Aiding churches and mission organizations develop the 1.5-generation Chinese-American Christians to engage in the great commission.

摘要

The 1.5-generation Chinese-American Christians (1.5G) have many distinct cultural orientations that are quite unique and should be better understood. Their unique perceptions of values and acculturation experience have the potential to greatly impact their views and involvement in world evangelism. From a missiological perspective, their migration behavior with bicultural and bilingual experience presents great potential for engaging in fulfilling the Great Commission. However, evidence showing the 1.5G have engaged in global missions requires research.;The purpose of this grounded theory study is to discover and describe the perceptions of the 1.5G living in Southern California concerning their role in fulfilling the Great Commission. The first part of research discovered 5 dominant constructs that form the theory that emerged from this study: (a) shaped by their Chinese-American church home throughout their immigration process, (b) affected by their intercultural competence developed during their acculturation experience, (c) influenced by a special someone whom they encountered to be around or involved with, (d) impacted by their motivations and hindrances that were evolved over time under different circumstances, and (e) driven by their perceived roles that were discovered through the growing process of their journey while pursuing life in America.;A second part of the research findings documents the pastors' perspectives on the 1.5G who attended their churches. Then, analytical comparisons were done between the 1.5G's responses of their perceptions and the pastors' claims of their perspectives toward the 1.5G. Based on the analytical comparisons, the next steps were discussed and proposed.;According to three sets of gap analysis, the implications for the enrichment and development of the 1.5G were presented that form the Integrated Development Model for the 1.5G in three areas: (a) developing intercultural competence, (b) developing spiritual maturity, and (c) developing missional role.;This study shows that if the Chinese-American churches and mission organizations could shape and perhaps influence the 1.5G to grow spiritually and in their willingness to engage in the Great Commission, then the 1.5G could be stronger candidates for missions, since learning a new language and adapting to a new culture is not a new experience for them.