7/5/2017 KeithSWhitfield:CultureandDiscipleshipOutreachMagazine.

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KeithS.Whitfield:CultureandDiscipleship
ByTaylorBirdMarch20,2017

CultureandDiscipleshipisaconversation,aroundupofninecompellingvoicesauthors,church
leaders,cultureobserversanddisciplemakers.Together,theypresentahopeful,pointedchallengeto
pastorswhoarelookingtoredemptivelyengagethecultureforthepurposeofeffectivediscipleship.

KEITHS.WHITFIELD
SpiritualityfortheSent:CastingaNewVisionfortheMissionalChurch(IVPAcademic,2017)

1.Whatdoyouseeasthebiggestchallengetoeffective
discipleshipintheAmericanchurch?
AsIseeit,theretwochallengestoeffectivediscipleship.First,peopleequatediscipleshipwithbiblical
knowledgeandinformation.DiscipleshipisfollowingJesusunderhislordship.ItisaboutlivingChrist
devotedlives.Youdontlearnhowtolivethiswaymerelybyobtainingmoreinformation.Itrequires
beingtrainedinacommunitybyothersandengaginginministrywithandtoothers.

Therearetworealitiesthatmakethissituationparticularlychallenging.Weliveinanindividualistic
culture,andatthesametimewehavemoreaccesstoinformationthaneverbefore.Itellpeopleallthe
time:Youcantbediscipledbyapodcast.Youcangaininformationandinsights,butyoucantemulate
someoneswayoflifejustbyhearingtheirvoicethroughadevice.

Second,ourtherapeuticculturehasshapedourdiscipleshipaspirations.Asweverightlysoughttoset
peoplefreefromthebondagetolegalismandsocioreligiouspressures,discipleshipissometimes
viewedasmerelyhelpingpeopleunderstandtheiridentityinChrist.Iwouldsay,Yes,andamen,to
thatbutthatsthestartingpoint.Iamafraidfortoomany,ithasbecometheendingpoint.Wearenot
finisheddisciplinguntilpeopleareonmission,lovingandservingothers,makingdisciplesthemselves.
Paulsays,ForfreedomChristhassetusfree.Thatfreedom,hesays,lookslikefaithworking
throughlove.

2.Howdoestheexpressionofthechurchsmissionlook
differenttodaythanitdidafewyearsago?
Thechangesweareseeinginhowthechurchexpressesitsmissionarefascinating.Overthelast
twodecades,therehasbeenaneedtorefocusonecclesiology.Threequestionshavebeenfrontand
center:Whatisthechurch?Howdoesthechurchfunction?And,whatisthechurchsmission?Weve
seenthechurchsimplifyitsprogrammingandfocusmoreattentiononmakingdisciples.Whatis
drivingthesechangesistherecognitionthatthecultureinAmericahaschangedandmustbeengaged
differently.

Inresponsetothis,churcheshaveacknowledgedtheymustadoptamissionarypostureintheirown
community.EmbracingthetheologicalinsightthatGodisamissionaryGodhasshapedthe
understandingofthisposture.ThechurchissentlikeJesuswassentbyhisFather.Wearecalledto
followJesusinhowhelovedhisculture.Atthesametime,werealizethatcontextualizationismore
thanattractingpeopletothechurch.Itistheprocessofthinkingabouthowtocommunicateand
embodythegospelinalocalcommunity.And,bythepoweroftheSpirit,thechurchisempoweredto

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beawitnesstothegospelofthekingdomandtobetheforetasteandfirstfruitsofthecoming
kingdom.Thechurchiscalledtoreproduceitself.

3.Howcanthechurchredemptivelyengagetheculturewhile
remainingfaithfultoitsdiscipleshipmission?
Everygeneration,thechurchiscalledtoengageitsculturewiththegospel.Thiscallingisnottoa
ministrystyleorphilosophy.Engagingthecultureisnotexplainedbyministrymethodsortechniques.
Thechurchiscalledtoreachpeoplewiththegospel.And,thatcallingmustbeembracedbyallthe
membersofthebodyofChrist.

