3D communication

Yesterday morning, the head of our movement came to our morning meeting and gave us an update about "3D Communication," a rather new concept that means we are striving to adopt the same message that may be used among Muslims, secular media, and the church--without being offensive to any of them. Our leader emphasized that we will, by no means, leave behind our apostolic calling, but we will seek to make some big changes that will grant us more integrity and keep us from appearing to be one thing in one circle of people and another in a different circle.

For instance, if I go to church, I may be introduced as a missionary, whereas in the Muslim world and talking to the media, we might identify ourselves as English teachers. How can we communicate effectively with all groups in the same way and not deny what God has called us to do? Do we start calling ourselves "peacemakers"? Will that term fly better with the media and with Muslim governments? Will churches be willing to accept it and help send peacemakers, rather than missionaries?

This is tricky stuff. And I keep hearing how change is needed because we're now living in the post 9/11 world, where the media is now tuned in to ministries like ours seeking to reach Muslims. But I ask myself--who are we trying to please? How will we know when our mission has been accomplished? What is motivating this change? Is it God? Is He calling us to be transparent and develop new language that everyone will accept and condone? Or does He know that His name is and has been offensive to many throughout most of the world...and doesn't care? "Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me" I don't think the Lord is calling us to hold tightly onto the term "missionary" with all our might. But what are we doing by giving it up? Are we saying that the generations of church planters who went before us were wrong to use the word to define themselves? Do we stop referring to them with the dreaded "m" word? Must we now legitamize our ministry from the Lord with some type of humanitarian aid or other social service?

Are we following the world, or are we following the Lord? To what length will we go to be accepted by Muslims and the media?