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Engaging Culture
Part 1: How we got here
What is happening in the world?
Question: How often are do you hear that question? Especially from Christians
What is really happening?
A shift in Worldview.
We live at a key moment in the history of the world.
Medieval (300-approximately 1400) Chief shaping factors: Feudalism, Constantine
You are part of a
Community.
Your place in that community is
Clear, Permanent and Preordained.
Your life goal is
Mutual Obligations to that community.
You are
born into the belief system of your community (which became largely Christian). You participate in it
by listening to the local authorities belonging to your community.
Modern (approximately 1400-1950's) Chief shaping factor: The Enlightenment
You are an
individual.
Your participation in a wider society is
voluntary
You come to your own beliefs by the use of
your own reason; no one else has the right to influence your beliefs
uninvited, but if you all reason well you will come to the same beliefs.
You are
autonomous in your self conception.
Post-Modern (1950's--???) The next major societal paradigm shift in western culture
You belong to both
yourself and
local communities.
You are deeply formed by the
values of your community in ways that cannot be erased. 2
This is our place in history. This transition point. We live during the shift into a Postmod-
ern culture.
Why is that significant?
A 1 It shapes how you see your place in the world.
2 How you see your place in the world affects how both you are influenced and how
you influence others.
B 1 When you live in a transitional phase, how you respond to cultural changes
affects if and how you engage culture.
2 How you respond to cultural changes affects our effectiveness with communicating
the gospel
2 From Brian Housman's "Reaching the Coming Generations" Leading Edge training material.
Copyright IVCF .
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Engaging Culture
Part 1: How we got here
Through each of these transition points, historically there have been several types of responses.
4 Categories of Responses to the Emerging Culture
1)
Deny Changes are occurring.
Any apparent changes are merely
superficial and
unimportant.
Response:
Little or none; keep doing things as we always have done
Example: Many Traditional Churches? Churches composed of mostly elderly people?
2)
Developmental or Generational
The changes are not permanent, it is just a phase or specific to a generation
Response:
Create temporary ministry structures to accommodate. Focus on a single
generation, in the hope that they will, "Grow out of it"
Example: A Worship Service for youth. Music as an outreach to "get more people in."
3) Resist
Changes are a Major Paradigm Shift
The changes are
significant and
enduring.
Goal = Remain in or hope to return to the "Good old days"
We will talk more about this one in a few weeks.
4) Engage
Changes are a Major Paradigm Shift
Goal = Move into the new world, facing both
challenges and
opportunities. Meet them where they are at.
Live among them. 1
One important thing that we will do as we discuss strategies for engaging culture in the next few
weeks is examine strategies along the way that do not engage culture.
1 Edited from Brian Housman's "Reaching the Coming Generations" Leading Edge training material.
Copyright IVCF .
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Engaging Culture
Part 1: How we got here
What does it mean to engage culture in a meaningful way?
To engage a culture means to understand it in such a way that we can have effective
influence within the bounds of that culture.
1) Commitment to understand the culture around us.
If we do not understand the culture around us, we will respond in inappropriate ways
and will not understand the people of the culture.
As a result, our influence as Christians will be limited. They will neither trust us or
like us.
2) Commitment to influence people. That means two things
A- If we are not committed to live in the culture and experience it ourselves, we
will not have the trust or relationships it takes to have much influence over the people
around us.
B- If we are not committed to grapple with difficult issues and questions that the
culture around us cares about, we will miss opportunities to influence people.
And we will also never truly understand the culture or the people around us.
As a result, our influence as Christians will be limited, or possibly non-existent.
3) Commitment to the gospel, while openly acknowledging our questions.
If we are not committed to the gospel, there is little substance behind our beliefs.
This does not mean that we do not have questions, admit having question or ask
questions. Partly because if we are living in the culture, the questions we have likely
are questions common to others.
And if we can be a Christian and have questions, those around us can as well.
Commitment to the gospel is not limited to those who have no questions.
If we are open with our questions, they become opportunities for influence,
rather than obstacles to faith.
If we wish to have others talk openly about there questions, we need to be open about
ours.
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Engaging Culture
Part 2: The Art of Study and the Exegesis of Culture
Studying Culture:
Make a list of 5 things you do to help you learn:
Which kinds of sources do you learn best from? (books, classes, other people, by your-
self, with a group, etc.)
Why is it important that we study culture?
So we are _________ and _________ the people around us.
If we do not do that, our influence is limited.
Exegesis of Culture:
Exegesis:
Exposition, explanation; especially, a critical examination of a text or portion of
scripture. (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, copyright 1996, 1998 Micra, Inc.)
How can we do that with the culture(s) we live in?
We will try one of them today. On the back of this page, write down some things that you
learn about this culture that you see on this videotape.
Pick one of them. What is one implication of that observation that effects your role as a
leader.
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