1. 1 Worldview lies at the Core of every people group on the planet.

2. –It shapes the way people look at their world and the decisions they make –It plays the key role in determining whether they will understand and believe the message of the gospel 2

3. 3 Shawnee,OK Central Tribes of OK

4. When a people group must “abandon its own culture” and embrace a foreign culture to come to Christ --- A Major Obstacle Exists!

5. Culturally relevant evangelism answers the “actual questions” being asked by a given culture, rather than those questions the church believes the culture “should ask”. Always be ready to give an answer… I Peter 3:15

6. 6 The Hughes Scale High Low QUAD A QUAD CQUAD D QUAD B CULTURE CONTENTCONTENT Biblically sound, Culturally blinded The Missional Church Focus on tradition Biblically illiterate Culturally relevant Abandoned the faith BALANCE

7. …and which would not? Which of these would be most likely to be reached by your church… 7

8. Some Basic Questions to Aid in Determining Worldview of Ethnic People Group What Do They Believe : About God? About good and evil? About life? About the source of life & creation? About death? About mankind? About spirits? About wrong, sin and guilt? 8

9. 9 Understanding Based Upon Their Interpretation of What is True WORLDVIEW FILTERED BY THEIR OWN CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING REALITY

10. What a person sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, and experiences during his life becomes part of his thinking and value system. These become a set of filters through which a person processes, interprets, evaluates, accepts or rejects information

11. G N O E O W D S GOD’S UNCHANGING TRUTH

12. G N O E O W D S GOD’S UNCHANGING TRUTH “MY” CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE

13. G N O E O W D S GOD’S UNCHANGING TRUTH “MY” CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE “THEIR” CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE

14. G N O E O W D S GOD’S UNCHANGING TRUTH “MY” CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE “THEIR” CONTEXT / FORMATTING STYLE MUCH of the “GOOD NEWS” is left UNAFFECTED. NOT MUCH of the “GOOD NEWS” is left UNAFFECTED.

15. the Church

16. “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Cor. 9:20-23, NIV). 16 The Great Apostle Paul stated:

17. …Missional Churches A church becomes missional when it remains faithful to the gospel and simultaneously seeks to “contextualize” the gospel (to the degree that it can) so the gospel engages the worldview of its hearers, the result may look different to us, but not to God.

18. Worldview Bridges 18  Bridges often provide openings for greater interest and relevancy of the message.  They are God-given opportunities for witness in which a bridge occurs...

19. 19 Stories of God Bridges are existing beliefs, interests, concerns or situations that predispose a person to the Gospel. Bridges are existing beliefs, interests, concerns or situations that predispose a person to the Gospel. CULTURE

20. 20 Stories of God Culture Cultural Stories Redemptive Analogies Prior KnowledgeCuriosity Dreams Some Bridges Include

21. Worldview Barriers 21 Barriers deal with the negative aspects of culture, religion, knowledge, interest and other influences that hinder a listener in his hearing, understanding or acting upon the message of the Gospel.

22. 22 Barriers are those beliefs, interests, concerns or situations that keep a person from hearing, understanding or receiving the Gospel. Barriers are those beliefs, interests, concerns or situations that keep a person from hearing, understanding or receiving the Gospel. Stories of God Culture

23. 23 Stories of God Types of Barriers Include... RELIGIOUS HEART INTELLECTUAL LANGUAGE PSYCHOLOGICAL PHYSICAL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL Culture

24. There are 4 areas that affect man... What is Done? = Behavior What is Good or Best? = Values What is True? = Beliefs What is Real? = WORLDVIEW

25. Traditional Approach to Evangelism is “propositional” What have we changed with this propositional approach? A PERSON’S Beliefs but… What have we not changed with this propositional approach? Worldview = What is REAL

26. Other Approaches set out to Change Behavior “what is done” MAR.KET.ING [All business activity involved in the moving of goods from the producer to the consumer, including, selling, advertising, packaging, etc.] Webster’s Dictionary While a change of behavior is the main goal, attempts are made at value and belief modifications, as well. But again, in attempting to change behavior, what do we not change? Worldview = What is REAL

27. Focusing on propositional truth or behavior change could result in SYNCRETISM. SYN.CRE.TISM [The combination or reconciliation of differing beliefs or practices in religion] Webster’s Dictionary That is a thin veneer of Christianity (or a thick one) over the old Worldview!

28. The use of the narrative- the story-addresses the very core of who we are... …and worldview helps determine story selection, keeping in mind those bridges and barriers to the Gospel found within the culture.

29. Biblical scholar N.T. Wright suggests that to replace one’s life stories at the core, you do it with better stories. And when you change the core, you can change beliefs, values, and behavior as well.

30. Syncretism

31. to Evangelism and Church Development often includes these segments: EVG DISC LDR DEV MSSN Our Traditional Process

32. However, the separate and independent implementation of these strategies doesn’t necessarily get us to where we want to go... Our Traditional Process which is an evangelized, discipled, and adequately trained & equipped believer incorporated into a reproducing, indigenous church!

33. Remember, 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 doesn’t always = 4 ! ( It could be just 1+1+1+1 ! ) Our Traditional Process

34. We often become diversified, fragmented and off-track! EVG + DISC + LDR DEV + MSSN = G O A L S ! Our Traditional Process Remember, 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 doesn’t always = 4 ! ( It could be just 1+1+1+1 ! )

35. Working a PROCESS, rather than taking a step-by-step linear approach, accelerates what we are after and helps insure that we achieve what we set out to do! Our Traditional Process

36. Instead of looking at it like this EVG DISC LDR DEV MSSN Our Traditional Process

37. Evangelism Leader Training DiscipleshipMissions CPM Core Truths Core Truths and Worldview and Worldview A Systemic Process

38. Driven by Core Biblical Truths & Worldview, each element is integrated, a vital part of the other. Evangelism is not just a step or single element leading to our goal, but is foundational… Evangelism is part of discipleship, which is part of leader development, which is part of missions, which is part of evangelism, which is part of… A Systemic Process

39. Certain elements in every culture are challenged by the gospel Other features are simply expressions of our diversity When a people group must abandon its own culture and embrace a foreign culture to come to Christ – a major obstacle exists! …Missiological Challenge, Missiological Opportunity

40. “[is] a delicate enterprise if ever there was one... the evangelist and mission strategist stand on a razor’s edge, aware that to fall off on either side has terrible consequences... Contextualization

41. ... fall to the right and you end in obscurantism, so attached to your conventional ways of practicing and teaching the faith that you veil its truth and power from those who are trying to see it through very different eyes. Contextualization

42. …slip to the left and you tumble into syncretism, so vulnerable to the impact of paganism in its multiplicity of forms that you compromise the uniqueness of Christ and concoct “another gospel which is not a gospel.” Dean S. Gilliland, ed., The Word Among Us (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1989), vii. Contextualization

43. …and which would not? Which of these would be most likely to be reached by your church… 43

44. 44 They filter everything through their own cultural grid Reality They don’t understand what I teach them; they understand their interpretation of what I teach them WORWORLLDDVIEWVIEWWORWORLLDDVIEWVIEWLD

45. SINSIN RESULTS FROM YIELDING TO THE 3 TEMPTATIONS OF THE SERPENT GUILT SHAME FEAR SINSIN

46. 4 Basic Worldview Questions Who am I? What is it to be human? Where am I? What is the nature of the world? Issues of cause and effect. What happened? Issues of evil, suffering, sin, etc. What can be done about it? How to cope. Issues of salvation.