Cross-Cultural Outreach in Pennsylvania Churches

Many times in our Christian faith we can become spiritually narcissistic internalizing the gospel as a personal salvation experience as opposed to a communal restoration. We try hard to separate our spiritual selves from the broader community, retreating to an isolated faith and distorted reality of Christendom. Our actions may model more so the religiosity of the Pharisees than that of the communal lived-out faith of Christ. Many of us are guilty of viewing this Christian faith through individualistic lenses as opposed to those of interdependence. As a result, we may not love our neighbor as ourselves, nor fight for her or his cause as if it were our own.

The thought of engaging those around can be challenging by itself, but even more so as we venture toward cross-cultural outreach. As Christians our greatest example of cross-cultural outreach is Jesus. He made his message relevant to the masses. He was known for hanging out with folks who would not necessarily be considered like him—publicans and sinners. He went against cultural norms by talking to a woman—a Samaritan!—and stayed even after she grew uncomfortable with the conversation. Jesus extended healing to the daughter of a woman from the region of Syro-Pheonicia. Later, Peter who took the good news to the household of the Italian Cornelius, and Paul whose travels spread all throughout the Roman Empire spread Christ’s gospel throughout other cultures.

Today, we live in a world where global has actually become local. In my son’s school in Pittsburgh, 29 languages are spoken. Local communities which could once be described as Polish, Jewish, African American or Italian are now finding themselves with non-singular ethnic identities. One of the greatest challenges for Christians is for our local churches across Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia to Erie, to become relevant to these new constituencies.

The cultural divides have stymied us from living out our faith in tangible ways throughout our communities. I have witnessed some local Pennsylvania churches passionately raise money for poor orphan children in some far off land while the poor orphan children in their church’s neighbor go neglected. Why is that?

Most people experience anxiety when faced with the need to approach someone seen as “other.” It is much easier to deal with the “other” who is far away, than to engage the “other” who is close by because then it becomes real. Then we become more vulnerable and risk the shift of our definition of “normal.” Then our engagement may not be as temporary as we may like. Then we might get exposed to realities that could make our “safe” bubble burst. Then we might be convicted to do something, turning our apathy into action.

If we also take the great commission seriously, then our work for Christ should be communal and have both local and global reaches. The life of every Christian should include some form of outreach that goes both across the street and across the world.

We are charged as Christians to face the challenges of our times head-on. We need churches that have cultural relevance and dare to go beyond their comfort zones in order to affect lasting change within their local communities and beyond.

Kimberly Merrell, an MDiv alumna of Pittsburgh Seminary, is the director of the Metro-Urban Institute at PTS.