Understanding your community—and why it matters

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“Contextualization” is a trending concept in many ministry circles today—but what does it mean, and why does it matter? We know that this can seem like a complex topic and may even feel overwhelming to think about. Lauren Gelman, Associate Director of Foursquare Multiply, recently joined our podcast, Equip & Engage, to help us understand contextualization in more depth and feel empowered to go and impact our communities in positive ways.

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At its core, contextualization addresses fundamental questions around how Christians can effectively engage believers and nonbelievers by seeking a holistic understanding of a community’s distinct history, culture, and socioeconomic realities.

We even see contextualization throughout scripture. The Apostle Paul demonstrated a profound understanding of contextualization in his letter to the Corinthian church, when he wrote, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22), showing how he took different approaches when bringing the same gospel message into different contexts.

In her role as Associate Director of Foursquare Multiply, Lauren trains church planters in 14 states and has found that successful ministry leaders purposefully develop:

• A profound self-awareness of their own cultural preconceptions
• An understanding of how their leadership fits in the context of their community
• An intentional comprehension of their area’s culture, history, attitudes, and challenges
• A proactive plan to reflect local demographics in their church-planting team

“Cultural intelligence requires that we have a deep understanding of our own culture  and how it shapes us. One of the biggest barriers to effective contextualization is  the invisibility of our own cultural assumptions.”  —Timothy Keller, founding pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church

The above principles also hold true for businesses that spend multiple years and millions of dollars on contextualization efforts before setting up a new office location. They gain insights that help them build trust and ensure the community feels understood and is excited for expansion and growth.

Spending time in the community, getting involved with social activities, and finding alignment between the vision God’s given you and that of the local culture will build a sense of trust. This trust will expand your reach and ultimately facilitate a reception to the gospel message.

To dive more into this topic check out episode 8 on our podcast Leaning into Contextualization or connect with us to learn more about how the Subsplash Platform can partner with your organization.