Contrasting philosophies can lead to disagreements between missionaries. While missionaries go to the field with the same agenda, the philosophies on how to respond to these agendas may differ. People were created to be individuals, therefore we will always have differences of opinion. Our motives and philosophies will also be different. It is important for mission leaders to set a philosophy of mission in place. This will enable the missionary team to get on the same accord. Consequently, this will add to the cohesiveness of team.
One of the philosophies in which people differ is whether to target spiritual needs, basic human necessities, or both. Christian missionaries are known to display the love of God through compassionate works. Examples
of these compassionate works are education, providing wells for clean drinking water, constructing homes, and feeding the needy. The issue that some missionaries have with this is that getting too involved in the needs can serve a distraction of evangelism. Are we supposed to convert others to Christianity? Are we to take care of the needs of the community that we are trying to display the love of God? The answer to both is a resounding yes. It is imperative that missionaries provide balance of both physical and spiritual needs. We are commissioned to go out into the world and compel men to come. We should also lend to God by taking care of the poor. My personal philosophy is that it is hard to do one without the other. How can we convince the world that God is love if we lack compassion? Compassion drives people to action. As we are taking care of the needs, we must share the Gospel. As a result, people will be more willing to follow Christ. We are the extension of Almighty God. Therefore, our philosophies should be rooted in Him.
Missionaries were a contradiction, one that is not easily sorted. The goals and objectives of the missionary themselves were often purest of heart. Missionaries’ goals were to spread of the gospel, the convert heathens to Christianity and enrich the communities they work in by providing education and medical assistance. On the contrary missionaries were also often “agents of cultural change.” (Stipe p.1) They carried with them American ideals, democracy, individual rights, free enterprise, universal education, and delayed gratification. (Clifford Putney p.7)
experiences and its beliefs developed over time about sin, salvation, grace, faith and so forth.2
Many people would not believe that worldview would be involved in the topic of work, but it certainly is. Worldview stretches throughout almost every facet of our lives and is even an intricate part of work. Christian and secular viewpoints differ immensely when it comes to work. Many Christians believe that work is an intricate part of God’s plan for mankind while the secular viewpoint sees it as more of a personal, everyday activity the serves no more of a purpose that that of personal success. The secular worldview has distorted the context of work and only the Christian worldview can redeem it to its original context.
Christianity has been around for about 2000 years (The First Christianity, 2009). Even though it has been around for a long period of time, there is still are many people who question someone who has a Christian worldview. Some questions that come up are: Who is God? As humans what is our purpose in life? Who was Jesus? In this paper we will explore how an individual with a Christian worldview views God, humanity, Jesus and restoration.
The world we live in is revolved around the beliefs and religions that individuals practice. Millions of people worship their idea of who God is to them, Christianity and Catholicism are the world’s biggest religions in today’s society with millions of followers who give their life for God. Both Christianity and Catholicism share the same beliefs and traditions, although Catholicism derived from Christianity both religions have their own differences which separates them from being alike.
Has it ever crossed your mind why we have a religion? Can you imagine the world without rules or a world without the disciplines of faith, where no one or nothing can stops you of doing whatever you want? The world where only can live the strong people and the weak dies everywhere. No friendship, no love, no relationship value, no respect even to family members. People cannot go to street because of fear. No truth, only lie and liars everywhere, you do not know whom to believe or with whom share your secrets. No indicator of humanity and love, no evidence of world familiar to us. If there were not any rules that prevents you of doing these bad things, the world would like the same as you read a few seconds ago. As we do not have that bad world
...tial ideas and theologies that are absolutely the cornerstone to having a healthy ministry. Ideas like community, grace, love, and forgiveness could all have their own paper written for them individually, but acceptance is absolutely essential to any ministry. To accept someone into your family, just like the father in the story of the prodigal son, is to share all of these values listed above. By accepting them we are showing them grace, love, forgiveness and belonging, that each and everyone one of them so desperately desires. If we as youth pastors can embrace acceptance and also use it genuinely and not as a technique for recruiting, then surely our ministry will grow both in numbers and in depth in the knowledge of the word of God. By doing exactly what God does for us, we can show His love, His grace and His mercy by simply accepting others into our family.
Psychology understands a person background how they were brought up, the family history and their emotional state of mind. With understanding this people will be better able to find the right way to approach an individual and bring them to Christ. In order for Christianity to reach the heart of the people, the person bringing across the message will have to take care of the person immediate need first. For example, you can’t try to tell a hungry man about god, when he is starving. He will not receive the message; because its main focus will be on the hunger he has, but if you feed him and then tell him about god, the message will be better receive. Christianity (God) is the master healer and with the love and care of Christians through God
Buddhism and Christianity are different religions. Both have numerous similarities as well as differences that one might find really interesting to look at in details. These two religions have certain beliefs, values and traditions which are really compatible. On the other hand, some of these values, beliefs and traditional practices are quite contradicting and conflicting. This makes the study of these two religions an inevitable and pleasurable task. Theology historians have raised adequate concerns and issues relating to connections between Buddhism and Christianity. They claim that there is strong comparability between the characters of Jesus and Buddha, especially their lives and teachings.
... In order to understand the Bible we must read it as the Psalmist says “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” (Psa. 119:97). However there some suggestions to cope with the study of the Bible in effective manner. The Bible was written a long time ago before us. That is why we need to deal with some back grounds, context, and theology differs with our time. Some hermeneutics principles can help us how to work in the better frame of interpret the Bible, such as the literary context, historical context and how to compare Scripture.
Evangelical believers need to always be looking for an opportunity to tell others about Christ and share with them about the love and compassion that Christ has for them. The only way to extend such invitation is to extend love and compassion to them in building a relationship with them. Many other views such as the Liberalism view and the Neo-orthodoxy view will place focus on their own personal life, rather than focusing on others and building a relationship with them over time live Christ did with his disciples.
Johnson concludes this statement, “This is one reason why in cross-cultural circumstances, missionaries seek to woo entire families to Christ so that social dislocation is lessened and a harmonious church can
The shepherd and sheep relationship is the best illustration for the relationship between pastor and parishioners. When Jesus asked Simon Peter does he love him three times and said to him “Feed my sheep”, the shepherd and flock relationship has been set. Since Jesus is our good shepherd (Jn. 10:11a), he laid out a good example for us to follow - to lay down his life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11b) Thus, the wellness of both in and out of the parishioners should always be the concern in the pastors’ hearts. Soul care for the people is essential. Christian friendship is the foundation of Christian soul care. Pastoral ministry including preaching, teaching, and worship forms the broad context of pastoral counseling. Pastoral care is within pastoral ministry but broader than pastoral counseling. God’s love is the source and motivation. Within the pastoral care, there are spiritual direction and pastoral
Philosophy of Cross-cultural Ministry When looking at the Philosophy of Cross-cultural Ministry in this society, one will understand why it is important to carry the gospel across the world. Truly, when it comes to ministry, one must seek understanding as well as pray and seek God’s face diligently. As the scripture tells us, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8, NIV).
There has always been some sort of Christianity in history. Always new ways of doing things with each generation that comes of age. The changes that are made have not been with the conception of destroying the established ways but with establishing a continuity to preserve what is now and what is new. This is known as the preservation of type or the first note of fidelity of the existing developments of Christianity also known as the Principles of Christianity. There are three particular principles that I find to be intriguingly fascinating.