Part 1. The first gauntlet Newbigin talks of is the challenge that the modern day church and Christians face in bridging the gap between "appropriately public facts and essentially private values." (pg 6). The second gauntlet Newbigin talks of is the daily battle believers face due to the fact that we are dealing with a "cross-cultural missionary situation." (pg 7) right here in our own backyard, meaning North America.
The missiological triangle is made up of the Gospel, the Church and the Culture. Each corner of the triangle is important in that without it we would not have a triangle, therefore the fact that these three items are identified tells us that they are significant. Newbigin tells us that the Gospel interacts with the church in that it provides the basis or groundwork from which we as the church should go to for answers, direction and help. It is also used as a sounding board by the culture in that it represents an unwavering truth and so causes people to compare themselves to it. The next corner that Newbigin looks at is the Culture. He tells us that the culture interacts with the church in that it serves as a a means to how the body of the church is shaped and molded. The culture is there to provide the worldly view of things and to challenge the "traditions" of the church. As stated above the culture looks at the Gospel as yet another way of thinking.
As far as the importance to culture, we as the church can not ignore it lest we isolate ourselves even further and in essence push ourselves away from the people we are trying to "save and baptize". In Matt 28: 19, Jesus tells his disciples to "go and make". In order for us, the current disciples to do that we have to actually leave the safety and sanctity of our churches and go out into the neighborhoods and communities. We have to outreach to those around us who are not believers. One of my favorite sayings is "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Until we recognize and are willing to be accept the culture, we will never be able to "make disciples". I am not saying that we need to approve or condone the behaviors of the culture, but we need to be open and receptive so as to allow the Holy Spirit to do his work.