I just came from a meeting with a new Christian from Eastern European bloc. It was the first time meeting him and in 3 minutes he started sharing about his family in details that you share with closed friends. He considered me family in the first moment we met. That is not unusual to me.

Some weeks ealier I preached at a Canadian church and one of my good friends suggested me that I need to be more reserved while sharing from my personal life with the audience. It is a cultural thing and I understand it very well.

While we strive to have multicultural churches with various ethnic and culural backgrounds are we waiting them to become Canadian in everything, or make them uncomfortable to share in the community.

It might have a different definition the “community” word in diverse cultural contexts. The question is if we want to be aware of that. As an individual who has a leg on my community and the other trying to find a solid “Canadian”  ground, i feel that altogether we need to be more considerate how others relate in a group. That;s why some missionaries in Albania had more impact than others because they let go part of what they used to do things and learned the “Albanian way”.

To be a missionary in your country but reaching another ethnic group, needs a lot of preparation that you don;t feel like a stranger to them, in a way that they can trust you and the message you bring.

SO yes, yu can share some personal stuff in the right place, letting them know that you consider them- family.