1 / 17

Culture & Church Planting

Explore the definition and elements of culture, cultural diversity, cultural perspectives, evangelism and cultural distance, working within a culture, and the importance of identificationalism in church planting.

kevinw
Download Presentation

Culture & Church Planting

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Culture & Church Planting Understanding Cultures

  2. Culture & Church Planting • Definition of Culture • Culture is the integrated system of learned patterns of ideas, values, behavior, and products characteristic of a society. • Culture influences our perception of reality • Men holding hands • Cause of disease • Acceptable food

  3. Culture & Church Planting • Elements of Culture • Integrated - all the components that make up culture function as an interrelated unit • Learned - culture is learned and passed on from generation to generation • Ideas - language and mental images use to describe reality • Values - the worth and importance of ideas and ethical standards • Behavior - the observable actions of members of the culture • Products - visible items utilized in the culture • Society - organized interaction of all elements to accomplish its goals

  4. Culture & Church Planting • Areas of Cultural Diversity • Gestures • Language • Personal space • Physical items • Life style • Nucular- independent • Patrilocal • Extended • Music

  5. Culture & Church Planting • Cultural Perspectives • Ethnocentric - tend to see our culture as best • View other cultures from our home culture perspective • Every culture has it good and evil aspects

  6. Culture & Church Planting • Evangelism & Cultural Distance • E-0 is Christians teaching nominal Christians of the same culture who attend their churches but have not made Christ their Lord. • E-1 is where evangelism occurs among people of highly similar cultures in the same language. • E-2 is evangelism among people in similar cultures but with differing languages. • E-3 is evangelism among distinctively different cultures and different languages.

  7. Culture & Church Planting • Bridging - being able to bridge cultural barriers to effectively communicate the gospel. • Problems with using nationals to avoid bridging. • Support often goes only to supporting local preacher and not church planting • How money is used is not known • Gives people excuse not to go • Tribalism, ethnic fighting, & clan animosity • Nationals face obstacles

  8. Culture & Church Planting How To Work Within A Culture • Extractionismvs. Identificationalism • Extractionism - is pulling people out of their cultural environment and into the missionary’s cultural norm. • Identificationalism - is an empathy between communicants involving a compassionate, interpersonal, reciprocal sharing of feelings and concepts.

  9. Culture & Church Growth How To Work Within A Culture • Perspectives of Extractionism • Learning • Missionary has all the answers • Really does not know the answers • Expect to teach without learning to relate to the culture • Relating to people • People brought to their comfort zone • Isolate themselves (won’t eat or sleep among) • Don’t see local problems

  10. Culture & Church Planting How To Work Within A Culture • Perspectives of Extractionism • Language • Try communication without learning language • Depend on translator • Indigenous thought forms • Keep western thought forms • Will not see cultural dilemmas • Ministry • High use of institutions • Superimpose their own cultural perspectives of think & organization of local people

  11. Culture & Church Planting How To Work Within A Culture • Basic invalid assumption of extractionism • Assumes all people are the same • Seldom focuses on a specific audience • Outside support is generally approved • Problems with extractionism • Tend to westernize cultures • High degree of dependence on the missionary • Highly indoctrinated

  12. Culture & Church Planting • Perspectives on identificationalism • Learning • Learner first • Teach with cultural perspective • Relating to people • Regard people as equals • Participate in local customs (food, sleep, celebrate) • Wisdom & education not the same

  13. Culture & Church Planting • Perspectives on identificationalism • Indigenous thought forms • Teach in a culturally understandable form • Use illustrations in their cultural context • Ministry • Personalize ministry to the people • Does not superimpose our own cultural thought forms or organizational ideas (e.g. decision making)

  14. Culture & Church Planting • Qualities of identificational thinking • Compassion • Enter into the suffering of other people • Understand people’s life situation (Mt. 9:36) • Interpersonal report • Personal training • Open home - friendship • Being a part of the community • Reciprocity - One another scriptures • Transparency • Sharing • Empathy

  15. Culture & Church Planting • Inner & Outer Identification • Physical conformity does not necessarily prove identification • Things vs. People • Heart felt empathy bring more than physical conformity

  16. Culture & Church Planting • Contextualization -- communicating the gospel in a new context in a way that is understandable to the recipients in order for them to do theology, develop church life, be involved in ministry that is biblically based and culturally appropriate. • Identifying with the people helps you to contextualize the message better. • Extractionism hinders one’s ability to effectively contextualize the gospel

  17. Culture & Church Planting • Cultural Adaptation • Enculturation - the process by which a child learns to be a functioning member of its home culture. • Acculturation - the process by which an adult acquires the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, & behaviors to function within a new culture. • Culture Jolts- experiencing cultural differences which one adapts to after an initial experience of newness and uncomfortableness. • Culture Shock- experiencing cultural differences but not being able to adapt and live in harmony with the differences.

More Related