We discussed in class that it is very essential to 1) spread the Gospel, and 2) do so in a contextualized way. In order to do this, we must have a grasp of culture, and more specifically the culture we are proclaiming the Gospel in. A personal experience I have with this is in YoungLife, and WyldLife more specifically. In WyldLife, I encounter and build relationships with middle school guys and aim to point them towards Christ. I try to introduce them if they have no background, and attempt to help them grow in their faith if they already have a relationship. This can be challenging to do if I do not understand their “language.” Middle school boys are so enthralled in social media that much of the topics of their discussions, the way they describe things, and the way they interact with each other depend heavily on what the trend is. And since social media is fast moving, these trends change frequently. So, in order to effectively begin laying the foundation of a relationship with them, I need to understand that I realistically cannot keep up with all their phrases, but rather can pick up what they mean by their tones. They usually say the same things over and over, but just in different ways. Their comedy and desires do not change, just the way they get them across. Understanding this can help me smoothly interact with my kids, whether I am friends with them or not.
Building a friendship is only the beginning. After this is built it is natural to talk about more serious topics, which are usually brought up through WyldLife’s campaigners (Bible studies) or clubs (youth group-esque). Since you are able to have a solid understanding of who they are, they know that you can have actual input in their lives and care about what you have to say.
All of this being said, it is vital to understand the culture we proclaim the Gospel in. If we cannot understand the culture of individuals and groups, how will they expect us to know anything about them since culture is such a large portion of their lives?
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Wow! What a great reflection of the important aspect of meeting people where they are. You are so right that we should seek to build relationships first, as Jesus did, and meet them in their personal context. I think this is something that as students at Grove City College we can sometimes forget as we are blessed to be surrounded by so many other Christians. Your approach in WYLDLIFE is a great example of relational ministry, thanks for sharing!
Hey! Thank you for sharing your experience and relating it to what we've been learning in class. Awesome!
This is great Landon! I too have been part of Younglife and am going to try and continue to be a part of it after school. I love seeing how kids lives are changed by hearing the Gospel and how simply connecting with them can be that gateway!