Podcast Episode 2: “Gospel and Culture”

On today’s episode, Mike Gafa joins the show to talk about the ever-shifting dynamic between gospel and culture. Mike serves the Reformed Church as a Church Leadership Development Catalyst for Luminex and as the classis leader for the Classis of North Grand Rapids. He is passionate about developing churches that boldly and creatively engage with their cultures without compromising the eternal truths of the gospel.

7 Billion Cultures. 41,000 Denominations. 1 Unchanging Gospel (00:57)

Dive into an introduction to the theory of contextualization for the average American church. What are the non-negotiable points of the gospel? What types of demographic differences should churches consider when communicating the essential truths of Christ in their contexts?

Striking the balance: how far is too far? (06:21)

Contextualization is a delicate balance between adapting to and accommodating culture. How should churches engage with their contexts in relevant, helpful ways without compromising the gospel? Mike offers wisdom on how Christians can become more quick to listen and slow to speak so that bridges of trust and understanding can be built between people inside and outside of the church.

Practical models for engaging the culture (10:22)

What questions can church leaders ask to begin speaking into and learning from their cultural contexts? How do church leaders prayerfully discern when engagement and disengagement are appropriate and healthy? Mike also dives into scriptural models for cultural engagement from Acts 2 and 17 as well as four other models developed by Tim Keller.

Continue seeking inspiration:

• “Gospel and Culture” on the Luminex blog by Mike Gafa
• Center Church by Tim Keller
• The Francis A. Schaeffer Trilogy by Francis Schaeffer

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