Many Christians in Modern North America, including myself, have typically grown up around other ‘Christians’. This is especially true when it comes to those of us who grew up in rural Texas and the Southern parts of the United States. This is an area that is informally known as The Bible Belt. Unfortunately most of us that have grown up in these areas have rarely come in contact with people of differing ethnicity, a different culture, or differing religious views. There simply isn’t much diversity in many places like these. This has and can lead many of us to unfortunately only see the world as we see it. We don’t have any reference or context for life outside of our city, state, and even our country. We really don’t have a context or understanding for the staggering number of people in this world who don’t believe in the same things as we do when it comes to religion, God, and Jesus Christ.
I was recently made aware of some mind-blowing statistics dealing with people of other religions and whether or not they personally know a Christian. It is hard for us who have grown up in America, especially in the Bible Belt, to imagine living a life where we don’t know any Christians. However, according to the statistics below the majority of the followers of other world religions do not know even ONE Christian personally. Here are the statistics:
- Only 10.4% of Muslims in Asia personally know a Christian.
- Only 13.3% of all Muslims worldwide personally know a [KEEP READING]
EXEGESIS (ěk’sə-jē‘sĭs) Critical explanation or analysis; to interpret
We need to exegete…culture in the same way that missionaries have been so good at doing with diverse tribal culture of previously unreached people. We need to exegete…the themes of Rolling Stones…, Dennis Rodman, Madonna, (and) David Letterman…We need to comprehend that the Spirit of the Living God is at work in these cultural expressions, preparing the hearts of men and women to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have to find, in good missionary fashion, those motifs and themes that connect with the truths of the gospel. We need to learn how to proclaim, “That which you worship as unknown, I now proclaim to you.” This is the missionary vision at its best.
-Craig Van Gelder
Questions your MC can ask in the process of understanding your culture and mission:
- What are the emotional needs of the elderly, families, teens, singles, men, women, children?
- What are the social, economic or educational needs of the same?
- What are the flaws and difficulties with the systems of the community?
- What is their worldview?
- What redemptive analogies best fit this culture?
- What does this culture understand about the basic components of the gospel story?
- What questions are being asked in the culture that point to their need for the gospel?
US Literacy Facts That Impact Our Exegesis:
Did you know that in the USA…
- Over 50% of [KEEP READING]