Cultural Diversities

by Kathryn Donev

Upon arriving in a foreign country there are many things to which one will have to adjust. The first and most obvious is the language barrier. Yet, there are many other nonverbal forms of communication as well as common customs associated with everyday living that may seem peculiar when first encountered. The shock for some may be great, but take comfort in the existence of many universal elements that transcend cultures. In many ways, people are very much the same in the midst of their differences. It is possible for such divergences to be overcome one at a time, one day at a time. The following are some of the observations that I, from an American perspective, have experienced during my first ten days of being back in Bulgaria.

1. Even though automobile speedometers appear in kilometers, you should get worried when it surpasses 200.
2. When heading to a specific location you may end up stopping at up to five others before arriving at your final destination. So be prepared to enjoy the journey.
3. It is customary to let a woman with a child cut you in line.
4. Be advised that just because there is a pedestrian crosswalk you should not expect cars to stop for you when entering or much less to slow down if you are already in the crosswalk.
5. The person that is speaking that “funny” language and who is labeled “the foreigner” is now you.
6. You will no longer get ice in your beverage without asking and asking for ice is a sure give-away of your nationality.
7. If you do not manually open the door to the elevator once reaching your designated floor, it will start going back down. The doors are not automatic.
8. When visiting a restaurant, if ketchup is not already present on your table this is a good hint that you will likely have to pay for it.
9. When a cab driver says he will take a “short cut” you probably will end up paying a bit more than if you were to go the “long way.”
10. Energy usage charges vary according to the time of day. Therefore night energy is cheaper than energy used during peak daytime hours.
11. When the expiration date on your food appears as 02/08/05 and it is already July, don’t worry; dates are written with the day first and the month second.
12. Don’t get too excited when the price for diesel reads: 1.67. The price is per liter and if you multiple this number by about 4 you will get the price per gallon. Ouch!
13. When asking for an item at the market and the salesperson nods left to right, don’t leave. They do have what you are asking for. Bulgarians nod opposite than Americans.
14. If the price on a pack of batteries is marked one lev, you should not get carried away and stock up, the price is per battery.
15. When speaking in the native language, people will laugh, but not to worry they are simply surprised and delighted that you have done so.

To Be Continued …

When Two Cultures Collide

By Kathryn Donev

In general it is believed that when any two individuals come together, in the midst there will be some sort of tension. The coming together or collision consequences in tension that is the result of differing opinions and viewpoints. One major origin of such strain or confusion is due to misinterpretation. What is said is viewed erroneously and internalized or personalized in error. Furthermore, when this phenomenon occurs with two individuals from differing cultures, there is greater opportunity for misapprehension. It has been said that whatever is perceived by an individual is the true reality for that particular person. Meaning, how ever one views an event, even if falsely done, is what actually took place in that individual’s personalized world. It is such concept that must be taken to heart in order to genuinely be culturally sensitive. When two cultures collide there must be open-mindedness and understanding of another’s world view. Yet, the straightforward part is to understand this concept and the difficult part is to place such concept into actuality.

Group Work

by Kathryn Donev

Group work is an interesting phenomenon in and of itself. It even reflects scripture in that the Bible commands us to not forsake social gatherings. We are a being that will not function properly if left alone. Thus, simply being in a group setting provides for a reconstructive and supportive experience, which is needed for healthy development.

Some common themes of group work which appear to be most instrumental in producing change is of course being in relationship with others and then there is the concept of universality. Support groups provide to each member the feeling that he or she is not alone. Members in a group setting realize that their feelings which were once thought of as unique, are the same feelings that other members are experiencing. In knowing that one is not alone, he or she is able to take place in a reconstructive cognitive experience in which he or she is able to think more clearly on a particular issues. Being in fellowship with others, allows for us to become less self-centered and become more altruistic.

In being aware of the need for social support and in understanding that leading a group can be physically and emotionally consuming, a group leader must also realize the need to find support for him or her self. It is important to not take on the burdens of others if one is not able or ready to do so.

Notes on a 30-day fast

Day 1: Read Haggai 1-2. The fast has begun. I am waiting on the Lord. Fasting must be a great tool for God, if he calls us to do days and weeks of denial not only from food, but from the boundaries of economical and political systems, of human laws which demand food and of personal desires which starve and die when subjected under His command to fast.

