Cultural Influences on Authority and Decision-Making

1 Cultural Influences on Authority and Decision-Making Covenant community refers to a partnership between God and people, established in people's willful submission to work together for God's mission under the direction of Jesus Christ. According to Lingenfelter (2008), the main result of covenant community training and teamwork should be the change in the team's focus from a 'project game' to a covenant community in Christ on a mission. A team focused on the 'project game' means that people are only concerned with achieving goals such as profits. Conversely, a covenant community in Christ on a mission uses a project as an opportunity to realize the team's potential in Christ.

Therefore, training should not focus only on technical skills to enable the team to attain for-profit objectives.

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2 Instead, the training should emphasize being a covenant community with the goal of service as Jesus' followers. For example, it should teach the people how to work in covenant relationships by following Jesus rather than cultural behaviors. They should be taught the importance of values such as trust, truth, compassion, accountability, and forgiveness while working on the project (Lingenfelter, 2008). The people should also be trained to use the profits earned as an opportunity to share with others and declare God's blessings.

In the ministry context, believers may start a community-based income generation project like poultry farming to meet their needs. Training for this project should not just focus on the technical knowledge about chicken and egg production, such as selecting the right breed, handling the chicken, giving them proper food, preventing parasites and pathogens, housing them in suitable facilities, and making profits from their sale. Instead, it is crucial to use the project to teach the community to use the project to serve Christ. For example, while undertaking the project, the community members should take the new identity in Christ instead of remaining attached to their family, national, and local identities and cultures that may support practices such as cheating in business. According to 1 Corinthians 1:2, Christians are "sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy." The members are taught how to trust each other and avoid practices such as putting individual interests ahead of the group's wellbeing. Furthermore, after selling the eggs and chicken, the group can share the profits with the needy and witness to them about God's blessings.

Covenant community allows groups to work more effectively in the long run because they love, honor, respect, show equal concern for each other, and act as one body working in unity (Lingenfelter, 2008). According to 1 Corinthians 12: 24-25, "God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the

3 body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another." Such groups also do not judge those who sin but instead edify, encourage, forgive, and restore them (Lingenfelter, 2008). James 4: 11 warns people against slandering one another. Moreover, Galatians 1: 6 states that "if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness."

4 Reference Lingenfelter, S. (2008). Leading cross-culturally: Covenant relationships for effective Christian leadership. Baker Academic.