items of interest

with contributions from Tom Heinen, Tom McCann, Bob Halloran

"Richard Twiss, a Lakota Indian ... thinks Native Americans are in a unique position to lead all people to Jesus through a global evangelism that uses traditional dancing, drumming, and singing to convey Christian teachings. 'What we have found is that this global fascination that exists for native people and their cultures creates for us an immediate sense of trust, honor, respect, and credibility,' said Twiss, who has taken evangelism teams to Germany, Peru, China, New Zealand, and more than 20 other countries since 1994. 'Everywhere that I've been, there's been this incredible, positive, at times overwhelming response to me as a person because of my native culture.... We try to avoid a whole lot of Christianese, or church nomenclature and jargon, because what we find—particularly in the European countries—they've had centuries of Christian history and experience in church. And what we hear consistently from European people is "When you native people talk about the Gospel, and when you talk about the Bible and Jesus Christ, you say it in a way that's new and fresh to us and speaks to our heart." '

"Using Native American culture to advance Christianity can be controversial, Twiss acknowledged. 'The non-Christian traditionalists would think that it dilutes the tradition to bring it into church.' Twiss said. 'Christians would think it is compromising the truth of Scripture by blending it together with Indian religion. We are opposed to the blending of any religion with Christian faith. That has nothing to do with cultural expression. God has given us, through the vehicle of our culture, an incredible bridge into the hearts of the people of the world to present the Gospel story.' "

Tom Heinen
"A new way toward Christianity;
Lakota Indian brings ministry to Milwaukee"
©2004 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Inc.
Reprinted with permission
January 24, 2004