Seth Kim coins the idea “Transcultural” as “a decision to go through discomforts and difficulties in order to develop understanding and delight in people from a different culture.” (my add: for the purpose of making disciples)

I love this.

It goes past quaint politically correct multi-culturalisms and gets to the deep root reasons for striving to become a diverse church. It even goes beyond the ethnic distinction to cross generational boundaries, class/social boundaries, and more. It is at heart, missionary & incarnational.

1. Decision implies intentionality. You can’t just sit and hope it happens. It requires intention.
2. Discomfort & difficulty are the tell-tale signs of willing, missional people. Going to the other will never be soft, comfortable, easy, whether it is overseas or across the street.
3. Developing understanding entails that it is a process requiring work. People never just “melt into the pot”. It requires doing one’s homework, effort, work.
4. Delight means we are not after creating an indistinguishable blob. The purpose is to celebrate the diversity and foster growth within each specific community within its contexts.
5. Different culture means exactly what it says. Being missional means you gotta go to somebody culturally (and significantly) different from you.
6. Disciple-making is the end goal. NOT making our church look like heaven. That’s a by-product, and risks diversity just for the sake of diversity. No, the purpose is indigenized movements of people being discipled and growing in the “follow-ship” of Christ.

Trans-cultural. Less talk, more happen.