Day 3: I am not hungry at all. I feel a bit lighter and can actually feel my body cleansing itself. My resting while sleeping is even better than before and my mind is much clearer and focused. Read Song of Solomon 5:8.

Day 4: Still not hungry at all. Now, I understand how Jesus fasted for 40 days and hungered only after that.

Day 5: Read Matthew 27:3 and realized that the ones who betray do come back repenting.

Day 6: Read Matthew 27:7 and noticed the word “strangers.” I am a little bit hungry.

Day 8: God spoke to me face to face.

Day 9: God confirmed His word from yesterday. It has been awhile since I have been able in such a way to feel the heavens open with every second spent in the presence of God. I am not hungry at all.

Day 11: It is quite true that the flesh dies during fasting. But the dying of the flesh goes much further than the weakness of the body. Along with the flesh, die the desires of the flesh, and all human desires, along with the desire to hurt others when we are hurt and even the desire to be ourselves, until only the desire to be like Him remains in us.

Day 15: Not hungry. Read Isaiah 58 about fasting:
1. Is. 58:2 These were people who wanted to find God, but did not want to be found by Him, for when a person is found by God all human plans must be left behind in order for the will of God to be done.
2. Is. 58:3 Require all your things from God, may mean that they fasted with the intention to receive something from God, while God sees fasting as a way to bring His plans to realization.
3. Is. 58:4 Not the many words from v. 3, but their fasting was heard before God.
4. Is. 58:5 Definition of humbleness in fasting, which is clearly not passive but it is an action. This action is clearly defined by God with 8 verbs directed outward producing results around the person (v. 6-7), and 4 verbs directed inward producing results within the person (v. 13).
5. Contrary to all human understating not the proper foods, but the absence of food brings health (v. 8) and strength (v. 11).

Day 17: Woke up extremely hungry. Read Psalm 25. God spoke to me through Isaiah 43:5; I now understand what it means that a man shall live not by bread alone, but with every word of the Lord.

Days 26: A series of radical changes and answers to prayer occurred in unexpected ways – unexpected because they were not natural ways that one may anticipate or understand naturally, but rather supernatural and miraculous. Walls which had been built for decades fell and situation which had been developed for generations and centuries came together in a divinely inspired plan which changed the past, the present and will change the future. These were accompanied by heavy anointing during prayer which cannot be described except as an open channel of communication with God.

Day 27: As the end of the fasting approaches, the body feels more and more hungry. Brief blackouts and lack of balance become more frequent. However, prayer time has advanced into an absolutely clear line of communication. While attempting to pray with a certain list of needs, the Spirit audibly and visibly shows places, people, situations and plans for the future which carry meaning so higher that the prepared list of prayer needs seems inadequate in the presence of God. His plan becomes real and its reality is so strong that every other thought, feeling and even physical and emotion sensations looses meaning as one realizes their triviality and temporality in comparison with the supremacy and allness of God.

Moral Development

By Kathryn N. Donev

Moral development is defined as the development regarding rules and conventions about what people should do in their interactions with other people. Such development involves the development of thoughts, feelings and actions concerning standards or what is right and wrong, which includes an interpersonal and intrapersonal dimension. The intrapersonal dimension accounts for ones actions when they are not engaged social and the opposite is true for explaining the interpersonal dimension.

The social learning theory suggests that we learn via social experiences. Meaning our behaviors and actions result from what we model from others. Therefore, the social learning theory might explain moral development in children as a result of modeling observed moral behaviors and actions. When a child is provided with models that behave morally, that child is prone to adopt the observed actions.

Social learning theorists believe that moral behavior is influenced by a particular situation and that ones ability to resist temptation is closely correlated with self-control. Therefore, a child must be taught to control impulses, learn to be patient and to delay being gratified. This is best done through role modeling and providing appropriate examples. It is also suggested that when a child is rewarded for acting out a modeled behavior the likelihood of that behavior re-occurring increases. The opposite is also true; when the behavior is punished or not rewarded then the behavior will likely decrease. Therefore, it is crucial to not only provide a child with the appropriate models, but a child must be encourage for acting out moral behaviors in order to understand that such behavior is a good thing. However, when there is no reward present is when this intrapersonal dimension comes into play. This is when one does moral acts for the sake of doing what is right. It is important to instruct a child at an early age and instill within them this concept of right and wrong in order for one to act morally when it is thought that no one is watching. When no one is watching is when the true sense of morals arises.

