Planting a Church Cross-Culturally in Wisconsin

Planting A Church
Cross-Culturally
In
Wisconsin

Research Paper for MIN 551 Theology of Culture

Presented to
Dr. Paul A. Beals
Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary by Scott A. Carson
Summer Session, 1997

"Twas the month before Christmas and all through Packerland, Super Bowl parties started to be planned. The fans were nestled all snug in their beds, with visions of Cowboys, wearing Packer cheeseheads . . . "1 In the dead of winter with a 30 below windchill, if you see grown men, triangular piece of large yellow foam looking incredibly like a huge piece of Swiss Cheese planted firmly on their head, beer in hand, shirts off with a huge green "G" painted on the center of their chest . . . You have either taken a wrong turn and entered a mental institute for deranged individuals or you are at Lambeau Field during a Green Bay Packer 's game. Welcome to Wisconsin! Home of the 1997 Super Bowl Champions, the Green Bay Packers! Tailgating, beer, brats and Cheeseheads are mainstays of the Wisconsin culture. In his book, The Nine Nations of North America, Joel Garreau notes "From Indiana, the Breadbasket curves around, giving Chicago a wide berth. Chicago has nothing to say to the farmlands of downstate Illinois, as any political observer can tell you. It 's part of the Foundry, as are the other industrial centers hugging the western edge of Lake Michigan. The Breadbasket starts thirty or so miles inland from the lake, in Wisconsin 's impeccable dairy country."2 Wisconsin is the synthesis of two nations: The Foundry and The Breadbasket. The influence of the Foundry is evidenced on the Eastern side of the state along the coast of Lake Michigan. The region circling the Lake from Sheboyagan to the Michigan border is quickly becoming known as "The Milwaukee-Chicago Corridor." Travelling Interstate-94, if you missed the "Welcome to Wisconsin" sign, because of the amount of commercial growth and industry, you could easily wonder where

Cited: Anderson, Leith. Dying for Change. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1990. Beals, Dr. Paul. Theology of Culture, Class Lecture. May 30, 1997. Bratvold, Gretchen. Wisconsin. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 1991. Created by Jean F. Blashfield, Compiled and Written by Margie Benson and Nancy Jacobson, Awesome Almanac Wisconsin. Fontana, WI: B & B Publishing , Inc., 1993. Daugherty, Dr. Robert. Personal Conversation, June 27, 1997. "First Breath Alliance to Launch Recall of Sens. Feingold and Kohl." Press Release, March 20, 1997. Internet Information. Garreau, Joel. The Nine Nations of North America New York: Avon Books, 1981. Gunderson, Steve and Rob Morris. House and Home. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Leeds, Dr. Leon. Director 's Report, Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches, June 20, 1997. Lingenfelter, Sherwood G. Ministering Cross-Culturally An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986. Norton, Paul. "Alcohol Saturates the State." The Capital Times. January 3, 1997. Norton, Paul. "Our Love Affair With Alcohol." The Capital Times. January 1, 1997. "Our Love Affair With Alcohol" The Capital Times. January 1, 1997. Popcorn, Faith. The Popcorn Report. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Reschovsky, Andrew. What Would a Balanced Budget Amendment Mean for Wisconsin? Twentieth Century Fund, 1996. Internet Information. Schaller, Lyle. The Impact of the Future. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1971. State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1993-1994. Stein, R. Conrad. America The Beautiful Wisconsin. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1987. The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1978. "Wisconsin Works." Online Backer. Transcript, May 21, 1996. Internet Information. Wulf, Steve. "America 's Real Team" Internet article copy. Sport, January 13, 1997. Vol. 149 No. 2. 1 From "Packer Christmas Carol" by Judith M. Mahnke, December 8, 1996 2 (Joel Garreau, The Nine Nations of North America New York: Avon Books 3 (Joel Garreau, The Nine Nations of North America New York: Avon Books. New York, NY. 1981) p. 73 4 (Steve Wulf, Sport, January 13, 1997 5 (Joel Garreau, The Nine Nations of North America New York: Avon Books. New York, NY. 1981) p. 341 6 (Funk & Wagnall 's Corporation) Internet Information 9 (Theology of Culture, Class Lecture, Dr. Paul Beals, May 30, 1997) 10 (Dr 11 (Dr. Leon Leeds, Director 's Report, Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches, June 20, 1997) 12 (Op cit) 13 (Op cit) 14 (Leith Anderson, Dying for Change, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bethany House Publishers, 1990) p 15 (Joel Garreau, The Nine Nations of North America New York: Avon Books. New York, NY. 1981) p. 332 16 (U.S 17 (Missouri State Census Data Center: Basic Demogrpahic Trend, United States Cities, Internet) 18 (Gretchen Bratvold, Wisconsin, Lerner Publications Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1991) p 19 (State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1993-1994) p. 611, 679 20 (State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1993-1994) p 21 (Lyle Schaller, The Impact of the Future Nashville, Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN, 1971) p. 150 22 (R 23 Created by Jean F. Blashfield, Compiled and Written by Margie Benson and Nancy Jacobson, Awesome Almanac Wisconsin Fontana, WI, B & B Publishing , Inc. 1993) p. 41 24 (Joel Garreau, The Nine Nations of North America New York: Avon Books