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Contextualization / Indigenization
Testing our levels of contextualization and indigenization
"The ultimate goal in contextualization is to help a . . . group (of people) learn how God can be a real part of their everyday life as they practice Biblical faith." -- Dean Gilliland
- What have we (as a local church or as a missions organization) changed because we take "culture" seriously?
- Does the target population feel "comfortable" in the church, in its worship and in its ministries? (In social situations, peoples' comfort matters to them more than it "ought" to!)
- Do we seem to identify with one another and with what is going on?
- Does the target population feel ownership in the mission and priorities of the church?
- Do worship forms, leadership styles, and church life feel natural to the people?
- Is the core meaning of the gospel getting through?
- Is revelation taking place in people's hearts?
- Are there new disciples being made?
- Are outreach and invitation to involvement taking place across their natural and social networks?
Based on material in To Spread the Power: Church Growth in the Wesleyan Spirit by George Hunter III
| "Contextualizing the gospel: The gospel's contents never change, but the way in which it is presented, packaged and patterned should vary widely from one culture and sub-culture to the next for the sake of relating in the best possible way to the greatest number of people." --Craig Blomberg |
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Howard Culbertson, Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th, Bethany, OK 73008 | Phone: 405-491-6693 - Fax: 405-491-6658
Copyright © 2000, 2001 - Last Updated: May 6, 2008 | URL: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/indigeni.htm