Preparation is Essential

The Importance of Education
In order to become a bridge-builder between the church and the world, we need to be educated about both, and also about how to integrate Biblical principles into today's culture. So, becoming an effective ambassador for Christ requires knowledge in three critically important areas.

Theology
As bridge-builders we first need to develop a thorough knowledge of the character of God, the Person of Christ, and the salvation message. As we do, the Holy Spirit incorporates this learned knowledge into our personal lives and ministries. The Spirit helps us craft the most effective message and presentation attributes consistent with our personalities, so we can be effective in communicating the gospel. Many churches today, however, have downplayed the importance of theology as a real solution to the problems of our nation, some even adopting an anti-theological attitude. Today more than ever before in our Christian history, long-held assumptions about doctrinal adherence and devotion seem of little importance. Fewer and fewer people are choosing a church or continue attending because of biblical doctrine or theological purity. If this is our reality, and it is, then we desperately need to develop a hunger for theology, and for becoming theologically educated. We cannot hope to be the “bridge builders” Christ expects us to be without a personal commitment to educating ourselves thoroughly and completely.

Anthropology
We also need to understand the people of our world, our very neighbors. This includes the biblical nature of man, the prevailing world views today, and how these world views show their faces in today's media, attitudes, education, government, an all across our social strata. Also, what are the needs of our world today? There are physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs to consider. But to address these needs we must be educated.

It is challenging to grasp the concept that we need to understand our own culture in our own country before we can be effective ambassadors for Christ. The real challenge for each Christian is to not only understand the American culture better, but help us immerse our faith into that culture.

Contextualization
As we begin to dialogue with non-believers within the context of our own experiences, we'll actually learn how to use those experiences as channels for sharing biblical truth. Nonbelievers need to see that a biblical foundation works within their own field of interest and life experience before they adopt the Christian foundation for their entire life. So we need to become thoroughly educated regarding the biblical foundation of our own field, whether it be science, marketing, education, medicine, law, child-rearing, factory work, whatever. Eventually you'll be able to develop a specific strategy for ministry within your educational or occupational field, turning where you live and work into a mission field.

A Christian lawyer, for example, could start a legal defense program for Christian education in the community, or could teach a Sunday school class on “A Biblical Basis for Law and Justice”. A Christian doctor could teach a night sex education course for high school and junior high school students (incorporating the physiological, psychological, and biblical/moral perspectives) at the church - and open it up to the entire community. There really should be no limits to the creative options explored to build bridges to the non-believers all around us.

The question we must face.... is whether or not this sort of education and hard work is really important to us. Why has the church lost its place as a dominant force within American culture? Simply because Christians have neglected this sort of study and preparation - and frequently replaced it with an emotionalized, trivialized Christianity.

Consider making a commitment before God to educate yourself in such a way as to turn your occupational or educational field into a mission field. There is nothing more thrilling than living a life modeled after the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Jesus will equip you and empower you to be the Bridge Builder He wants you to Be! Be willing and He will do the rest!