Category Archives: Gospel of Jesus

Resuming webinar classes next week: “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel”

Contextualization, curriculum, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Training

Unit B starts Thursday May 24 (see Unit A content below)

The six classes of Unit B (classes 7–12) in “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel” begins next week—on May 24th.

  • Miss a webinar class? No problem. View the webinar videos at your convenience.
  • $60 fee includes a free 60-page study guide, five lessons per week, that you can use for reflection and discussion.
  • Students can join Unit B whether or not they have completed Unit A.

Please join us! Unit B classes will cover:

Class 7  /  Contextualizing the gospel: H/S-1 to H/S-5: Five levels of awareness of honor-shame in cross-cultural ministry / Assuming the gospel? / Gospel seed—kernel and husk / Conversation in Scripture between honor-shame dynamics and the atonement of Christ

Class 8  /  Concept of face: “Face” for all of humanity—East and West, North and South / Story of God’s glory / Maximum loss of face and shame in the crucifixion / Gospel of “face restored” as salvation message

Class 9  /  Body language: “Right hand” and “feet”, honor and shame / Psalm 110 as bridge between Old & New Testament / Gospel of the kingdom—Bible story by which God saves the world

register for honor-shame curriculumClass 10  /  Patronage: Patronage in New Testament / Blessing & patronage / Abraham & Melchizedek / “Abrahamic gospel” / Patronage as gospel dynamic—for both the vulnerable and ‘post-moderns’?

Class 11  /  Name/kinship/blood: Family-offspring as window to the gospel / “Blood replicates the honor of the family” / “drink my blood” as “taking in” the honor of Christ / Blood sacrifice, honor-shame, and salvation

Class 12  /  Purity: Uncleanness as exclusion-shame and cleanness-holiness as inclusion-honor / Atonement, salvation, discipleship in the Bible’s purity dynamics / Gospel of purity for unreached peoples, secular peoples

CLICK HERE to learn more about “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel”

Please join us! Unit A starts Tuesday May 22

  • Miss a webinar class? No problem. View the webinar videos at your convenience.
  • $60 fee includes a free 60-page study guide, five lessons per week, that you can use for reflection and discussion.

Class 1 / Honor-shame in the mission of God: Intro stories / Overview: guilt, shame, fear / Pathologies of shame / Blind spot: H-S in Western theology / ‘Honor-shame wheel’

Class 2 / Honor-status reversal as Bible motif: Overview of status reversal motif—Old Testament and New / Honor-status reversal in Ephesians 2 / The Father’s Love Booklet

Class 3 / Love of honor: Glory of God/glory of humanity / Longing for honor satisfied in Christ / Salvation as gaining a new source of honor in Christ

register for honor-shame curriculumClass 4 / Two sources of honor—ascribed and achieved: Ascribed & achieved honor—in Jesus’ life, in the Christian life / Justification as God’s way to give believers ascribed honor

Class 5 / Image of limited good: In Christ is unlimited good / Shame resilience and honor surplus in Christ / Gospel of more than enough glory and honor

Class 6 / Challenge & riposte: Honor competition as prominent social dynamic in New Testament / Honor-shame and power-fear in challenge & riposte / Gospel of Christ as salvation-rescue from the Powers via crucifixion and resurrection

CLICK HERE to learn more about “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel”

Endorsements for the webinar series

Thank you for your wonderfully helpful webinars. Each one is like a bit of yeast which really starts working after the session ends, and continues to bring transformation in our thinking and seeing. Having lived in an honor-shame culture for close to two decades, I am well aware of the many individual differences which exist between my host and home culture. However, the honor-shame webinar training has helped me begin to understand how all these individual differences hang together in a coherent worldview, and more than that, to find that same worldview throughout the Bible!  —David Bakewell, Frontiers

I am thankful for the shame and honor class that Werner has been teaching. I have worked in French Africa for the last 25 years. All that his book and his teaching give on honor and shame are pertinent daily in my ministry in that area. –Mary Stone, TEAM

Werner aims for heart-integration in this class that leaves both lay and scholar with an honor-shame framework to integrate faith with holistic KIngdom living. I’ve been training people in this arena for over a dozen years, yet God is using Werner’s passionate and integrative approach in this class to so bless my heart. –Steve Hong

Honor-Shame is a KEY dynamic from the beginning to the end of Scripture. Yet for many of us it remains unknown. Through his book, The Global Gospel, and ESPECIALLY the webinar series, Werner clearly and with great depth has helped me to not only understand it’s importance but motivated me to preach it to the church to which God has called me. And the Study Guide exercises really help to personalize these truths in whatever cultural context God has you. I highly recommend it. –Dennis Schwarm, Pastor, First Baptist Church Of Oakridge

Questions? Visit the curriculum webpage or write to Werner Mischke at werner@mission1.org.

