An Acts29 article was released chatting about the 5 things new church planters should know. There's some good tips in there, pretty straight forward, deal with people not books or web sites. However, there is a component that I've found over and over again in conversation and in writings regarding church planting.

Christians refer to regular, happy, fun, but non-Christian people as PAGANS. Do Christians have to step out of their way to use derogatory terms for everyone who's not like them? Why do we specifically target a people group and choose to use language that's probably not offensive, but certainly in bad taste?

Jonathan Dodson had this to say on point one of his five:

FUNDRAISING: Don't forget to ask the pagans! If you are fundraising, remember that God used the pagan king Cyrus to fund the rebuilding of an entire city. He can definitely handle your church planting needs. Most pagans know more about your city than you do, and some of them love it more than you. Be sure to ask God first and others second when you are fundraising. And don't forget to ask the pagans.

Are you serious?! Do we still comfortably use words like negro, eskimo, chinaman, jap, chink, etc.? Pagan..... can we not use first names instead? Can we not refer to people as equal humans and not adopt language that pits one group of humanity versus another?

Referring to non-Christians as pagans is a sure step to either ostracize your community (once people hear how you refer to them as) from culture around you, or it will develop a superiority complex. Both are bad, both are problems, both are detrimental to church planting in a post-Christendom society.

So here's to dropping the use of 'pagan' to refer to your neighbor, your friend, your non-believing family member. It sounds old fashion at best and further legitimizes the perspective that Christians are out of touch and intolerant to every aspect of culture.

[tags]pagan, acts 29[/tags]

http://www.acts29network.org/acts-29-blog/five-things-new-planters-should-know/