INTRODUCTION
The article begins with the writer saying that, “a big challenge for people to take part in
ministry depends upon how they understand and present scripture across a broad range of
culture. The author emphasizes why it is important to stretch beyond one’s own understanding
and culture to reach across barriers of race, language, social status, and culture.
This article is very interesting to me, and I do believe that it is a great article to make one
think about how effective they are across many barriers even outside of culture today.
We see
today there are many different aspects to the definition of what culture is and that definition gets
bigger and bigger every day. My key rule to ministry and being that I am a psychologist and
entrepreneur it that I understand social norms, am up to date what is going on in society, and that
I also understand the spirits that are prevalent in that area or particularly the time. My number
one key to ministry is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Understanding barriers are very
important, there is a difference between what is believed and practiced in Western culture verses
Eastern culture, so if it is your ministry to travel abroad outside of your country it is important
that you understand how the Word of God is communicated in that region. When you understand
how the Word of God is being communicated to a region you will then be able to make a bigger
impact and have grounds to expound to bring the people to the correct understanding. The writer
Chang emphasized that “it’s not just culture shock we face, but the fears and expectations we
carry within ourselves” if you have fear of different cultures and choose to stay blind on
understanding the different cultures you
will fail to effectively communicate the Gospel not only
for other but for yourself. The bible is filled with different cultures, movements, and dilemmas.