Arabic version of The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet available now. Save 20% thru May 31.

Contextualization, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Ministry tools and resources

Now you can simply share the gospel with Arabic-speaking people—using The Father’s Love Booklet, Arabic edition.

Our Mission ONE partner has distributed thousands of these booklets in the Middle East. Many people like them. They love the illustrations … the unusual story … the open-ended questions … the honor-oriented gospel presentation … all about the amazing story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son.

Introductory discount: Get 20% off through May 31. Use this discount code at checkout: Arabic20  (Note: this coupon code is good only for the Arabic version of The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet.)

  • View all 20 pages of the Arabic version here.
  • 20-page booklet is carefully designed for people for whom honor and shame is vitally important
  • Based on the Prodigal Son story (Luke 15:11–32), using a respected modern translation of Arabic
  • Designed for easy conversation and interaction
  • For professionals, refugees, international students—anyone you know who speaks and reads Arabic.
  • Invites people to find forgiveness, salvation, and honor in Christ—through the love of the Father who covers our shame and restores our honor.
  • 20 pages; size: 5-1/8″ x 3-5/8″ — fits into a shirt pocket
  • Shrink-wrapped sets of 50 booklets
  • Translated by Mission ONE’s ministry partner in the Middle East, where tens of thousands of these booklets have been distributed.
  • Prices: 10 for $10 / 50 for $40 / 100 for $60 / 500 for $250. Plus shipping.

You can also see the English version here — and Spanish version here.

Introductory discount: Get 20% off through May 31. Use this discount code at checkout: Arabic20

To purchase now, click here.

Under 30, more shame?

atonement, curriculum, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame

I received a question from a pastor in Oregon who is participating in our webinar curriculum, “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel.” His question:

Can you address why/how those under 30 in the United States are so strong on shame?

This is a huge question and whole books could be written on the subject. Here are just a few thoughts and a few resources…

1) Smartphones and social media

Check out these articles—all of which have several references to the intense anxieties of inclusion and exclusion (honor-shame dynamics).

Smartphones and social media have created a never-ending strain of peer pressure on young people and young adults. (Of course, this experience is not limited to an age group; I have observed social media-related anxiety among middle-age adults, myself included.) There is constant anxiety about inclusion and exclusion. The possibility of shame seems inescapable. According to Brené Brown, shame can be defined as “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging … the fear of disconnection.” Peer pressure and the fear of exclusion/shame has always been a part of adolescence. But social media and the smartphone expands this fear of shame into a dynamic that’s 24/7—it never turns off.

2) The diminished status of the law in Western culture

Our society has developed a high level of cynicism about the law. At one time, civil law in Europe and North America was viewed as an extension of the righteous law of God. But the modern world has seen that law and rules are sometimes agents of oppression. For example, in World War 2, in Germany, the Holocaust was perpetrated on millions of innocent men, women, and children by Germans who were ‘just following the rules.’ … Racism and segregation in America was codified into housing and zoning laws, and lending policy (see Rothstein: The Color of Law). … The criminal justice system in America has been critiqued as one of injustice toward minorities. The privileged status of the law has been diminished in the West, and I believe this shift has contributed to the rise of shame dynamics, especially among teens and young adults. (Note to pastors: An overview of the changing views of law and justice in Western history is contained in Atonement, Law and Justice by Adonis Vidu.)

3) Sexual defilement and moral relational pollution

I believe there is a synergy of defilement-related shame in Western culture. (See Alan Mann: Atonement for a ‘Sinless’ Society). Mann says that in the post-Christian West, “sin” is passé—an old way of thinking that doesn’t make sense to modern people. Any yet (Mann contends), everyone still understands the reality of “moral relational pollution,” which would include…

  • persistent occurrence of sexual abuse across all levels of social status
  • dramatic growth of the problem of pornography—now available via any smartphone
  • breakdown of the stable two-parent family, and all the relational brokenness connected to this

Conclusion: Could it be that these dark social dynamics have created a perfect storm of defilement and shame—especially observable among young people and young adults? Could it be we need to teach and preach the gospel in ways that transcend the “legal-framework-gospel”? The Bible is full of stories, principles, and truths (we are exploring these in our webinar curriculum) that speak to the problems of defilement, sin, and shame.

