Have you ever considered what culture means in the context of spreading the Good News? As Jesus followers and mission workers, understanding culture is essential for effective evangelism. After all, culture is the medium of mission, and a culture-less mission is not effective. 

Culture is a set of shared attitudes, values, and practices that are shared by people in a particular place or time. Everyone has a culture, and we all see the world through our own lens. So, when sharing the Gospel, it’s crucial to know if you’re stepping into a near, far, or same culture. 

Jesus commanded his disciples to be witnesses everywhere, from Jerusalem, their home nation, to the rest of the earth (Acts 1:8). This mission extends to near-culture, far-culture, and same-culture contexts. 

Near-culture missions involve reaching unreached people groups who are geographically, culturally, and linguistically proximate to you. It involves sharing the Good News with the unreached people in your own country or region. This type of mission can be an eye-opening experience for everyone as it helps navigate the world around you, who are in dire need of the Gospel even though it is so near yet so far for some. See how near culture workers had an advantage in the Near East by reading this story.

Far-culture mission workers, on the other hand, are people who do missions far away from their own culture, crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries. These missionaries often have to leave behind the comfort of their homes and learn a new language and culture to proclaim the Gospel. It’s a challenging but rewarding calling as they reach people who might never have heard about Jesus. 

Finally, same-culture missions are just as important as near-culture and far-culture missions. We tend to think highly of missionaries in dire countries, but we also play a huge role right where we live. Jesus expects us to join him in his ministry full-time, every day of our lives, whether we leave our culture or stay in the same culture. As Jesus commanded the disciples, we must go first locally to our neighbors, friends, and coworkers who are in our network. Same-culture missionaries have a unique opportunity to be good neighbors and coworkers to the people around them who may not have heard the Gospel. 

Whether it’s near-culture, far-culture, or same-culture, we should be on a mission to the people around us and dedicate our lives to living the truth and serving wherever we are. Understanding culture is essential for effective evangelism, and we should always strive to be culturally sensitive and respectful in our outreach efforts. Discover your role in the missions field and find opportunities where you can best serve by visiting our website omusa.org today.