G2G Ministry

Presented to ACCESS Bible

Conference
On
September 15, 2007
By
James Yu
 G2G – Ministry
• Generation to Generation Ministry
• Perhaps one of the biggest concerns in our
immigrant church is the concern for our
next generation. Over the past 30 years in
our immigrant history, a great chasm
developed between the generations. This
caused friction in leadership, family crisis
and even to the extent of church split.
What is this chasm and how we can bridge
the generations together will be our
discussion in this workshop.
 Discussion
• What is that biggest problem in our North
America immigrant church today?
– Ministry from the perspective of a single generation
– Ministry from the perspective of a single culture
– Ministry from the perspective of a single language
• As Asian immigrants living in America, what are
some tendencies that are unique to us?
– Preservation: The Lost and Found of our Culture
– Fear of Discrimination/Fear of Assimilation:
Generational/Cultural/Linguistic
– Actually we’re not unique, every foreign cultural that
came to America had to struggle through these same
concerns.
• How do these tendencies affect the way we do
parenting/church?
– Impact from Culture: Patriarchal/Class Valuation/Gender
Roles/Conflict Avoidance
– Impact from Fear: Segregated and Territorial
– Impact from Isolation: Loss of Kingdom Perspective
Ephesians 2:11-22
• 11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by
birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves
“the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)—
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ,
excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants
of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been
brought near through the blood of Christ.
• 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has
destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by
abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and
regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out
of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to
reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put
to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you
who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For
through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
• 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but
fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s
household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In
him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a
holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
 No More Ethnic Barrier:
Jews or Gentiles
• 11 Therefore, remember that formerly you
who are Gentiles by birth and called
“uncircumcised” by those who call
themselves “the circumcision” (that done
in the body by the hands of men)— 12
remember that at that time you were
separate from Christ, excluded from
citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the
covenants of the promise, without hope
and without God in the world. 13 But now
in Christ Jesus you who once were far
away have been brought near through the
 No More Cultural Barrier:
Physical & Traditional
• 14 For he himself is our peace, who has
made the two one and has destroyed the
barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by
abolishing in his flesh the law with its
commandments and regulations. His
purpose was to create in himself one new
man out of the two, thus making peace, 16
and in this one body to reconcile both of
them to God through the cross, by which
he put to death their hostility. 17 He came
and preached peace to you who were far
away and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access
to the Father by one Spirit.
 No More Identity Barrier:
Foreigner and Alien
• 19 Consequently, you are no longer
foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens
with God’s people and members of God’s
household, 20 built on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, with Christ
Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21
In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy
temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too
are being built together to become a
dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
I Corinthians 12:12-27
• 12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and
though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with
Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—
whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the
one Spirit to drink.
• 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the
foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the
body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not
belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part
of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the
sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would
the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in
the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If
they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there
are many parts, but one body.
• 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the
head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the
contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are
indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable
we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable
are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts
need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of
the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its
parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part
suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part
 Spirituality brings
Equality
• 12 The body is a unit, though it is
made up of many parts; and though
all its parts are many, they form one
body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we
were all baptized by one Spirit into
one body—whether Jews or Greeks,
slave or free—and we were all given
the one Spirit to drink.
 Individuality brings
Diversity
• 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but
of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am
not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would
not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not
an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not
for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If
the whole body were an eye, where would the
sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an
ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in
fact God has arranged the parts in the body,
every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
19 If they were all one part, where would the
body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but
one body.
 Interdependency brings
Unity
• 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need
you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I
don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts
of the body that seem to be weaker are
indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are
less honorable we treat with special honor. And
the parts that are unpresentable are treated with
special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts
need no special treatment. But God has combined
the members of the body and has given greater
honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there
should be no division in the body, but that its
parts should have equal concern for each other.
26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if
one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
• 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one
of you is a part of it.
 HIGH Ethnic Identity/Assimilation
Grid

Cell: A Cell: B
Mainstream Bi-
Cultural Cultural

Cultural
Assimilation

Cell: C Cell: D
A- Asian
Cultural Cultural

LOW Ethnic HIGH

Identity
 AAC
Asian American
Trans-Cultural View of Culture
Churches in America from the CAC
perspective of the Chinese Chinese American
Immigrant MEC
Culture
CIC
Chinese Immigrant
Culture
DAC
AAC Dominant American
Culture
DCC
Dominant Chinese
Culture
MEC
CAC
Multi-Ethnic Culture
SIC
DCC DAC 2nd Gen Immigrant
Culture
1st GEN 2nd GEN TBC
CIC SIC True Bi-cultural

1.5 GEN
TBC
 ICD
Intentional Cultural Development
• The church is called to Shape the Culture, not the other way
around.
• What is ICD?
– Understanding Social DNA of a Church
• Understanding the complex structures within a church organization that
cause them to formulate their values and worldviews in the way that
they do.
• This is done in multiple levels. i.e. Mandarin service, English service,
Taiwanese service, Different age groups, etc.
– Leveraging Cultural Diversity in the Community
• Overcoming Cultural Myopia in the individuals and the community.
• Aiding the Development of a level of awareness, sensitivity and
competence in a cultural diversified environment.
• Create Intercultural Synergy through understanding what strength
each group or individual brings to the community.
• Leverage Cultural Diversity using the synergy resulting from the
dynamic and enriching interactions.
– ILD (Intentional Leadership Development)
• Identify and Develop People of Influence for specific cultural
needs.
• Ministry Cross-Training to develop Cultural Bridges between ministry
gaps.
• Assemble and Position the right team member to fill in the gaps.
 ILD
Intentional Leadership Development
• Identify and Develop People of Influence
– Identify Bi-cultural or Multi-cultural leaders in your community. They
are most influential in your community’s cultural development.
– Pay extra attention to Mentor or Disciple your most influential leaders.
– Develop your leaders by offering them greater mobility to expose
them to all facets of intra and inter-church organization.
• Ministry Cross Training
– Assess the Cultural Strength and Weakness of your community.
– Identify the Greatest Gap in your community.
– Mobilize your leader(s) to cross-train between the ministry Gap.
– Reevaluate with the cross-trained leaders on how to Smoothing the
Pathways of Change.
• Assemble and Position the Right Team Member
– Assemble the team and position the leaders that will assist with the
ICD at strategic cultural juncture. Note: not every good leader is able
to escape from his or her own Cultural Myopia.
– The team must reflect the gifts/talents needed to achieve the
organizational/ministry objectives.
– Assemble the leadership team that will reflect the cultural or ethnic
demographics.
 Reaction
and Q & A