Also, for pastors, teachers and trainers, I highly recommend this relatively short but deep book. It is a pastoral treatment about the atonement of Christ—and how the atonement speaks to humanity’s shame: Philip D. Jamieson: The Face of Forgiveness: A Pastoral Theology of Shame and Redemption.

Answering three questions from the first class

curriculum, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame

We had our first honor-shame webinar class yesterday.  Here are three questions I received from one participant after the class:

1. You mentioned that ‘law’ is important in the guilt/innocence worldview. What is the equivalent in the shame/honor worldview? Would it be ‘peer pressure’ or something like that (it’s only bad if you get caught)?

2. You mentioned that the ways people deal with shame are generally unhealthy, while guilt leads to the possibility of reconciliation and forgiveness/pardon. Does this mean that we can make a value judgment and say that the guilt/innocence worldview is ‘better’ or ‘healthier’ than the shame/honor worldview?

3. (linked to 2) When discipling in a shame/honor culture, is it therefore a legitimate aim to introduce the more ‘western’ guilt/innocence elements of biblical truth? Or can shame/honor be redeemed without reference to guilt/innocence?

Here are my responses to these questions.

1. You mentioned that ‘law’ is important in the guilt/innocence worldview. What is the equivalent in the shame/honor worldview? Would it be ‘peer pressure’ or something like that (it’s only bad if you get caught)?

First of all, from the perspective of the Bible, the law is not separate from an honor-shame worldview. Consider for example Rom 2:23–24: “You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” See also Daniel 9:8–11. When God’s people broke God’s laws, the result was shame and dishonor in God’s sight, and being “blasphemed among the nations.” This is appropriate shame. It is objective shame before God; it is subjective shame before people—subjective in the sense they felt and experienced it. All because of the corporate sins of God’s people.

Keep in mind that the Mosaic law was given to God’s people not by an impersonal judge, but by the creator God and King who calls himself the Bridegroom and his people his bride (see Eze 16). So the law was given to God’s people inside of an eternal, deeply relational covenant. (This is not how we think about the law in Western culture; the law is much more abstract and impersonal in the West.)

You said, “What is the equivalent in the shame/honor worldview? Would it be ‘peer pressure’ or something like that (it’s only bad if you get caught)?” There is some truth to this. What you are talking about might be described as the primary motivation factor in human behavior: Is this an internal legal code, sometimes called our conscience? Or is it an external social code? I believe that for most people it is usually not all one or the other, but a combination of the two. It’s a matter of degree—depending on the culture, the individual, the social circumstances.

“Peer pressure” is certainly one way of describing the primary motivation for many. I think the words “peer pressure” have the connotation of being something that young people struggle with. But aren’t most people influenced by their peers? Don’t most people do things in a way that advances their reputation? Everyone is concerned about reputation. Everyone is concerned about “saving face,” although it shows up in varying degrees and in varying social styles.

There is some truth to the fact that in many cultures—and for many people all over the world regardless of culture—“it’s only bad if you get caught.” For Christians everywhere, the discipleship process includes learning to live with Spirit-empowered integrity regardless of who is watching. I would add, that as our culture in America and the West continues to move away from a Christian worldview, this represents a corresponding growing need here. The psychological and social anxieties related to social media (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.) and the unhealthy dynamics of inclusion/exclusion are very much alive all across America and the West.

2. You mentioned that the ways people deal with shame are generally unhealthy, while guilt leads to the possibility of reconciliation and forgiveness/pardon. Does this mean that we can make a value judgment and say that the guilt/innocence worldview is ‘better’ or ‘healthier’ than the shame/honor worldview?

I remember a counselor telling me once that he tried to help people move “from shame to guilt.” I think from this perspective, shame is toxic and harmful. It’s reflected in the thought, “I am bad, disgusting, unworthy.” In contrast, guilt is more healing and is represented by the thought—“I did bad things that are wrong, but I am loved, I can be forgiven, I can change my behavior.”

