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| Crossing cultures with the gospel |
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Everyone who is preparing for ministry needs training in what it means to cross cultures with the gospel. Those planning to go overseas for a long period of their ministry need specialised tools for the task. They need to understand the scriptures so that they can apply them in new contexts.
They will want to have a good grasp of the original biblical languages so they can understand how translation affects interpretation. They will need to know Christian doctrine so they can state their belief consistently into another philosophical and theological world that is as challenging as that faced by the early church. They will want to have a grasp of the history of the church throughout the world so they can build on the experience of Christians in other eras and places, and not follow paths that have already been shown as false.
They will grapple with the teachings of other faiths to see where their best aspirations are both fulfilled and subverted in Christ, and how their false paths are corrected by the gospel. They will want experience in ministering with fellow Christians from other cultures and understandings of what church leadership involves. |
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