Written by As a Christian I increasingly feel disconnected from my own culture. A brief word of explanation before I continue.
The technical terminology E-1, E-2, and E-3 is used to differentiate the cultural distance across which evangelism occurs . E-1 (evangelism one) refers to monocultural evangelism. Both E-2 and E-3 involve cross-cultural evangelism, with E-3 crossing a more radical cultural bridge than E-2. E-2 and E-3 evangelistic ministries require different strategies, different planning, different gifts, different training, and different insights than E-1 ministries.
In the minds of most Christians leaders in America, the field of evangelism specializes in E-1, while the field of missions specializes in E-2 and E-3. I have earned a Ph.D. in Evangelism so that means I should have some expertise in accomplishing E-1 evangelism. Traditionally this meant the kind of evangelism that would most often be accomplished in the church and its surrounding community. Imagine my angst as I become more and more aware of the need for the church I lead to engage in E-2 and even E-3 evangelism. This means that I need an additional degree in Missiology.
Think about the cultural distance in your own family. It is not uncommon for individuals to have educational, political, economic, and generational cultural distance in their own nuclear and extended family. In my own family I have relatives who are M.D.’s, Ed,D.’s, D.V.M.’s, and Ph.D.’s, many others have Master’s degrees, Bachelor’s Degrees, and High School diploma’s. Others did not finish High School. (By the way the wealthiest member of my family did not finish High School). Politically there are very conservative, moderate and and very liberal members of my family. Economically we are all middle, upper middle class and above. Religiously, my family is primarily unchurched, with many committed evangelical Christians. Reaching my diverse family would all be E-1.
Today in my community, however, I am coming into contact with displaced northerners who have had the good sense to move south, and individuals from around the world. For example my neighbor across the street is from Wisconsin, and my next door neighbor is from Trinidad. Our predominantly white Anglo church has members from Haiti, Cuba, Columbia, and Peru.
It seems to me that the cultural distance is increasing between many of my son’s generation (teens and twenty’s) and me. This distance and the speed for which I need preparation to respond to it is also increasing.
I have just ordered two books to help me respond to this in my primary task of preaching. One is written by my friends Ed Stetzer and Richie Stanley, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them. You can order your own copy if you at http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Found-Younger-Unchurched-Churches. The other book, Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods is by Mark Driscoll can be found at http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Church-Timeless-Truths-Methods I will let you know what I learn on a later post.
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