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Breaking the Missional Code Chapter 1

By Kolby Milton

In our Staff meetings at Parkland Fellowship Church we have been discussing a book by Ed Stetzer called, ” BREAKING THE MISSIONAL CODE: WHEN CHURCHES BECOME MISSIONARIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES“.  We are going to look at a chapter each week and have a discussion about it.  You can click on the link above and buy the book if you want.

Chapter 1 – The Emerging Glocal Context

There are cultural barriers that prevent people from accepting the Gospel.  If you spend time in the community with your friends you will see this barrier.  As a church we need to start thinking like missionaries that we send out.  We send out people to mexico, south africa, and to esperanza.  They go there and learn the culture in order to reach people.  Ed Stetzer states one of the barriers that we face when we are trying to reach our friends, ” One of the biggest cultural barriers we face is the emerging “glocal” context.  We use this term to refer to the convergence of the global reality with our local reality.  North America has become a “glocal community” requiring new strategics for effective ministry.”

For Parkland Church we need to know a few things about our community before we try to break the missional code.

The first thing is that we live in an unchurched culture.  Stats say that 5 percent of British Columbians are Christians.  This is the essential when we think about people that live next to us, or our friends.  Breaking the missional code is about seeing the unchurched through three different sets of lenses that include people groups, population segments, and cultural environments.

People groups- What is the ethnic makeup of the people in surrey?  This is the demographics of surrey.

Population segments-  ”It’s like demographics but instead of counting age, gender, race, ect., it counts psychological information (opionions on abortion, religious beliefs, music tastes, personality traits, ect.). ”  What are our friends like?

Cultural Environments – Language and experience can define one’s cultural experience.  Geographical environments can serve as the common bond that brings people together.  Where are people in surrey from?

Questions:

1. Describe the specific people groups, population segments, and/or cultural environment that make up your geographical context.

2. What are some practical ways you can begin to expose those you minister with to opportunities to break the code?

3.  How would you define success when it comes to the Great Commission (Matt 28:20) in your given context?

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