An international summit has been held in Mijas, southern Spain, gathering more than 80 invited Christian leaders from 18 nations to discuss the future of Europe, and how church leaders could train Christians effectively to engage the future in a way that “positively changes the face of cities and nations”.

|TOP|The summit, entitled ‘The Strategic Leaders Consultation 2006: Europe 2020’, brought together leaders of church networks and national ministries from 12 European nations, plus guests from the USA, Australia, Canada, South America and South Africa.

The Strategic Leadership Consultation (SLC) was started eight years ago by Mal Fletcher, director of London-based Next Wave International

Fletcher stated, “Europe is changing fast. People are looking for help to steer them through the rough waters and the exciting opportunities ahead. That's where Europe's new churches can shine.”

He continued, “When was the last time you heard two leading futurists speak into a Christian leaders' event? Probably never.”

Two acclaimed futurists spoke at the event, offering an insight into where the world may be in the year 2020 and how the church might proactively change things for the better.

One of Europe’s leading futurists, and recently voted by an international business forum as one of the top twenty business thinkers alive today, Dr Patrick Dixon, told delegates, “We are all futurists to some degree. We're all interested in what the future holds. If we don't change the future, the future will change us.

|AD|“Christians can thrive in shaping the future. For example, in an age of hi-tech, people are hungry for high-touch and community. That's a great opportunity for the church.”

The other leading futurist at the event, Dr Tom Sine, an acclaimed author based in Seattle, described to delegates a world where the values of consumerism and material security have largely overtaken a Christian worldview.

However, amongst the modern society, Sine urged that the church had to lead the way.

He said, “The church should be about innovation. Christians need to become the new "merchants of cool": setting the trends rather than slavishly following the values of a consumerist, secularised society. We must redefine what having a better life actually means.”

Mal Fletcher hosted the event, and he explained that the purpose of the event: “The church ought to be the most future-minded group on earth. The church is "a city on a hill that cannot be hidden": we represent in microcosmic form what our cities could look like if they lived with the values Jesus taught us.”

Gary Clarke, leader of the Hillsong Church in London, was also at the event. He focussed on the need to reach out to the young and build them into leadership positions in the church quickly.

He told, “I consciously focus my energies on the young more than anything else. They're the ones who will carry the future.”

Resulting from the summit was a statement of intent, which reflected the major agreements from the three-day event. It includes commitments to build self-help programmes, assisting those who are disadvantaged by the new global economy.