Having said that, there is ample research and Scripture which shows that shame is not necessarily toxic, but rather, can be healthy for families and societies. Reflecting on the views of some parents I know, they actually wish their teenagers had a greater sense of shame and family honor; it might have prevented these teens from doing stupid things that have had negative long-lasting consequences!

So shame is not to be thought of exclusively as a toxic thing. There can definitely be a healthy side to shame. This morning as I was reading my Bible, I noted that I had highlighted Daniel 9:7–8.

“To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.”

Two observations about Dan 9:7–8:

  • Shame is an objective appropriate response to the sin of God’s people. By “objective shame,” I mean this: The problem of humanity’s OBJECTIVE SHAME before God—whether we know it our not.
  • In this passage—and many many others in the Old Testament—sin is understood as a collective reality, not merely as an individual problem.

Getting back to the question, Does this mean that we can make a value judgment and say that the guilt/innocence worldview is ‘better’ or ‘healthier’ than the shame/honor worldview?, the answer is a cautious “Perhaps.” I do think in some ways this is true. I believe that guilt-prone people will generally have healthier relationships than shame-prone people.

But consider honor-based violence—the most seriously pathological dimension of honor-shame cultures (think ISIS, honor-killings, the Mafia, gang violence). Will this honor-based violence be cured by new laws and a guilt/innocence worldview? If the desire to preserve and gain honor is at the root of much violence, isn’t the cure contained in the gospel and the Person of Christ—addressing the covering of shame and the longing for honor?

In other words, I believe that for whatever pathologies exist in honor-shame cultures, the cure is not to replace it with a guilt/innocence worldview, but to offer the upside-down honor-sharing, shame-covering blessing of the gospel. I believe a Christ-centered culture of honor/shame will produce an ethically superior society. Therefore, I suggest that we be very careful about attributing the values of “better” or “healthier” to a guilt/innocence worldview—especially if it is apart from the gospel of Christ.

3. (linked to 2) When discipling in a shame/honor culture, it is therefore a legitimate aim to introduce the more ‘western’ guilt/innocence elements of biblical truth? Or can shame/honor be redeemed without reference to guilt/innocence?

Actually, both are true. As Christians, we believe that humanity’s guilt before God is an objective reality. By “objective guilt,” I mean this: The problem of humanity’s OBJECTIVE GUILT before God—whether we know it our not. (See blog at HonorShame.com—“Exposing the Truth about Honor and Shame: The 4 Dimensions Christians Must Understand,” by Jackson Wu and Jayson Georges.) Therefore, as part of any discipleship process, the believer should learn about guilt/innocence, God’s laws, God’s judgment for sin—and Christ’s work of redemption that puts believers in a relationship of “no condemnation in Christ” (Rom 8:1).

This silent one-minute video communicates the basic idea of “Guilt & Shame—Objective & Subjective:”

However, shame/honor is not some separate truth, distinct from the guilt/innocence worldview or from guilt/innocence themes in Scripture. (In the biblical worldview, guilt/innocence, shame/honor, and fear/power are often overlapping realities.) If a person realizes that their sin, whether individual or corporate, is deeply dishonoring to God, isn’t that enough to qualify for the “conviction of sin” and the need for forgiveness and salvation? To support this from Scripture:

  • Romans 1–3 in describes sin primarily using honor-shame terminology (Rom 1:23, 2:23, 3:23). The passage on God’s judgment in Rom 2:1–5 is wrapped by other verses and concepts using honor-shame language.
  • The story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) describes sin not in terms of rules and laws broken. Rather, the Prodigal Son story describes sin in more serious terms: Sin is the unthinkable descent into shame—and the profound dishonoring of the father, who represents Almighty God. (See The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet which brings out the honor-shame realities of this story.)
  • Salvation by grace (Eph 2:8–9) and being declared innocent (“no condemnation”, Rom 8:1) are not to be understood as ends in themselves. Rather, they are to gain the status reversal of being adopted (Rom 8:16; Eph 1:5) into the family of God (Eph 2:19) … being included in God‘s new humanity (Eph 2:15), the church … which is on mission with God to fulfill his honorific promise made to Abraham (Gen 12:1–3) to bless all the peoples of the earth (Rom 4:16–17).

So, concerning the question: “Can shame/honor be redeemed without reference to guilt/innocence?”

