Culture and the Cell Church

by | Jan 24, 2010 | Uncategorized | 2 comments

marioby Mario Vega (filling in for Joel Comiskey who is ministering in New York).

As a result of last week’s blog, Mike Mack asked about the main differences between the Salvadorian and American culture.

I’d like to point out two important elements:

First of all, the Salvadorians are much more open to relations with their neighbors. All people know each other, greet one another, children play together in the street, and people frequently visit (sometimes for no apparent reason).

Second, the Salvadorian culture is highly religious and shows openness and respect for the Bible those who teach it. Churches are at the top of the list of the institutions that generate the highest confidence.

Obviously, this does not mean that the cell model can not work in the American culture. All it means is that the soils are different. And becuase of this, the expectations of results will should not be the same.

The cell model comes from the New Testament. Consequently, it is part of the gospel and of being the church of Jesus Christ. The principles are universal and not peculiar to a specific culture. The truth of God is the truth in every place. The seed will bare its fruit in its season, according to the type of ground where it was planted. Although in some cultures more effort is needed, the work must be accomplished with the certainty that the Word will not return to Him empty.

Comments?

Mario

Translation in Spanish

Cultura y principios celulare

En ocasión de mi blog de la semana pasada, Mike Mack pregunta cuáles son las diferencias principales entre la cultura salvadoreña y la estadounidense.

Puedo señalar dos elementos importantes: primero, los salvadoreños son mucho más abiertos a las relaciones con sus vecinos. Todas las personas se conocen y se saludan, los niños juegan juntos en la calle, las visitas son frecuentes y, a veces, sin mayores motivos.

Segundo, el salvadoreño es altamente religioso. Muestra apertura y respeto hacia la Biblia y a quienes la enseñan. Las iglesias se encuentran en el primer lugar de las instituciones que le generan mayor confianza.

Obviamente, esto no significa que el modelo celular no pueda funcionar en la cultura estadounidense. Lo único que significa es que los terrenos son diferentes. Las expectativas en cuanto a resultados no pueden ser iguales.

El modelo celular es el de la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento. Consecuentemente, es parte del evangelio y de el ser iglesia. Los principios son universales y no peculiares de una cultura especfica. La verdad de Dios es verdad en todo sitio. La semilla producirá su fruto en su tiempo, de acuerdo al tipo de terreno donde fue plantada. A pesar que se necesite mayor empeño en ciertas culturas, se debe trabajar con la seguridad que la palabra no volverá vaca.

2 Comments

  1. Joel Comiskey

    Mario, I love your analysis of Latin American culture versus North American culture. I especially like your conclusion that cell church is a biblical model that transcends customs and cultures. I agree!

    Reply
  2. Jeff Tunnell

    Very helpful and healthy for us to see this, thanks Mario. It brings hope when we focus on principles that are biblical rather than simply reviewing our experiences as the ultimate decider of future actions.

    Reply

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joelcomiskey

joelcomiskey

Joel Comiskey, Ph.D., founder of JCG Resources

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