Cross Cultural Evangelism and Church Planting

1. Cross Cultural Evangelism and Church Planting How do we adapt the presentation of the Gospel and the form of church ministry to assimilate people from a different culture

2. Four Characteristics of Culture • Beliefs • Values • Customs • Institutions Things learned such as “speech, education, tradition, myth, science, art, philosophy, government, law, rites, beliefs, inventions, technologies…It includes manners, customs, thought patterns, values, self-concepts, morals, ideals and accepted ways of behaving.” Cross Cultural concepts

3. Introduction • To an outsider, culture is a barrier • To an insider, culture is a carrier of values or a test of acceptance • “Contextualization” is the adjustment of a message, lifestyle or ministry style to a host cultural way of doing things. • Lifestyle: adaptation of new and different ways of doing things – learn to hold lightly one’s tastes and preferences, opinions and idea of the way things should be done. Cross Cultural concepts

4. Vital Distinction • Form: the way things are done • Function: the things that are/must be done Cross Cultural concepts

5. Essential Qualities of Cross-Cultural Person • Sensitivity: being people oriented instead of tradition or method oriented. • Flexibility: readiness to adapt to new ideas without emotional stress. • Note: the American way is not the “right” way; its just our way! Cross Cultural concepts

6. Essentials of Culture • Epistemology • Cognitive process • Linguist form • Style of behavior • Media of communication • Social structure • Forms of motivation Cross Cultural concepts

7. Universal thought sequence • Thoughts or statements repeated in conscious mind • Beliefs accepted as truth about reality and self • Values that confirm beliefs • Convictions or habits, emotionally held • Emotions that affirm or discourage behavior • Life-style that meets the needs of man Cross Cultural concepts

8. Cultural Analysis • Ethics, values, standards • Drugs, feeling-driven selfishness, personal gratifications • Materialism • Relativism • Entertainment • Leadership style desired in culture Cross Cultural concepts

9. How to respond to culture • Ignore it • Escape it • Embrace it • Resist it • Be immune to its pitfalls, but Identified in it Cross Cultural concepts

10. Concepts of communication • Focus should not be on content, nor the transmission of truth, but the receptor orientation—what is really understood • Monolog is insufficient • True communication is not informational but transformational • Initiative for communication is always on the speaker’s side of the equation Cross Cultural concepts

11. Keys to communication • Listening rate is proportional to the amount of TV watched (3.2 hrs/day in the US) • Each 2-3 minutes a release is necessary (joke, illustration, movement, etc) • Jokes are very difficult to translate to another culture or language; real mastery is evident when poetry makes sense Cross Cultural concepts

12. The Message • What do we mean by “meaning”? • Is there a “contractual” agreement? in area of semantics and linguistic symbols and standards of right and wrong, good and bad, then we can make value statements (Hesselgrave, Communicating Christ, p. 40) Cross Cultural concepts

13. Meaning development framework • –a lifetime of sensory input for present meaning of things • Common human core —discerned from biblical revelation: made in image of God, sinfulness, conscience • Cultural Specifics —worldview, religion, values, social structures, roles, decision-making rules, etc • Personal Specifics —cognitive style, communication skills, knowledge, personality, history of relationships • Encounter Specifics —emotional/physical state, mood, empathy, trust, authenticity, defensiveness, current attitude toward the other, etc Cross Cultural concepts

14. 100° 0° 100° 0° Predictability/Attention scale Predictability scale Attention level scale Cross Cultural concepts

15. Myths Concerning Communication • Hearing the gospel is “being reached” • Bible is so powerful, all people need is to hear the Word to be converted • Holy Spirit will make up for mistakes, if done sincerely • Christians should restrict all contacts with non-Christians, refrain from going to “evil” places or we “lose our testimony” Cross Cultural concepts

16. More Myths • Preaching is the ordained way to communicate the Gospel • The Sermon is main way to change lives • There is one best way to communicate the Gospel • Main key is the precisely formulate the message • Words contain meanings • What people need is more information Cross Cultural concepts

17. Encoder Encodes Message Message Decoded by Respondent Grid of Culture World View: Ways of perceiving world Cognitive process: Ways of thinking Linguistic Forms: Ways of expressing ideas Behavioral Patterns: Acceptable Ways of Acting Media: Ways of channeling the message Social Structure: Ways of Interacting Motivational Dimension: Ways of Deciding Cross Cultural concepts

18. Followers Discouragers Leaders 34% 34% 13.4% 16% 2.6% Early Innovators Early Adapters Slow Majority Reluctant Majority Never Changers Statistics of Change Probability Cross Cultural concepts

19. Five Steps Towards Change • Relative Advantage • Compatibility • Complexity • Trialability • Re-invention Cross Cultural concepts

20. More notes on Change Process • Must have reason for change • Must be prepared for change • Must be involved in process of change • Must be exposed to models that are better • Must be treated with patience • Must know that God is leading Cross Cultural concepts

21. Conscience of person from culture A Conscience of person from culture B Universal Conscience implies some over lapping Cross Cultural concepts

22. Conscience of person from culture A Conscience of person from culture B Area where consciences agree Discontinuity between consciences Area where B has scruples of conscience and B has none Area where A has scruples of conscience and B has none Cross Cultural concepts

23. Meta culture from Scripture Conscience of person from culture A Conscience of person from culture B Mixed National Cultural Grid

24. Missionary conscience Indigenous conscience Norms from revelation Moral sentiments learned from culture Areas of discontinuity

25. Missionary conscience Indigenous conscience The area in which the missionary might be judged immoral since it is not governed by the moral sentiments which are operative in indigenous conscience Vain effort in strange culture

26. The area which the missionary is likely to judge the behavior of the nationals as immoral, since behavior here is not governed by the moral sentiments deemed important by the missionary. It is with reference to life in this section of our diagram that the missionary will tend to make reference when speaking of sin Missionary conscience Indigenous conscience Indigenous conscience is silent with respect to this area Preaching morals from missionary conscience The area which the missionary is likely to judge the behavior of the nationals as immoral, since behavior here is not governed by the moral sentiments deemed important by the missionary. It is with reference to life in this section of our diagram that the missionary will tend to make reference when speaking of sin Missionary conscience Indigenous conscience Indigenous conscience is silent with respect to this area

27. Super culture from God’s Word Conscience of person from culture B Conscience of person from culture A Missionary reference to sin in personal evangelism should focus in this area Dissecting of a culture Missionary reference to sin in personal evangelism should focus on this area