Cross Cultural Musings: Is there a Super Culture?

Many Christians makes the assumption that the Bible has a culture all its own and is one that, in fact, supersedes all other cultures.  Therefore, the challenge for the Christian minister is to recognize his own culture (which is like asking a fish to identify the water in which he swims), the culture to which he is being sent to minister, and the supracultural ideals that God is decreeing through His Word. 
   
As has already been noted, discerning the culture of the missionary and his target group is a daunting task; but to require that the supracultural elements of Scripture be discerned, as well, is next to impossible. Let no one forget that not only is a people with a unique culture that is ever changing with both time and writer transcribing the Bible, but it is also being interpreted and reinterpreted by persons of changing culture.  The assignment to discern the supraculture of the Bible is in many ways like asking the interpreter to chase the invisible, unceasing wind.  (Good luck with that!)  But, as many sociologists and anthropologists have confirmed, unless the missionary (or any foreign communicator) takes the time to not only assess both his language and his message, legitimate communication and understanding is impossible.
   
Therefore, let it be suggested from both the writings of so many on the subject and my assessment above that the most important task for the missionary is not compassion, fund-raising, and/or target audience obsession, but rather hermeneutics.  A good missionary is not one who merely understands his audience, but he is one who, first and foremost, understands the Will and Message of His God.  Agencies and denominations must reject the growing tendency to undermine the importance of Biblical scholarship or doctrinal integrity.  If the Church is not careful, it will quickly become nothing more than another humanitarian group or antiquated cult unless it returns to its Biblical imperative and example as Divine ambassadors.

Grace in the Storm

Thank you for the many emails and phone calls to check on us after Hurricane Sandy!  While our partner church, FHCC, is located in central Queens and was, therefore, shielded from the worst flooding, everyone in the area was affected by electrical outages and gas shortages.  The important thing is that everyone we know is safe, and God used the storm to provide some awesome avenues to share His love!
    
MatchlessFire and FHCC have “adopted” several families that were hardest hit—a fellow missionary family, a young family with two sons whose house was destroyed, and two sisters.  These ladies have a miraculous story; one was able to evacuate to New Jersey, but the other was not excused from work and attempted to ride out the storm at her apartment.  At 8pm on the night of the storm, with the waters swirling about 10 feet high in her street, the National Guard carried her out to a shelter.  Her block was the last one rescued before emergency personnel had to turn back.  The girls were separated for almost a week, with no way to contact each other, but God kept them both safe.  On the third floor, their apartment was miraculously kept intact, and although they had no power for almost 3 weeks, they were the only ones in their community with gas and hot water.  Despite the furnace being submerged in salt water for a week, it also miraculously worked when the flood waters subsided.  Viewing the continual devastation in their neighborhood—where people scrounged through piles of clothes on the street to get clean garments, where they had to leave for work at 3am to find transportation in the crippled mass transit systems, and where people were reliant on the kindness of strangers—they decided that GOD had spared them for a reason!  They opened their home so neighbors could bathe in their hot water, and they boiled water on their gas stove to keep the families who were sleeping in their living room and kitchen warm.  Above all, they used the opportunity to share God’s love and give comfort to their neighbors in the name of Jesus!  Please visit our website if you need more info on how to pray for or give to those affected.

Happy Meals for the Community

Many of the youth who attended our block party returned the following evening (a Sunday) in hopes of receiving more goodies.  While there was no bounce house, we WERE conducting our regular Sunday service.  Because it was now outside, and because we allowed them to eat the food we had brought as a potluck, these kids came inside—something they first expressed fear of doing because of their cultural background.  God had divinely ordained these circumstances to create a comfortable environment to welcome them. 
     We have turned this into a regular ministry, creating “Happy Meals” to share Jesus’ love each Sunday evening with the kids on the street who wouldn’t otherwise approach a church.

Reaching Queens NY

MatchlessFire and Forest Hills Community Church ended the summer with a bang—celebrating Jesus with several Christian bands, a bounce house, kids’ crafts, health & financial counseling, literature give-aways, and lots of free food.  Held on the lawn of the church from whom we rent, one of the busiest, most visible intersections in town, God drew 500+ people to be connected with Him and the church.

I Love this Book

If only pastors would read what matters and stop listening to the "talking heads"...

There is so much hype around the contemporary pastor and church, especially concerning style and personality. Pastors are not called to be rock stars or self-help gurus, not are they called to be CEOs of a franchise company. The biblical role of pastor is lost in today's market-driven world and it is killing everyone! Young pastors are becoming disillusioned, old pastors feel like failures, and the church folk are nothing more than market research and polls number of the pastor's approval/disapproval rating. IT IS SICK, and Rohrer calls us all out.

The job of the pastor is simple: preach the Word and point people to Jesus. We are but vessels of His power and message. Rohrer is not ignorant of the tensions of ministries, but seeks to address them in this book while still keeping the focus on Jesus and the Gospel.

Pastors, put down you Barna report and pick up this book. Read it and then go back to preaching the Word regardless of the people's response.

Win in Queens

As many of you already know (especially thanks for a recent Pentecostal Evangel article), our church in Forest Hills, NY was recently expelled from renting a public school for weekly worship.  In a city with an infamous housing dilemma and cost of living, the prospects were slimmed and unappealing.  However, we trusted God and knew He was sovereignly in control of everything.  Within a week, we had a new location secured at a generous rate; but it was with major changes.

For starters, we would have to leave Forest Hills and meet in a neighboring area (Rego Park).  Second, services would need to take place at night, as the venue would be occupied during the day.  Finally, we would be meeting a church which already hosts two other congregations, therefore, there would be no option for permanent advertisement.  How would our people and neighborhood react to so many changes?

Well, last night was our first night in our new venue.  With only a form-email inviting our past attendees to participate, the church was packed!  (The above photo was taken just after 6pm.)  More importantly, the Spirit of God filled His house with His presence and new people were saved.  On a night of unprecedented victories, this was the biggest!!

Thank you all for your prayers and financial support.  We simply cannot be the church God has ordained us to be without you!  It is seriously like living the book of Acts; kicked out of one place for God to same more in another city.  Awesome.

-jeremy sweeten
AG US Missionary to the Jewish People
#293-4370
www.fhcchurch.com

Forest Hills Community Church is moving into Our Savior Lutheran Church in Rego Park, effective Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012

Our New Service Time will be 6:00pm
Full Childcare will be AvailableDirections
92-14 63rd Drive (at Wetherole Street)
Rego Park, NY 11374
718-275-2825

Our Saviour Church is located on 63rd Drive, between Queens and Woodhaven Boulevards in the Rego Park Section of Queens. Church is at the corner of Wetherole St and 63rd Drive

By car: Turn south off of Queens Blvd on to 63rd Drive and proceed 3 blocks. Church is on the left at the corner of Wetherole St. OR turn north on 63rd Drive off of Woodhaven Blvd. (at the Dunkin Donuts store) Church is on the right two blocks past the railroad underpass (next to Key Food).

By subway: Take the local (M or R) from Roosevelt Ave (going east) or from Forest Hills-71st Ave (going west) and exit at 63rd Drive. Walk 3 blocks south on 63rd Drive away from Queens Blvd.  The church is on the left at Wetherole St.

By bus: The Q38 stops at the Church. The Q11, Q21 and Q53 on Woodhaven Blvd stops at 63rd Drive. Walk north to the church. Q60 Queens Blvd & 63rd Drive. Walk 3 blocks south on 63rd Drive to the church.