  • I believe shame/honor need not be “redeemed by guilt/innocence.” It can stand alone as theologically basic. I believe shame/honor can be used without guilt/innocence to communicate the gospel.
  • Nevertheless, guilt/innocence values are present in Scripture and should be taught as a part of God’s many-faceted revelation of himself—and of humanity made in God’s image.

It starts next week, April 5th—honor-shame webinar curriculum

curriculum, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame

Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel

We are eager here at Mission ONE to begin offering the webinar curriculum, “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel”, starting April 5th. The first of six classes (Unit A) begins soon! Click here to learn more.

Our Mission ONE team has been working hard to get ready and make this a great learning experience.

I’ve also been working on the Study Guide (free to all registrants). I am excited about the step-by-step journey we are developing. It well help many learners grow in their understanding and experience of God’s honor conquering humanity’s shame through Jesus Christ.

You will learn …

  • that God covers our shame and restores our honor through the cross and resurrection of Christ;
  • why honor-shame is a strategic issue for world evangelization;
  • why honor-shame is increasingly part of the Western world because of social media;
  • how the gospel speaks to secular peoples—Jesus cures relational pollution;
  • how to help Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu peoples better understand the gospel;
  • about the blind spot concerning honor-shame in Western theology—and what to do about it;
  • to identify nine dynamics of honor-shame in the Bible;
  • why salvation includes gaining a new source of honor in Christ;

»Learn more at the Mission ONE website»

New honor-shame curriculum aims to serve Christian leaders, workers, educators around the world

curriculum, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, The Global Gospel

To address growing global interest concerning honor-shame in Christian ministry, we at Mission ONE are launching a webinar curriculum called “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel”. 

The purpose of this class is to make available—globally and conveniently—a learning journey about “Honor, Shame, and the Gospel”. We want to help followers of Jesus Christ, cross-cultural workers, pastors, mission leaders, teams, ministry professionals and lay leaders of all kinds. Our desire is to help believers better contextualize the gospel in a way that is biblically faithful and culturally relevant.

The curriculum will be divided into three six-week units. The first six-week set of classes is “Unit A: Introducing honor-shame in Scripture and culture”—and begins April 5, 2018.

  • Class 1: April 5, 2018 / Honor-shame in the mission of God
  • Class 2: April 12, 2018 / Honor-status reversal as Bible motif
  • Class 3: April 19, 2018 / Love of honor
  • Class 4: April 26, 2018 / Two sources of honor—ascribed and achieved
  • Class 5: May 3, 2018 / Image of limited good
  • Class 6: May 10, 2018 / Challenge & riposte (honor competition)

I will serve as instructor. My book, The Global Gospel (2015) will be the primary text for the curriculum. The cost is $60 per unit of six-weekly classes. The webinar classes will last 60–75 minutes, available through the Internet webinar platform, Zoom.us.

The curriculum design will be based on adult learning theory; four types of learning tasks will be incorporated: 1) inductive, 2) input, 3) implementation, and 4) integration.“ A free study guide will be made available for every participant as a PDF download.

“Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel” is a webinar curriculum to lead you into a deeper understanding about honor-shame dynamics in Scripture and culture—for the glory of God and the honor of all peoples.

Registration is now open. Learn more about this honor-shame curriculum by visiting Mission ONE’s webpage.

Is the Honor-Shame Conference about evangelism and discipleship in America?

Contextualization, Evangelism, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Honor-Shame Conference

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Yesterday I received an interesting email from a missiologist/author/trainer. His question was about the Honor-Shame Conference, June 19–21, 2017 at Wheaton. He asked:

“… what percentage of the June conference will deal with the application of honor-shame thinking to evangelism and discipleship in America, and which presenters will be hitting it?”

As Coordinator of the Honor-Shame Conference, here (below) is how I responded to his question; the text has been edited for clarity in this blog post.

Overall, I think about 50% of the conference—and maybe more—is applicable to “evangelism and discipleship in America”. Of course this also depends on your context in America. There are so many different cultural contexts, so to generalize about “evangelism and discipleship in America” is fraught with the risk of over-generalizing and subjectivity. Having said that …

First of all, there is the hermeneutical grounding of honor-shame. The honor-shame paradigm is first of all about hermeneutics (Scripture interpretation)—and second of all about anthropology (better understanding of ourselves and other peoples).

We believe that through honor-shame, we are getting closer to the way the original authors and hearers of Scripture understood the Word of God. So this is first of all about good interpretation of Scripture; you might even say we are grounded in the Reformation principle of sola Scriptura. It is secondly about better contextualization.