Theology of the Persecuted Church

Theology of the Persecuted Church is a research sequel which introduces the ministry dynamics, spiritual practices and theological formation of the Bulgarian Church of God under the communist Regime.

Part 1: Lord’s Supper
The Church of God in Bulgaria was established in the 1920s with an identical name, but independently from the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). The first connection between the two denominations was established in 1985. During this 65-year period the Church of God in Bulgaria was persecuted by Orthodox and nationalistic organizations until it was outlawed by the Communism Regime in the 1940s. During the years of underground worship, the Church of God has preserved the Lord’s Supper in the grade of authenticity in which it was initially received from the first Pentecostal missionaries.

An essential part of the service is the preparation. Due to the lack of scheduled services in the underground church, the believers depend on the leadership of the Holy Spirit for the exact date of the communion service. This is done with regard to the need of protection from the secret police. Fasting is a required preparation for the service. Due to the lack of meeting place, the actual service takes place at a believer’s home. Sometimes these services have up to fifty people in a small apartment. Worship is quiet, because any loud noise may lead to the appearance of the police. The physical silence, however, does not limit the presence of the Holy Spirit, and even helps the believers to be more sensitive to the voice of God, which is indescribable when taking place as a group experience. The service starts with prayer, which lasts until God reveals the lady whom is to beak the unleavened bread for the communion. During the time of preparation, the minister delivers the communion message.

The altar call, given after the sermon, purposes to prepare the believers for communion. The communion is not given to a person who is not saved, baptized in water and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, after the sermon, a special prayer is offered for repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The author has personally witnessed up to thirty people saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit in a matter of minutes as a result of such a prayer.

The converts are then led to the river and baptized in water. This is done in even in the middle of winter, sometimes the temperature is so low that the minister and his assistants break the ice in order to baptize the converts.

The converts are welcomed back with a special song by the congregation. After extended time of self-examination and request of each believer to be forgiven by the present members of the congregation, the pastor presents the communion to the congregation. One of the unleavened cakes is used as a symbol of the oneness of Christ’s body. The cup of the communion is filled with wine. The roots of this tradition can be traced back to the teachings of the first western missionaries to Bulgaria at the end of the nineteenth century, as well as the influence of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. After communion, men and women are separated for a foot washing service. At the end of the service, all are gathered for an Agape feast, which serves as a conclusion of the communion service.

Prayer, Fasting and Spirituality

Nearly seven out of ten (69%) of the surveyed Bulgarians strongly affirm the expectation that the Bulgarian Church is a prayer center. In contrast, only 17% believe that prayer should be the primary function of the church.

Prayer
One out of two unchurched Bulgarians do not see a connection between prayer and spirituality.
One out of two church members affirm prayer and home groups as priority ministries for the church.
Every second church member prays twice or more daily
One out of four (25.53%) church members do not pray in the morning, noon nor evening, but do pray every day at another appointed time
Every fourth (25.5 %) church member has no set time for prayer.

Fasting
40% do not fast
24% fast sometimes
18% fast once or twice weekly
18% fast more than two days per week

Spirituality is defined by church members as:
Walking in the Spirit (40%)
Closeness to God (31%)
Operating under the gifts of the Spirit (11%)
Love toward neighbor (10%)
Works of faith (5%)
Care for widows and orphans (2%)
Humbleness (1%)
None of the surveyed, defines spirituality as resulting from prayer and fasting or standing under persecutions

Religious Awareness 101

For several years now, our team in Bulgaria has led an extensive Sunday School program using the Sunday School program that Cup & Cross developed in 2001 for the purposes of the Bulgarian Church of God. Although the program’s primary emphasis has been among adults in the area of Christian education and discipleship, its has proven very effective among children and teenagers.

Taking under consideration of the above, several of the churches we work with have opened a special Sunday School outreach for the children and young adults in the villages. Through this endeavor, the Sunday School program has flourished.

Three weeks ago a new implementation of the program was allowed by a local secular school in the village of Kamenetz. The faculty has extended an invitation to our team to hold a Religion Awareness class on Tuesdays. The class has been well attended since its start and will continue through the school year. This week, our team received a letter from the school principal expressing her appreciation of the efforts and the work.

