‘73. Its chief architect, Dr. Ralph Winter, realized that students would base their life decisions on the information they had available. A primary objective for Perspectives was to fill in the gaps of understanding of God’s work throughout history and the centrality of the nations in God’s purposes. This objective continues today, although its target audience today is not only college students, but also Christians of any location, vocation, and age.

“Many people don’t know what to do with their lives,” it says in the Perspectives instructors’ guide. “They are somehow bewildered about God’s will. They struggle in making life decisions, unfamiliar with criteria other than their own self-interest. They grope for meaning in the daily hum-drum, having no larger context than their own diary. They want to serve in a cause, but have no agenda, only dozens of disconnected opportunities and priorities.”

Perspectives has changed that by giving new direction to hundreds of thousands of people. The mobilizing effect that it has had on the Christian community in America alone is staggering. Dozens of Christian leaders have expressed their appreciation of its powerful ministry. Among them is Scott Wesley Brown, a well-known Christian recording artist, founder and president of ICARE Ministries. Brown has stated, “It's difficult to run the race unless you know where to go. For many Christians, Christianity is like a puzzle spilled out on the floor. Perspectives puts it all together by showing us the box top. It not only changed my music and my ministry, but the very way I live. Perspectives is the most life-changing course I've ever taken. It totally transformed my entire way of thinking — and enhanced every thing I've done in ministry a hundred-fold.”

John Dawson, author of Healing America’s Wounds and Taking our Cities for God says: “The Perspectives course is profoundly important. It lifts our eyes and gives us hope. Against the backdrop of this understanding of our world our own lives suddenly make sense and we have the opportunity to discover our destiny.”

Revered John Piper, the celebrated author and senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis says: “I am enthusiastic about Perspectives because my life and our church are devoted to spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples. God intends to be known and enjoyed by every tribe tongue and nation (Rev. 5:9). Perspectives has been essential in mobilizing hundreds of lay people in our church to be World Christians.”

Today, Perspectives classes are offered in around 200 locations annually in America alone. It most commonly meets once a week for 15 weeks, although intensive three or one week classes are also occasionally offered. Each week features a different instructor from various ministries around the country.

Too many live without knowing the full purpose and plan God has for their lives. Before you finish school, before you go on with your career, take time to discover God’s most cherished hopes and dreams and make them your own. Take advantage of the rich, God-grounded heritage of the Perspectives course, and fuel your life by seeing how you fit into God’s perfect, eternal, and astoundingly significant purposes.

The course will help you focus your life by examining the Four Keys of Perspectives: The Biblical Perspective (Understanding the Bible as one seamless book with one major theme.); The Historical Perspective (Discovering how God has been working through history to accomplish His ultimate purpose.); The Cultural Perspective (How to overcome barriers to meaningful cross-cultural communication.) and The Strategic Perspective (How God is achieving His purpose for world evangelism, and how you can be used strategically.)

Perspectives 2009 courses will be held in St. Charles, MO on Sunday, January 18th, from 5 to 8 p.m., at Faith United Methodist, just a few blocks from Lindenwood University and in St. Louis on Monday, January 19th from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Memorial Presbyterian Church, right next to Washington University.

There are several enrollment options for those wishing to take the course: The Enrichment and Certificate options at $225 per student; Undergraduate and Graduate options for 3 credit hours which are available through Geneva College and Trinity International University at a cost of $420; and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) course for Continuing Education credits at $225 per student. All options include the text book. Perspectives has been approved by the ACSI for Continuing Education Units for Biblical Studies and Educational Studies.

In addition, there are two special offers. Any senior pastor who wishes to attend the course may do so tuition free. However, there will be a $40 fee to cover the cost of the Perspectives reader and workbook. We also have a 2 for 1 offer for couples, which means all couples can attend for the price of one.

For more information or questions please contact Duane Reeves in St. Charles at (636) 544-8526 or email me at dreeves63@gmail.com. In St. Louis the contact is Neal Powers who can be reached by calling (314) 560-0041 or by Email at nealwriter1@charter.net.

To learn more about Perspectives visit www.perspectives.org.