Thismeanswehavetoadmitthelimitationsofonesizefitsalltechniquesforcultureengagement.
Thechurchhastoembracethechallengingworkofcontextualizationlearninghowtoproclaimthe
gospelasthehopefortheworld,explaininghowthegospelprovidesaholisticwayoflivinginthe
world,andshowinghowthegospelconfrontsfalsereligionsandideologiesinourcommunities.

Today,thechurchinNorthAmericafacestheurgencyofthistaskinnewways.Thechurchmustbe
equippedtobemobilizedmissionally.Oneofthemainclaimsinourbook,SpiritualityoftheSent,is
thatthespiritualityofthechurchanditsmembersiscentraltothemissionaltask.Theresadangerto
makingthisclaim.Spiritualityisoftenthoughtofasaprivateexpressionofonereligiouslife.So,ifyou
directpeopletolookinward,theyforgetthattheyarecalledtoengagetheworldaroundthem.That
approachfitsintotheAmericanethosalltoowell.

AsLesslieNewbiginhasremindedus,weliveinaculturethatallowsthepublicacceptanceoffacts
andgivespermissiontoprivatelyholdonesvalues.Thisbookcallsthechurchtolivewithapublic
spiritualitythatsharesandexpressesthegospelthroughitswholelife.Thiscallingalignswiththe
natureofthegospelandthebiblicalteachingonhowGodspeoplearetoliveintheircommunity.Itis
alsostrategic.Whatweneedtodaymorethananythingisacredible,noncoercivewitnesstothe
transformingpowerofthegospel.

4.Whichculturalissueswillhavethebiggestinfluenceonthe
churchinthenextfiveyears?
Theanswertothisquestiondependsonhowyoureadbiggestinfluenceonthechurch.Some
changeswillprovideunprecedentedopportunitiesforthechurch.Oneexampleisintheissueof
immigration.Nodoubttheopportunitiesthatcomewithimmigrationwillpresentchallenges.Our
peoplewillhavetobetrainedtoengagenewcomersfromdifferentcultureswhonowliveacrossthe
street.Frommyperspective,wewantchallengeslikethesetheonesthatcomewithopportunities.
Thechallengewewillfacewiththisissueisleadingpeopletolovethenewcomerwhentheir
presencemeanstheirwayoflife(e.g.,theirsenseofsecurity,prosperity,senseofplace,privilege,
etc.)maychange.

Someotherculturechallengesarenotsoeasilyseenasopportunities.ThechurchinAmericahas
enjoyedthefruitsofafreeandprosperoussocietyforalongtime.Thereareincreasingsocialand
politicalpressuresforChristianstogetontherightsideofhistoryonsomeissues.Ifwedont,aswe
havebegunseeingalreadyinafewinstances,itwillverylikelycostus.Wemaystillliveinafreeand
prosperouscountry,butwemaynotbeabletoreapfromthespoilslikeweoncedid.Thatsituation
willforcethechurchtolivethegospelinanewcontextandholdtothegospelfornewreasons.

5.Whatencouragesyouabouttherecentreemergenceof
churchplantinginthechurch?
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ThemostencouragingsignthatIseeisthegrowinguseofthephrasedisciplemaking.Thereare
occupationaldangerswithslogans,trendyphrasesandlumpingministriestogetherunderonelabel.
But,Ithinkthatinternationalmissions,domesticchurchplanting,churchrevitalization,cultural
engagement,personalevangelism,discipleshipandleadershipdevelopmentcanallbeseenasthe
taskofdisciplemakingandaccomplishingthegoalofdisciplemaking.Theuseofthisphrase
remindsusthechurchisnotaboutcreatingamovement.IfGodbringsrevivaltoourcultureanditgets
calledamovement,sobeit.Thechurchsfocusshouldbeonmakingdisciplesandpeoplebecoming
followersofJesus.

ReadmorefromourdiscussiononCultureandDiscipleship

KeithS.WhitfieldisvicepresidentofacademicadministrationatSoutheasternBaptistTheological
Seminaryandthecoeditor(withNathanA.Finn)ofSpiritualityfortheSent:CastingaNewVisionfor
theMissionalChurch(IVPAcademic,2017).

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