Contextualization

Contextualization is the active work of translating the gospel into a culture that doesn’t have an indigenous expression of Christianity. The problem is that we all seem to be “contextualizing” for a culture that we don’t live in. We all look alike because we were all mentored by the same six guys (John, Rick, Mark, [...]

Tags: contextualization

The Counterintuitive Church (pt.1)

“The first will be last,” Jesus said. “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” A quick perusal of Jesus’ words will turn up all sorts of instructions that don’t seem to line up with what we’d consider “common sense.” He told his followers to “Turn the other cheek” (didn’t He know about [...]

Tags: Counterintuitive, Pragmatism, Values

A Baby In A Barn. Brilliant!

The birth of Jesus is the greatest plot-twist ever. Maybe you’ve read a book where the story seems to be going in a certain direction, (maybe the identity of the killer seems obvious), but then, in a crucial and defining moment, the entire thing is turned upside-down. The rules are changed, the focus shifts, and [...]

Reintroductions

They say that Coca-Cola is the world’s most recognizable brand. No matter  where you go in the world, chances are that you can get the familiar caramel-colored fizzy drink. Coke is everywhere. Coke doesn’t taste the same in every country, though. They adjust the flavor based on local tastes. In Europe, the cola is less [...]

Tags: Coke, contextualization, gospel, reintroduction

What’s It To You?

The Gospel. The “Message.” The “Good News.” Whatever you want to call it, it is considered the basic information of evangelism. Most people agree that whatever it is, it’s surely a good thing to share with people, and many believe that it’s even better to take to those people who have not heard it before. [...]

Missing the Trees for the Forest

Many of our partners come to Western Europe to work alongside us and are overwhelmed by the sin that they see practiced and even glorified in these cultures. Entire segments of the population find their identity in the sin that characterizes their lives. For many of our co-workers, it can be overwhelming to see such [...]