Culture & Church Planting

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.