Many churches want to be able to welcome different cultures but so few seem capable of actually doing so. We so often fail to realise that almost all of what we do – even if it is based on scripture – is culturally bound. Biblical imperatives typically find their expression within particular cultures. This is all well and good when our church is made up of one people from one culture. But this is also the reason for much friction in churches that begin to welcome in those from different cultures.

Even more significantly, while we may recognise this issue in respect to those from other nations, we are very poor at recognising the different cultures within our own nations. Many Brits presume, because we are white and speak the same language, that we must be from the same culture. But even within the same town, one area may have a different dominant culture to another. Indeed, even families have their own unique cultures. Cultural differences merely become more pronounced the further away we get from each other. This means, whether you consider your church “multicultural” or not, you will inevitably have a variety of cultures represented therein.

The question is how do we welcome those from different cultures into a church that is seeking to hold to Biblical standards? The answer lies in how well we know the gospel. Listen to the short clip below to hear how the only way to welcome other cultures is to be intimately acquainted with what the gospel is in actuality.