The double-benefit of honor-shame

This points to a double benefit—better hermeneutics and better understanding of non-Western peoples. The double-benefit is inherent in the principle, “The gospel is already contextualized for honor-shame cultures”, quoting Jackson Wu. But even in saying this, I grimace a little, because it is not merely non-Western peoples who will better grasp the gospel through honor-shame; I so firmly believe that Western peoples also really benefit from a gospel that is infused by the Bible’s own honor-shame dynamics. We could discuss sometime the range of books that point to this reality.

So concerning the hermeneutical priority, let’s consider first the plenary sessions. In my opinion, about 80% of the content in the plenary sessions is about hermeneutics enhanced by honor-shame—how this is part of theology, how it relates to the gospel and to church life in America. (Click here to see the six plenary sessions in the Honor-Shame Conference.) If you look at these plenary sessions in totality—in my opinion—you are seeing an overall emphasis on the role of honor-shame in theology, Scripture interpretation, and the gospel. Also, in the list of workshops, one of the workshops seems to focus exclusively on hermeneutics—Dr. E. Randolph Richards: “Honor-Shame in the Gospel of John”.

Now let’s get beyond hermeneutics to whether the presentations address an “American” or Western audience:

Here are the workshops which I think which will relate specifically to an “American” or Western audience:

  • DJ Chuang: “Towards Erasing the Shame of Mental Illness”
  • Steve Hong: “Unlocking Evangelism in our Cities with an Honor-Shame Framework”
  • Jeff Jackson: “Honor-Shame as a Crucial Component of a Local Church’s Ministry to Current or Former US military Members and Their Families”
  • Mako A. Nagasawa: “How to Bring About Personal Healing and Social Justice Using Medical Substitutionary Atonement”
  • Robert Walter: “Grace in the Face of God: ‘Seeking God’s Face’ in Prayer as Cleansing for Toxic Shame”

The next list of workshops, in my opinion, are mostly rooted in cross-cultural ministry in overseas, non-Western communities. But I believe the relevance of these workshops is significant for many Americans and Westerners. There is cross-over impact here:

  • Sam Heldenbrand: “Honor, Shame, and the Gospel: Reframing the Messenger”
  • Dr. Katie J. Rawson: “A Gospel that Reconciles: Teaching About Honor-Shame to Advance Racial and Ethnic Reconciliation”
  • Randall Spacht, Lacides Hernandez, Juan Guillermo Cardona: “The 3D Gospel in Latin America”
  • Joyce Jow: “From Pollution to Purity: The Restoration of the Hemorrhaging Woman”
  • Dr. Steve Tracy: “Abuse and Shame: How the Cross Transforms Shame”

Because of the fact that there are so many non-Western peoples in the USA, there is a need for preaching, evangelism, and discipleship that is conducted without a Western theological bias (see this post about theological bias and contextualization). This makes all of the workshops relevant, because we have so many Asians, so many Latin Americans, so many peoples from Africa and the Middle East living among us.

I also suggest you read the 14-page Workshop Descriptions document to get a fuller understanding of the 28 workshops offered at the Honor-Shame Conference.

Conclusion

How do I summarize the points in my email to my friend the missiologist?

  1. America is increasingly a land of diverse peoples and cultures—and this represents a major Great Commission opportunity for the church. Understanding the double benefit of honor-shame—1) better Scripture interpretation, and 2) better contextualization of the gospel for people in honor-shame cultures—may represent a strategic advance for the Church. This is valuable for all Americans—whether their background is Christian, nonreligious, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or other.
  2. Come to the Honor-Shame Conference, June 19–21, 2017 at Wheaton!

The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet in Japanese—FREE copies available

Contextualization, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame

Good news—200 copies of the Japanese version of The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet are available for free.

This is the booklet based on the Prodigal Son story (Luke 15:11–32) which allows you to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Bible’s own “language of honor and shame”.

Click here to visit The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet website page, to learn more about this resource. Note: you won’t see anything here about the Japanese version. But you will see all the pages, the drawings, the questions designed for interaction—and how we make a bridge to the atonement of Christ.

