Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In response to the declining interest and participation of youth in urban churches in Africa,
with a specific focus on churches in Nairobi, this study investigates a missiologically related
problem of ecclesial praxis that seems to ignore or fail to address the social needs of youth,
particularly concerning the need to belong. The churches in Nairobi, as in other parts of
Africa, have inherited ecclesial praxis that was shaped in the dualistic cultural context of the
Western Enlightenment and the clerical paradigm of Christendom. This dualistic view of
reality has dichotomised the understanding of the gospel by compartmentalising it into a
spiritual sphere while failing to address the social and cultural dimensions of human life.
Consequently, the church hermeneutically understands its primary mission as saving souls
and meeting the spiritual needs of its members through the institution of clergy and laity.
In order to address the problem, the study proposes the praxis of discipleship based on a
community approach that correlates three integrated dimensions of mission (worship,
fellowship, and intentional mission) with a community structure guided by specific urban
context, cultural values and missional theology. This constitutes the thesis of this research
study and also provides a methodological framework for organising the study. In the first
chapter, discipleship is conceptualised in the comprehensive missional understanding of the
church as missionary in its nature and calling, sent by Christ into the world for the redemption
of the world. In that sense, the proposed discipleship community must be understood as
missionary in nature.
The second chapter focuses on understanding the urban context. It examines some of the
urban features of Nairobi that could be typical of other African cities, like rapid urban growth,
high proportion of youth in the population, housing problems, unemployment, increasing
poverty, family disintegration, crime, violence and disease. In that context, the study assessed
the church’s youth ministry by gathering primary empirical data through observation and
personal interviews with youth pastors and leaders. The findings confirmed that most youth
ministries are based on the clerical paradigm and are driven by programmes. Participation by
youth has been found to be low in most churches. Many churches do not seem to address their
real needs. Often the youth ministry is seen as a marginal ministry in the church.
In response to understanding the community from an African cultural perspective, the study
investigated the traditional African community on the basis of literature and by using the
ancestral anamnesis (remembrance of ancestors) as the interpretative framework for analysis. In traditional African society, the community is understood as the heart of the culture, the
stage where the whole of life is dramatised. Even those who live in modern urban contexts
carry with them African community values which have their origin in the traditional African
community. Some of the African community values were measured among the urban youth
through a survey questionnaire; most of the young people regarded these as important in their
lives (Chapter Five). Empirical findings have shown the validity of considering cultural
factors in constructing any kind of model for community-based discipleship.
The importance of community was also validated theologically and missiologically by
demonstrating the normative praxis of discipleship through community structure in the life of
the early church. Theologically, the early church understood itself as the community of
Christ on the basis of the concept of koinonia, a fellowship based on common faith in Christ.
Missiologically, the church perceived itself from its inception as a missionary community sent
into the world to witness to the gospel. The research demonstrated that community was the
means through which the normative praxis of discipleship formation was carried out in the
early church. There was no sense of dichotomy between the spiritual and social dimensions
of the gospel as it is normally understood in today’s church.
The importance of community as a means for the formation of identity and character was
demonstrated through this having been the cultural norm in traditional African society and the
theological norm in the life and praxis of the early church. Through the empirical research,
the study also confirmed the positive perception of community values among the urban youth.
Based on the evidence that was gathered, the study confronts the church in Nairobi and
elsewhere to examine its present praxis critically and consider approaching its youth ministry
from a community perspective in response to the present missiological problem in youth
ministry.
In order to construct youth ministry on community foundation, the study suggests a model
called the covenant model. It takes the form of a small group existing as a part of the local
church but coming together specifically as a community guided by a discipleship covenant
that integrates three missional dimensions. The group seeks to adapt in its specific urban
context and integrate cultural values that complement the gospel. The covenant model
assumes that the urban context is complex and diverse. It allows each group to develop its
own shape and features, informed by its context, culture and tradition. It calls for diversity in
cultural and contextual expression while maintaining unity as God’s people in Christ. The
early church exemplified it in being one, holy, catholic and apostolic. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In reaksie op die afname in belangstelling en inskakeling van die jeug in stedelike kerklike
aktiwiteite in Afrika, toegespits op gemeentes in Nairobi, wil hierdie studie ’n
missiologiesverwante probleem ondersoek. Die vraag is of die ekklesiologiese praksis daarin
slaag om te beantwoord aan die die jeug se sosiale behoeftes en spesifiek die behoefte aan
gemeenskap, om te behoort aan ‘n sosiale groep. Die kerke in Nairobi, soos in ander dele van
Afrika, het ’n ekklesiologiese praksis geërf wat gevorm is aan die hand van die dualistiese
kulturele konteks van die Westerse Verligting en die geestelike paradigma van die
Christendom. Hierdie dualistiese uitkyk op die werklikheid het ’n tweeledige karakter aan die
evangelie verleen. Aan die een kant is daar ’n spirituele sfeer, aan die ander kant word die
sosiale en kulturele aspekte van menslike bestaan kwalik verdiskonteer. Gevolglik
interpreteer die kerk haar primêre missie hermeneuties as synde die red van siele en die
aanspreek van die spirituele behoeftes van haar lidmate met die gevolg dat lidmate leke bly en
die kerk institusionaliseer.
