Category Archives: Competencies for cross-cultural partnership

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear”

Biblical basis for partnership, Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Godly character
Empathic listening is “hearing with your heart”
Empathic listening is “hearing with your heart”

This is a third post about the value of listening skills in cross-cultural partnerships. The first was Slow down: listen with your heart, featuring the video “Alan & Pauly Heller: On Listening.” Yesterday’s post was “Thank you, Mission ONE team, that you have blessed us”—these two posts are connected by the fact that Alan & Pauly Heller taught their listening workshop at the Mission ONE-sponsored marriage retreat in Thailand in March.

Today, I want to make some observations about the words of Jesus used in the title of this post. I recognize that in the context of Matthew 11:15, Jesus is referencing the need of the people in his immediate context to hear—specifically to hear his teachings in that setting. At the same time, I believe that in this short verse, Jesus is teaching something universal about our nature as human beings concerning our basic ability to hear God; Jesus is addressing our usually ironclad disposition of being hard of hearing. Below is my meditation on these words of our Lord Jesus Christ …

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)

1. Hearing comes from within. Hearing with your heart is a self-motivated behavior. A person can look like he or she is listening—despite the fact that their heart is far away. We all know when someone is physically present, but emotionally and spiritually distant. Jesus recognizes the freedom of conscience in the act of listening; he realizes that the turning of one’s attention away from self to another person is a free, deliberate action of one’s interior mind, heart and soul. It’s as though Jesus is saying to me: “Hey, Werner, you have two ears, yes? Well then, why don’t you let Werner know—the Werner deep inside—that he can go ahead and begin to truly listen.” Could it be that Jesus is telling me, that I must tell myself in an act of deep self-awareness, “Hey me … Stop being distracted by empty activity and superficiality. Slow down. You have two ears; reconnect your ears to your heart. Just … listen. Listen to God. Listen to His Word. Listen to the Spirit dwelling within. Listen to your spouse. Listen to your children, your neighbor, your co-worker. Listen to your conscience. Embrace silence, and hear. Be present to The Person and the persons around you. Honor their sacred lives by being completely present in their presence.”

2. Being hard of hearing is part of the sin nature. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  Jesus is using sarcasm to point out the reality that even though everyone has two ears, no one is truly listening! This speaks of the depravity of man, “as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10) … “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Could it be that one great result of the Fall is the refusal to listen to God along with the chronic disease of being hard of hearing?

3. By God’s grace, everyone has the possibility of keen hearing. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Everyone has two ears … but practically no one is truly listening. Nevertheless, anyone CAN hear because they do have two ears! This speaks of the wideness of God’s grace and mercy: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires [whoever!], let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17 NKJV). Could it be that one of the confirmations of our new life in Christ is the ability to listen to God along with the desire to truly listen to the people around us?

4. Everyone is fully designed to be able to hear well. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” What? Do only some people have ears? No! Everyone has ears. Everyone has the necessary “equipment” to truly hear the Lord and to truly hear people. And through Christ, what once was burdensome (hearing God and obeying Him) now may become light and easy. With His spirit inside of us, we truly can listen to God, we truly can hear our Shepherd’s voice. With the nature of Christ merged with our own, we can be present to others with sincere love and a hearing heart. Why is this? God designed us fully equipped with two ears, a keen mind, and a heart that was designed for fellowship, for hearing the Lord. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

5. My spirit desires to hear God, but needs permission from my will. This goes back to the phrase in the verse, “let him hear.” I am connecting the word “let” with the idea of permission, and it’s consistent with the fact that we often have an ongoing inner dialog, or silent conversation, with ourselves. Here’s the idea: In our inner dialog with ourselves, the will gives permission to the spirit—to hear. If this idea of permission is correct, it appears that Jesus assumes that the inner spirit of the individual wants to hear God. So for me to apply this verse, my will says to my spirit, “Go ahead, I give in, I give you permission: Listen to the Lord.” In effect, I (my will) say to my inner self (my spirit), “let him hear.” This is an act of deep intentional hearing, a key to opening the door of my heart with intent to obey. This is real soul-work, I believe. It takes self-awareness, a disciplined prayer life, and lots of practice. And it takes faith to do this. Faith that God is speaking, faith that his Word is reliable, faith that he is for me, faith that I can discern and distinguish his voice from strangers.

I admit, as I continue exploring this meditation on hearing, I feel like a novice. Lord, help me.