Since Bulgaria is officially an Eastern Orthodox country, all offered religious classes in state schools have been Eastern Orthodox oriented. This is one of the first times that theology with a Protestant orientation is being taught in a Bulgarian state school. It is our prayer that as Bulgaria continues to develop its policy on religious tolerance, more classes like this are offered.

Accepting a Vision

Vision is a clear, challenging picture of the future of a ministry it can and must be. First, the vision must be a clear statement in order to be understood and acted upon. Secondly, vision is a challenging statement in order to bring a group of people to a next level. Then, the vision is a picture, a visual imagination rather than simply a sequence of words. Fourth, the vision must be related to the future and in this way to act as a prophetic guidance. Fifth, a vision can be. This means that a vision is able to exist and is able to empower others. Finally, a vision must be which means that a true vision brings urgency in itself.

Churches can exist in various status of vision among which are: multi-vision, wrong vision, no vision and single vision. A successful church operates under one, single, unified vision supernaturally given by God and based on the Great Commission which determines its pursuit of lost souls.

Your vision will inevitably determine the direction of your work. In order to serve as a ground work for what follows next in the church-planting process, the vision must provide purpose, mission and location. The purpose will determine what the future organization will do. The mission will establish the means of getting it done. The location will help establish a knowledge center where beilevers will assemble in order to obtain answers for certain needs. These can be determined by the purpose and mission of the church.

In all human efforts, a true church cannot be established without a vision from God. However, capturing vision is a very personal process which involves knowing yourself, knowing your ministry context and knowing God. A vision, then, can be obtained only through the Biblical means of prayer, fasting and solitude.

Since it is not a quick fix, a true vision emerges over a period of waiting on God. It has also been noted that the process of obtaining the vision is often longer than the realization of the vision itself. Such method clearly invests not only in the fulfillment of a project, but also in the personal growth of the individual and the community which undertakes it.

Get ready to share the vision you have accepted through:
1. Presenting the vision in a concise memorizeble form which clearly expresses its purpose and goals.
2. Make a continuous and constant presence of the vision in your methodology through preaching, teaching, discipleship, conference and other methods of communication.
3. Consider the vision as the basis of your ministry strategies.
4. Provide a more descriptive statement of the means through which the vision will be brought to realization.
The above process involves not only capturing, but also taking ownership of the vision. The great leader is a servant of the dream. The vision will never become a reality unless you can communicate it to others who can see your commitment to fulfill it. Thus, you personify the vision. Only then will the vision become a common vision and form the identity of your congregation.

(Excerpt from Analytical Overview and Church Planting Proposal for Bulgarian American Congregations Considering Cultural, Economical And Leadership Dimensions)

Internationalization vs. Naturalization

In the beginning of 21st century, when perspective and persona are changed by postmodern thinking, church planting is most important. Providing a strategy for church planting and growth is to serve as a roadmap to success for Bulgarian church leaders and people who have dedicated their lives to making a difference within the community of believers. It is our prayer that such strategy becomes part of the Great Commission given to the Christendom.

The process of transformation of Bulgarian communities in the United States toward a more contemporary and functional model of ministry will inevitably reflect on the process of internalization, which is taking place within the Church of God. The natural birth of the church, however, as described by the Bible does not include a process of internationalization in which one nation creates an environment for other nations in order for better representation. On the contrary, the Bible speaks of ecclesial equality represented by many ethnic groups naturalized in the body of the church. Naturalization in the church brings both equality and unity among its members. Internalization, respectively, resembles a process of mechanical assembling of a large mass of people under one name without giving them a unique nature that characterizes the community.

Further recognition of the ethnic groups of non-American-born believers represented within the Church of God in the United States will provide the ability to naturalize its infrastructure as a body, rather than artificial over force to internationalize a body of an already ethnically diverse community. In the beginning of the 21st century such strategy will give the Church of God the opportunity to successfully target cross-cultural communities across the United States and produce church growth in metropolis and large urban developments, where the strategies for growth based on its historical dominating rural culture have proven long-ineffective. Finally, such detailed focus on cross-cultural ministries will assure the productive attention not only to large ethnic groups, but also to small and growing cross-cultural communities, which will continually assure the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Church of God and will provide it with a realistic international appearance.

Excerpt from Analytical Overview and Church Planting Proposal for Bulgarian American Congregations Considering Cultural, Economical And Leadership
Dimensions

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