In ’n poging om hierdie probleem aan te spreek, stel die studie ’n praksis van dissipelskap
gebaseer op ’n gemeenskapsgeoriënteerde benadering voor, waardeur drie geïntegreerde
dimensies van gestuurdheid (aanbidding, gemeenskap van die heiliges en die bewuswording
van gestuurdheid) aan die orde kom. Die gemeenskapsgeoriënteerde benadering se strukturele
ontwikkeling word ontwikkel op grond van die ter sake konteks, kulturele waardes en
missionale teologie. Dit vorm die basis waarop die navorsing van hierdie verhandeling gerig
is, insluitend ’n metodologiese raamwerk vir die aanpak van hierdie studie. In die eerste
hoofstuk word die begrip dissipelskap gedefinieer teen die agtergrond van ‘n omvattende
missionale verstaan van die kerk as synde missionêr in haar aard en roeping. Christus het die
totale verlossing van die wêreld in die oog en die kerk het daarin ‘n wesenlike rol. In dié sin
word die dissipelskapsgemeenskap beskou as wesenlik missionêr.
Die tweede hoofstuk fokus op die verstaan van die stedelike konteks. Daarin word tendense
kenmerkend van Nairobi wat ook ten opsigte van ander Afrika-stede tipies kan wees,
ondersoek. Voorbeelde hiervan is versnellende verstedeliking, pro-rata ’n hoë persentasie jong
mense, behuisingsprobleme, werkloosheid, toenemende armoede, gesinsverbrokkeling,
misdaad, geweld en siekte. Binne dié konteks en aan die hand van empiriese data verkry deur
observasie en persoonlike onderhoude met jeugdiges, pastors en leiers, het die studie die kerk
se jeugbediening ondersoek. Dit het aan die lig gebring dat die jeugbediening basies binne ‘n
predikantskerkparadigma asook programgedrewe funksioneer. Deelname van jongmense in kerklike aktiwiteite is laag. Gemeentes spreek nie die jeug se basiese behoeftes aan nie. Die
jeugediening skyn eerder ‘n terloopse bediening te wees.
Ten einde gemeenskap vanuit ’n kulturele Afrika-perspektief te verstaan, is voorvaderlike
anamnese (terugroeping in die herinnering) as interpretatiewe raamwerk in hierdie studie
aangewend. Dit is gedoen op grond van ’n toepaslike literatuurstudie. Volgens die tradisionele
Afrika-samelewing word die gemeenskap beskou as die hart van die kultuur, die plek waar die
lewe sigself afspeel. Selfs diegene wat hulself in moderne voorstedelike omgewings bevind,
dra die Afrika-gemeenskap se waardes wat hul oorsprong in die tradisionele Afrikagemeenskap
het met hulle saam. Van hierdie waardes is geïdentifiseer deur vraelyste wat
onder die voorstedelike jeug versprei is - die meeste van die jongmense het hierdie waardes
hoog aangeskryf (Hoofstuk vyf). Empiriese bevindinge het getoon dat die inagneming van
kulturele faktore noodsaaklik is vir die skep van ’n model vir ’n gemeenskapsgeoriënteerde
dissipelskap.
Die belangrike rol van die gemeenskap is ook teologies en missiologies gestaaf aan die hand
van die normatiewe praksis van dissipelskap in die gemeenskapstruktuur van die vroeë kerk.
Teologies het die vroeë kerk haarself beskou as die gemeenskap van Christus op grond van
die begrip koinonia, ’n gemeenskap gebaseer op ‘n gedeelde geloof in Christus, Missiologies
het die kerk haarself van die begin af ervaar as ’n missionêre gemeenskap wat in die wêreld
ingestuur word om die evangelie uit te dra. Navorsing het getoon dat die normatiewe praksis
van dissipelskap in die vroeë kerk binne gemeenskapsverbande uitgedra is. Daar was nie toe
sprake van ’n tweeledigheid tussen die spirituele en sosiale dimensies van die evangelie soos
dit vandag algemeen in die kerk voorkom nie.
Die belangrike rol van die gemeenskap ten opsigte van vorming van die identiteit en karakter
van sy lede is gedemonstreer deurdat dit die kulturele norm in tradisionele Afrika en die
teologiese norm in die lewe en praksis van die vroeë kerk was. Deur empiriese navorsing is
die positiewe gesindheid van die voorstedelike jeug aangaande die gemeenskapswaardes
gestaaf. Op grond van bewyse versamel, konfronteer dié studie die kerk in Nairobi en elders
om die heersende praksis krities te ondersoek en dit ernstig te oorweeg om in die lig van die
heersende missiologiese probleem ten opsigte van die jeugbediening, dié bediening vanuit ’n
gemeenskapsgeoriënteerde perspektief te benader.
Ten einde die jeugbediening op ’n gemeenskapsbasis te vestig, stel hierdie studie ’n model
bekend as die verbondsmodel voor. Dit kom daarop neer dat ’n kleingroep as deel van die
plaaslike gemeente as ’n gemeenskap saamkom, saamgesnoer deur ‘n dissipelskapverbond wat die drie geïntegreerde missionale dimensies van die kerk se roeping verdiskonteer. Die
groep streef daarna om aan te pas in hul bepaalde voorstedelike konteks en om kulturele
waardes wat by die evangelie aansluit, in hul lewenswyse te integreer. Die verbondsmodel
maak voorsiening vir die kompleksiteit en diversiteit van die voorstedelike konteks. Dit laat
elke groep toe om ’n eiesoortigheid op grond van konteks, kultuur en tradisie te ontwikkel.
Dit vereis diversiteit ten opsigte van kulturele en kontekstuele uitdrukking, terwyl die eenheid
as God se mense in Christus gehandhaaf word. Dit is deur die vroeë kerk gedemonstreer in
die funksionering as een, heilige, katolieke en apostoliese kerk.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19545 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Rangoonwala, Abid |
| Contributors | Simon, D. Xolile, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xv, 339 leaves |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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