How does the gospel of Jesus Christ transform human cultures? How does culture shape our response to the good news of the gospel? How can Christian witness authentically in their own cultural context? These critical contemporary questions are the subject of a worldwide study process leading up to the World Council of Churches' Conference on World Mission and Evangelism in Salvador, Brazil, in November 1996. Nearly two thousand years ago, they were also burning issues for the very first Christian, whose stories are told in the Acts of the Apostles. The seven studies in this book, prepared by a small international group, are designed to help churches, local groups and individuals to reread the book of Acts in a way that will challenge and enlighten their reflection on the relation between the gospel and human culture. Each study consists of a brief introduction, a textual commentary, a story from a local setting, questions to stimulate group discussion or personal reflection and a suggested prayer.