This diagram is copyrighted by Dr. Gene Bunkowske, who assembled it from similar diagrams in studies of cultural anthropology; his major addition is the central circle, "ultimate allegiance." more on ultimate allegiance

You can study a person or culture from the outside in.  The two outer layers are the things you can see.  The inner layers explain why people do those things.  In outreach, your goal is to understand the ultimate allegiance. Working through each of the outer layers enables you to understand it more thoroughly.  more about the diagram (use "back" to return here)

Becoming a Christian is a change in the Ultimate Allegiance.   We find out that a person has become a believer by an action taken at the outer layer called a "confession of faith."  However, there may be many parts of the person's life that are still formed by the previous worldview and ultimate allegiance.  The process of nurture or discipling starts from the ultimate allegiance and works toward whatever changes are necessary in the other layers, from the inside out.  The goal is that eventually the person's new allegiance will be shown in behavior and objects.

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