Aaron Harvie is the kind of guy that people want to be around. That’s what drew an amazing ministry team together (Ezra, Gibson), and that’s why Riverside Community Church, the church he planted just north of Philadelphia nine years ago, is a model of cooperation, unity, and contagious faith. He invited fellow pastors and church planters to join us at Rob Burns’ Real Life Church, where we had some great dialogue about the similarities between the European and the American cultures.
Steak Sandwiches. Yum.
For pastors who are isolated and insulated by the American Christian sub-culture, postmodern thought is a theory to be studied or a force to be feared. But the guys in Philadelphia, (sorry, as an outsider, I can’t bring myself to call it “Philly”) postmodernism is a contextual realtiy. As we outlined the general European worldview, they related to the fatalism, relativism, and neo-moralism that both cultures have in common. What they’re doing in the northeast is very similar to what we do in Europe.
The apparent similarities, however, can be deceiving. In our presentation, we refer to some of the major blunders that well-intentioned American mission trippers have made during visits to Europe. Many groups go to Europe assuming that what “worked” in the U.S. will “work” in Europe. There’s nothing worse than inadvertently offending people to such an extent that you lose your voice before you’ve even said a word.
That’s where the Upstream Collective comes in. We don’t know all of the cultural ins and outs of every people group and every neighborhood, but we can help you learn how to study a culture. If we’ve learned anything about getting to know people of another culture, its the importance of keep our eyes and ears open while keeping our mouths tightly shut.
We had a great time as Aaron showed us around town. It’s obvious that he loves the city and is committed to investing in it. We happily played tourist as we visited the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. You kind of see all that stuff in a different light after being overseas for a few years. I’m thankful to be an American.
By the way, Real Life Church is a great case study in incarnational ministry. Check out what Ed Stetzer wrote about them back in February of 2007.
