Three Models of Acculturation: Applications for Developing a Church Planting Strategy among Diaspora Populations
Cross-cultural church planters often work with individuals from several cultures or with immigrants from one specific culture. These church planters can develop a more effective church planting strategy by understanding three models of acculturation, the process of how individuals respond and change when coming into contact with a new culture. The melting-pot one dimensional model describes how immigrants acculturate as time progresses, from one generation to another. The two dimensional acculturation strategies model describes what can be expected to happen to members of a diaspora population due to their views of both their host and home cultures. The social identity model of acculturation predicts immigrants’ desire to be member of a group based on what group membership contributes to their identity. All three models can be used to help choose an appropriate church planting strategy according to the context.