WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES - World Evangelical Alliance

REFLECTIONS CONTEXTUALIZATION: MY PERSONAL JOURNEY
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Finally, in the past decade, the issue of “C5/Insider Movements” has come
to the fore. The concept began with John Travis (a pseudonym) in 1998, who
proposed a scale (or continuum) C1-C6 describing six types of “Christ-centred
communities” (that’s what the “C” stands for). 22 “C5” refers to believers who
identify themselves as “followers of Jesus”. I don’t intend to enter this debate
as many papers have been written on this subject. (See a sampling in the
endnotes). 23 This issue has generated much discussion sometimes with more
heat than light. Do keep in mind that C1-C6 began as an analytical (and not a
prescriptive) tool. It was devised by an American ministering in a sensitive
country. My American friends think in terms of matrices and spectra (as an
Asian co-worker reminded me). These are helpful. However, Asians don’t have
discussions using such a paradigm. We usually communicate through stories
(as Jesus did).
Having met some believers in these “insider movements” whose lives
have been transformed, each community would have their stories. They worship
God deeply and are seeing the movement of the Gospel among their own
relational networks. I visualize the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in their
lives. I can’t help thinking of the years the Apostle Paul took to see the growth
of the church at Corinth. 24 Similarly, the apostolic ministries among these
believers have seen fruit. In one Asian country where race, religion, language
and politics all reinforce each other, C5 seems to work best. My plea is for
critics to pray more for these “insider movements” and affirm the work of God.
The discussions continue and so must our attitude of being learners.
Some years ago, I was told that these growing believers from a particular
people group did a prolonged Bible study on “Worship”. It would have been a
grand study! I often try to visualize the scene in Revelation 5 and look forward
to worshipping with these believers in heaven! John Piper’s words are a
powerful reminder – “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship
is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate … because God
is ultimate. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed
fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more …Worship
abides forever”. 25 That’s ultimate reality!
22 John Travis, The C1-C6 Spectrum, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, October 1998, pages 407-408
23 (1) Evangelical Missions Quarterly, October 1998, articles by Phil Parshall and John Travis, pages 404-415
(2) Joshua Massey, His Ways are Not our Ways, EMQ April 1999
(3) International Journal of Frontier Missions, Spring 2000, Volume 17, articles by John Travis, Joshua Massey, Bernard Dutch
(4) John & Anna Travis, Appropriate Approaches, in Appropriate Christianity, ed. Charles Kraft (Pasadena,
CA: William Carey Library, 2005), pages 397-414
(5) Bill Nikides, Evaluating ‘Insider Movements’, St Francis Magazine, No.4, March 2006, published by Interserve and Arab Vision
(6) International Journal of Frontier Missiology, January-March 2007 Volume 24:1, < www.ijfm.org/archives.htm >
articles by Gary Corwin, Herbert Hoefer, J Dudley Woodberry, Kevin Higgins
(7) Articles in IJFM Volume 24:2 in
24 See my article, Mission and Spirituality: Lessons from 1 Corinthians in The Soul of Mission, ed. Tan Kang San,
(Pustaka Sufes Sdn Bhd, Selangor, Malaysia, 2007), pages 50-63
25 John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993), page 11