We don’t have to go far to find a growing mission field! Author Walt Mueller spells it out for us, the changing youth leaders:
· We – the church – must recognize the mission field that is right under our noses! “The Great Commission applies to the crosscultural mission field of the emerging postmodern generations. We are called to live out our faith in the postmodern world as crosscultural missionaries. We must not only understand the unchanging Word of God but also those to whom we are called to minister.” (45)
· Mueller explains three steps needed for Christian mission to go forth with power: (46-49)
· We – the church – must recognize the mission field that is right under our noses! “The Great Commission applies to the crosscultural mission field of the emerging postmodern generations. We are called to live out our faith in the postmodern world as crosscultural missionaries. We must not only understand the unchanging Word of God but also those to whom we are called to minister.” (45)
· Mueller explains three steps needed for Christian mission to go forth with power: (46-49)
“Step 1: Know the unchanging Word.” “…the first step is to know the message – inside out and upside down. We must know the Incarnate Word, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Knowing Christ means that we view all of life through the framework and lens of God’s Word.”
“Step 2: Know young people and their rapidly changing culture. The basic principle of effective communication is that the message sender must know the receiver, particularly how and what the receiver thinks. The basic message of God’s Word doesn’t vary from culture to culture. But the words used in communicating the unchanging Word must always be chosen with deep sensitivity to the receiving culture.” “First, we must know them individually, in terms of both their unique personally and abilities (nature), and their lifetime of experiences….” “Second, we must know them developmentally.” “Third, we must know their changing cultural context.”
“Step 3: Take the unchanging Word to young people growing up in a rapidly changing culture. Once we know the message and the “address” of those awaiting the delivery, we need to get on our way and deliver the good news.
“Step 2: Know young people and their rapidly changing culture. The basic principle of effective communication is that the message sender must know the receiver, particularly how and what the receiver thinks. The basic message of God’s Word doesn’t vary from culture to culture. But the words used in communicating the unchanging Word must always be chosen with deep sensitivity to the receiving culture.” “First, we must know them individually, in terms of both their unique personally and abilities (nature), and their lifetime of experiences….” “Second, we must know them developmentally.” “Third, we must know their changing cultural context.”
“Step 3: Take the unchanging Word to young people growing up in a rapidly changing culture. Once we know the message and the “address” of those awaiting the delivery, we need to get on our way and deliver the good news.
No comments:
Post a Comment