The Cultural Barrier Closely related to the “linguistic barrier” is the “cultural barrier.” Actually, however, they are not the same, and warrant separate treatment in an itemized description of the missionary task. Those without a good understanding of cross-cultural dynamics and the complexity of human relationships and communication often make the mistaken assumption that, as long as an accurate linguistic translation has been made, effective communication has taken place. However, effective communication involves much more than language alone. As alluded to in the previous reference … [Read more...] about World Missions: Overcoming Barriers to the Fulfillment of the Great Commission (Barrier #3: The Cultural Barrier)
Archives for 2013
Imitation: The Greatest Form of Flattery
What an amazing time we live in. We have all the technology one could possibly need. One thing that is interesting is all the videos, whether on YouTube or for purchase, that help an individual imitate someone. Often a young kid picks a superstar athlete in his sport and he decides to pattern his swing, hit, or shot after that person. The culture accentuates and accelerates that through our technology. As pastors we are not exempt. We may not be as vocal or honest, but many have a personality in mind when they think of successful ministry; maybe preaching patterns, or voice inflections, or … [Read more...] about Imitation: The Greatest Form of Flattery
Exodus and Numbers: What We Can Infer from Our Statistical Decline
Baptists have a somewhat uneasy relationship to numbers these days. When we were growing and expanding annually, we pointed to our numbers as proof of God's blessing. Our recent realization that our statistical decline is not a mere blip on the screen has been taken as a portent of evil in our midst. Dr. Frank Page's response to the latest report was, "God forgive us and God help us." There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Houston this year. This is not a specifically Southern Baptist problem, of course. In a recent article, "Why Millenials Are Leaving the Church", Rachel Held … [Read more...] about Exodus and Numbers: What We Can Infer from Our Statistical Decline
Why Is Church Membership Important? (by Ben Simpson)
Ben Simpson is the pastor of West Main Baptist Church in Alexandria, TN and his blog is part of that church's site. Church membership is on the ropes. Anecdotal evidence abounds as our church has knocked on nearly every door here in the city of Alexandria. So many times we’ve heard, “I’m a Christian, but I don’t need to ever go to church.” Compelling evidence also exists in the statistics of our denomination. The Southern Baptist Convention boasts a membership of over 16 million Christians but at the same time reports that only just over 6 million attend a Southern Baptist church … [Read more...] about Why Is Church Membership Important? (by Ben Simpson)
From One Immortal to Another
This is the first time I've written you anything. I hope I get it right. Who I am is not relevant; identity is not quite as important as you folks think. You label your eternal selves in temporal nomenclature, hoping your names will grant you a kind of forever that you already possess. You've distinguished between This and That, twixt Them and Us, when in fact you're all a part of a grand collective. But I digress; my compatriots say it is one of my less endearing characteristics. We've watched you longer than nearly anyone could imagine. Notes have been taken, observations … [Read more...] about From One Immortal to Another
Dealing with Members of the “Four S Club”
You've never heard of the Four S Club? I'll bet you have. They are the Secret Society of Superior Saints - the folks who have a hidden or secret knowledge that none of the rest of us poor schlubs know that makes them better than we are. Oh, they know that all who have faith in Christ are saints, redeemed, heaven-bound - they are not gospel-denying heretics after all. They just know something that makes them a little more saintly, a little more redeemed. They have a wisdom that the rest of us just don't have. Maybe it is some insight into the inner workings of the spiritual realm - they … [Read more...] about Dealing with Members of the “Four S Club”
World Missions: Overcoming Barriers to the Fulfillment of the Great Commission (Barrier #2: The Linguistic Barrier)
The Linguistic Barrier Once divinely called missionary workers are sent out to the comparatively needy mission fields of the world, in the great majority of cases, they are immediately confronted with another significant barrier to the fulfillment of the Great Commission: the people to whom they are sent speak a different language. In order for disciples to be made, understandable communication must first take place between the sender and the receptor of the message. In contrast to other religious perspectives in which the communication of the message depends on a mutual understanding of … [Read more...] about World Missions: Overcoming Barriers to the Fulfillment of the Great Commission (Barrier #2: The Linguistic Barrier)
Pray for Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge
Last week I listed 7 Reasons Husbands Should Pray for Their Wives. It had a favorable response and so I thought that perhaps we should take this a step further. Beginning on August 1st, I want to challenge guys to a 31 Day Challenge of praying for your wife every day. As I’ve thought about this what I believe I really need is to put a FACE on praying for my wife: Focus—I need to know what specifically to pray for my wife or I’ll just keep praying the same things over and over again. Accountability—I need a group of guys to keep me accountable and remind me daily to passionately pray … [Read more...] about Pray for Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge
Schrödinger’s Sin
The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics implies that as long as we do not check to see if a sub-atomic particle has decayed (producing radiation), then we must simultaneously assume that the atom both has decayed and has not decayed. In 1935, Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger critiqued this notion by proposing the following: a cat, a flask of poison, and a radioactive source are placed in a sealed box. If an internal monitor detects radioactivity due to a decaying particle, the flask is shattered, releasing the poison that kills the cat. If the monitor does not detect … [Read more...] about Schrödinger’s Sin
World Missions: Overcoming Barriers to the Fulfillment of the Great Commission (Barrier #1: The Geographic Barrier)
The Geographic Barrier If the objective of the Great Commission is to make disciples of every nation, it naturally follows that, in order to accomplish this task, one must first go where the people are. Though the Greek participle poreuthentes, translated “go” or "going" in most English versions of Matthew 28:19, does not necessarily connote geographic movement, it is a logical implication of the overall force of the verse. Verses such as Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to … [Read more...] about World Missions: Overcoming Barriers to the Fulfillment of the Great Commission (Barrier #1: The Geographic Barrier)