Grow2serve partner, The Honor-Shame Network, seeks to integrate and apply insights about honor & shame for God’s global mission at various levels. The informal network involves Christian leaders serving in various regions of the world. Our primary areas of focus include theology, missiology, and ecclesiology. HonorShame.com is the digital platform of the Honor-Shame Network. It offers practical tools and training for Christians ministering in honor-shame contexts. HonorShame.com develops and advocates a biblical missiology for honor-shame cultures, so that all peoples will sing, “My salvation and honor depend on God” (Ps 62:7).
How can we develop an “honor-shame theology” for today? How might be better explain the gospel in honor-shame contexts? Here are 8 practical tips to help you better utilize honor-shame in global ministry.
This post summarizes part of the plenary talk at the 2017 Honor-Shame Conference. A full-length webinar video is available here.
1. Missions: From Evangelism to Discipleship.
Many Christian workers engage honor-shame for its evangelistic utility. Honor-shame most certainly does impact evangelism, but limiting its value to evangelism truncates our theology and undermines the important task of making disciples. Honor and shame transform our understanding of the gospel, from conversion message to discipleship life. As we understand the gospel rightly, honor-shame is not merely about cross-cultural communication, but a matter of ethics and kingdom living. An honor-shame perspective enhances our gospel presentations by emphasizing the ethical and communal dimensions inherent to the gospel. So, use honor-shame to make disciples, not just more converts.
Zaideh Hidalgo
For almost nine years, God has been using me in the MEDIA ministry as a short documentary film producer. I am also a visual artist; an impressionist doing mostly impasto artworks with oil paint as my main medium. God lead me to Grow2Serve where I work as an administrative assistant to our Senior Director, Mark Morgenstern.