The Burden of Baggage: First-Generation Issues in Coming to Christ - Paperback

by Roy Oksnevad (Author)

Overcoming Cultural Baggage One Generation at a Time. This uncommon resource targets a little discussed, but highly prevalent challenge that first-generation churches face. Specifically, The Burden of Baggage explores how cultural upbringing can be both a strength and a weakness as it impacts expressions of church life as seen in the personal, interpersonal, family, leadership styles, and spiritual walk. Every person coming to Christ has baggage, but a first-generation believer, especially one coming from a background with little or no connection to Christianity, has an uncommon amount of cultural baggage that they bring with them. This book tackles common issues and sees specific examples played out in the Iranian church as a prime example of these challenges. While the book focuses on Muslim-background believers from Iran, it has transferable insight for Other-background believers from any oppressive regime and therefore is highly encouraging in the universality of the struggle that new believers face as they draw near to Christ. Readers will walk away knowing they are not alone in their struggles as they deal with gut-wrenching issues that often aren't able to be solved in one generation, and yet gain hope from the redemptive stories within.

Author Biography

Roy Oksnevad, PhD, has been an urban pioneer church planter, cross-cultural missionary in Belgium, and founder and director of COMMA (Coalition of Ministries to Muslims n North America). He is an author, speaker, and educator. He also teaches for Pars Theological Centre.