Volume 51 – Issue 2

We think small about the gospel. Over the past fifty years, Christians have usually defined the gospel like this: “We sinned, Jesus died, trust Jesus, go to heaven instead of hell, the end.” This is a very small understanding of the gospel. It’s true, but it’s not the whole truth. That kind of gospel doesn’t actually change our world. But that’s the kind of gospel we usually preach and teach. We imagine and live a small gospel.

Communication is more than content. It is also media, or the channels and ways in which content is communicated. This fact is crucial for church leaders and other Christians in our increasingly diverse and pluralistic society. The challenge is how to present a church unified around the truth of God’s word, yet diverse in its expressions of worship, and in its affirmation of each personality.

Since 2009, I have been on a learning journey about the dynamic of honor/shame in scripture and its significance for cross-cultural ministry. By God’s grace, I’ve had the opportunity to read and conduct research, to write on the subject, to introduce the subject of honor/shame (H/S) through numerous seminars and workshops, to create resources, and to teach collaboratively with two indigenous ministry partners. 

The cry heard most often from the Church in the Majority World is for pastors who can preach/teach the word of God in a way that is understandable and applicable to their congregations. While the orality movement has spoken significantly to this need, there are aspects of the preaching/teaching process which beg further attention.