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Working Together in the Body of Christ

Working Together in the Body of Christ. Ethiopia Network meeting 4-27-07 Bill Young. How Do We Work Together?. Cultural and contextual issues Issues of Dependency. What is culture?????. The integrated system of learned patterns of behavior ideas products

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Working Together in the Body of Christ

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  1. Working Together in the Body of Christ Ethiopia Network meeting 4-27-07 Bill Young

  2. How Do We Work Together? • Cultural and contextual issues • Issues of Dependency

  3. What is culture????? • The integrated system of • learned patterns of behavior • ideas • products • characteristic of a society.

  4. Culture

  5. Cultural Feature: Buying From John Wimber, Power Evangelism, Harper: 1986, p. 190

  6. Cultural Feature: Youthfulness From John Wimber, Power Evangelism, Harper: 1986, p. 190

  7. Cultural Feature: Age From John Wimber, Power Evangelism, Harper: 1986, p. 190

  8. Cultural Feature: Clothing From John Wimber, Power Evangelism, Harper: 1986, p. 190

  9. The Role of Worldview:REALITY & reality All that happens What we believe What we What we Our view of (REALITY) possible experience analyze reality From Charles Kraft, Christianity with Power, 1989: Vine Books, p. 19

  10. The Role of Worldview:REALITY & reality Each culture has its understanding of REALITY, which is their reality or worldview We all assume our worldview is REALITY until we encounter another worldview We need the combination and correction of all realities to get REALITY

  11. McArthur’s Corrective Map of the World From Charles Kraft, Christianity with Power, 1989: Vine Books, p. 23

  12. How Do We Do “Mission” Work? • Cultural and contextual issues • Issues of Dependency

  13. Note: much of the following material is based on some from Rob Weingartner

  14. The demographic center of the church and the locus of the church’s mission initiative have shifted away from the West.

  15. From the West to the rest From everywhere to everyone

  16. “Is this creating dependency?” A moreuseful question: “Is the dependency in this mission relationship healthy or unhealthy?”

  17. One-way flow of resources from us to them Sharing gifts as part of the worldwide body of Christ; reciprocity

  18. We are doing mission for them (and for God) We are in mission together as parts of the body of Christ

  19. “Unless we humbly, intentionally, and patiently build dialogical relationships and practice two-way mission with people, our cultural default is a demeaning one-way mission for people.” Sherron George Called as Partners in Christ’s Service

  20. Rather than point Christians away from reliance upon one another, the Bible celebrates dependency in the body of Christ. This dependency is reciprocal and complementary .

  21. We (PCUSA) Are Automatically in a Position of Power in Relationships

  22. Eight ways to create unhealthy dependency • Ignore our position of power in relationships • Make alliance with a lone ranger • Send money directly to individuals • Finance pastors and local churches • Give resources based only on need • Underwrite 100% of ministry’s need • Hire nationals to be your mission staff • Do for others what they can do for themselves

  23. How to get off course • Assume you think alike • Assume you understand and have the answer • Don’t worry too much about cultural differences • Promise more than you can deliver • Make it up as you go along • Let them worry about language issues • Save time by taking short-cuts • Do what you can and trust God to take care of the rest of it • Run a race with no end

  24. Focus on projects and money Priority on relationships; going long and deep

  25. Mission is about what we do to change others’ lives Mission begins with own transformation and involves our continuing conversion

  26. The new global church realities invite us into a deep humility in which we let go of control and learn from the faith and faithfulness of the majority church.

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