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. All that happens What we believe What we What we Our view of (REALITY) possible experience analyze reality The Role of Worldview: REALITY & 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 more useful 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 Ignore our position of power in relationships Make alliance with a lone ranger Make alliance with a lone ranger Send money directly to individuals Send money directly to individuals Finance pastors and local churches Finance pastors and local churches Give resources based only on need Give resources based only on need Underwrite 100% of ministry’s need Underwrite 100% of ministry’s need Hire nationals to be your mission staff Hire nationals to be your mission staff Do for others what they can do for themselves Do for others what they can do for themselves

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