  • 20 pages, 4.125 x 3.5 inches, fits into a shirt pocket
  • Designed for interaction and easy conversation
  • Lovingly designed for people whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame—to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ

My friends at First Baptist Church, Hendersonville have been involved in blessing many Japanese in Middle Tennessee. They took the English version of The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet … had the translation work done … had the new page-layout work completed in Adobe InDesign … and got it printed. From their print run, an extra 200 copies were left over—and these were recently given to Mission ONE. Many thanks to Mike McClanahan and the missions department at FBC Hendersonville!

So for the cost of shipping, you can get these 200 gospel booklets for no additional cost. Interested? Write to me at werner@mission1.org.

Available now—200 copies of The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet in Japanese.

Christmas is good news about a King and His Kingdom

Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Kingdom of God

christmas-king-and-gospel-of-the-kingdom

“And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’”
–Luke 1:30–33 ESV

We are joining Christians all over the world in celebrating the miracle of the birth of King Jesus.

Christmas is a time to wonder. It was a divine miracle that Mary, the Jewish teenage virgin, conceived a baby boy who the angel said “will be called the Son of the Most High”. The little baby Jesus is none other than the King and Savior of the world. How can it be?!

Christmas is a time to celebrate. It is the fulfillment of Israel’s ancient story and the prophesy given to Israel’s King David (2 Sam. 7:16–17). This “Son” will reign forever, “and of his kingdom there will be no end”. All other kingdoms and earthly powers are under the ultimate rule of God. Therefore, no matter the social, political, or economic circumstances, by faith we as believers celebrate that our eternal honor and salvation is secure in King Jesus and his kingdom. Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Christmas is a time to worship. Jesus embodies beautiful humility—and regal eternal power. He is exactly the kind of Savior we need. He is the One we can relate to because of his humanity and vulnerability. He is also the One we worship—He is our Creator King and Savior—absolutely worthy of our loyalty. O come, let us adore him!

Christmas is a time for mission. As followers of Jesus, we serve in many ways with our various gifts and talents to extend the “gospel of the kingdom” to all the peoples of the earth. In fact, preaching “the gospel of the kingdom” is essential to fulfilling God’s global purpose (Matt 24:14). We want to be part of this unfolding drama—this great mission—of sharing the good news that Jesus is the King who fulfills the Bible’s ancient regal story! He is our Savior! He is the Lord!

NOTE: If you want to look up verses about the “gospel of the kingdom”, you can start here: Matt 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 16:16; Acts 8:12; 28:31.

Save the date for the 2017 Honor-Shame Conference

Contextualization, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Honor-Shame Conference

Honor, Shame and the Gospel conference banner

Don’t miss the first Honor-Shame Conference!

Honor-shame networkYou are invited to the inaugural conference of the Honor-Shame Network—a community to learn and work together for the sake of the gospel. Professors and educators, pastors and thought leaders, cross-cultural workers and creatives, professional practitioners and others will gather at Wheaton College in June 2017.

Can the gospel of Jesus Christ better engage today’s world—from unreached people groups to secular postmoderns to global refugees? Could the gospel receive a better hearing with people caught in a world of sin and shame … cynicism and alienation … violence and displacement … defilement and exclusion … consumerism and emptiness … lostness in all its dimensions? 

How might we reframe the gospel in a way that is both biblically faithful and culturally meaningful? This is why our conference theme is, “Honor, Shame and the Gospel: Reframing Our Message for 21st Century Ministry”.

Mark your calendars: June 19–21, 2017

HS conference pageWhat are the aims of the conference?

  • Facilitate a networking and learning environment with leaders from a variety of disciplines and nations.
  • Seed new teams and projects around the world—to engage in research, experimentation and the development of new ministry resources.
  • Move toward normalizing honor-shame as an essential component of theological and missiological discourse—and gospel contextualization. 

Join us to reflect upon and explore what “honor-shame” means for a range of Christian disciplines—from theology to missiology, from pastoral ministry to orality, from counseling to the worship arts. The network conference will feature plenary sessions, round-table discussions, workshops, and collaborative learning experiences.

“In order to truly reflect the promises of Christ in a contextualized manner, we must use the keys to each culture in our gospel witness. Honor/Shame cultures are all around us. The more we understand those who embrace this worldview, the better we will become at engaging them with the hope of the gospel in ways they will most respond to. This conference is very timely as our world becomes more globalized and pained under the weight of sin.” –Laurie Nichols, managing editor, EMQ; communications director, Billy Graham Center for Evangelism

Learn more at the conference website:
» honorshame-conference.com »