*********************

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Obviously, this applies to all of life, but what does it mean for cross-cultural partnership? For now, I’ll mention just this: Cross-cultural partnership is more about building relationships—serving and knowing one another in love, respect and humility—than about getting stuff done. What do you think?

Slow down: listen with your heart

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Godly character

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
–Matthew 11:15

Empathic listening is “hearing with your heart”
Empathic listening is “hearing with your heart”

One of the critical skills for effective cross-cultural partnerships is empathic listening: “hearing with your heart.” [1] The purpose of this blog post and the two or three that will follow is to show you what this means. Below is a 14-minute video with Alan and Pauly Heller of the ministry Walk&Talk, entitled “Alan & Pauly Heller … On Listening.” You may be  thinking, “Fourteen minutes! Are you kidding? I don’t have that much time!”—which probably proves why you need to watch this video. I believe there is no more important skill in today’s world of global Christian mission and ministry, than the art of slowing down … listening well … hearing with your heart—in relationship to people and to our Lord. This is why an entire set of lessons is devoted to listening in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.

Alan & Pauly Heller participated in a marriage retreat sponsored by Mission ONE in Thailand in March 2009. This was done to serve Mission ONE’s ministry partner, Mekong Evangelical Mission (MEM), directed by Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak. Eighteen Christian leaders from Thailand and Southeast Asia attended with their spouses. Alan & Pauly shared their ministry of training couples in specific listening skills—to help them connect heart-to-heart with one another. The marriage retreat had a huge impact on all those who participated—and even on the whole ministry of MEM. In the video below, you will see the crux of what Alan & Pauly taught in the marriage retreat in Thailand.

In tomorrow’s blog you will see pictures from the marriage retreat and comments reflecting the results. So come back tomorrow. Enjoy…


1. I discovered this definition of empathic listening on the web page of Peter K. Gerlach, MSW: http://sfhelp.org

On being co-creators with God

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Entrepreneurship, Global Christian mission, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

DISCIPLING NATIONS The Power of Truth to Transform CulturesOne of my favorite books of all time is Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth To Transform Cultures, by Darrow Miller with Stan Guthrie. Today I was able to re-read a couple chapters on the plane. I found the passage below on page 225, and there in the margin I have a note in bold yellow highlighter: “I LOVE THIS!” …

As we have seen in previous chapters, we are not to be God’s mindless lackeys, although that in itself would be more than we deserve. No, God has given us the unfathomable privilege of being co-creators with Him. Man, made in God’s image, is given the awesome task of bringing forth all the potential of creation. Man is the source of earth’s bounty as well as its poverty. As the sovereign God’s vice-regents, we are stewards for His household, coworkers in His kingdom, caretakers of His garden, builders of His city, and actors in His story. In some ways, like our Master, we transcend nature. Of course, He is completely above the natural order, while we live in it and in some sense are bound by the universe’s physical processes. Yet the minds God has given us allow us to move ahead, to leap over barriers, to devise new ways, to solve problems. As Novak has said, “Creation is full of secrets waiting to be discovered, riddles which human intelligence is expected by the creator to unlock.” Created “a little lower than the angels,” we have a task to perform, a purpose to fulfill.

While our creatureliness binds us to nature, God’s image stamped on us allows us to move beyond the physical reality we see daily. We can dream of a better world and then begin to make it happen. Where there is darkness we can create a lightbulb, where there is desert drill a well, where mountains are barren plant a forest, where people are forgotten and ignored set them free through the power of the gospel, where people are ignorant build them schools and libraries, where the land is wasted plant a garden, where people are sick develop a cure, where there is silence hear the music and play it. Man is the discoverer, explorer, innovator, creator, and composer.

Don’t you love this sacred, exalted view of man created in the image of God? I love this because it explains the entrepreneurial nature of humankind. It explains my nature and desire to create!

With the Mission ONE Ambassador Program, I am looking for entrepreneurial leaders who are willing to be trained to be a successful advocates for a cross-cultural partnership ministry—who want to partner with outstanding indigenous Christian leaders to bring blessing to the hopeless, who want to change the world for the glory of God, through the glory of the Gospel. You’ll be trained through The Beauty of Partnership learning journey. It costs a lot. It is tremendously challenging, adventurous work. Are you a Christian entrepreneur or entrepreneurial leader looking to get into God’s Story in a fresh and effective way? Write me at werner@mission1.org.

A reading from this book—Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth To Transform Cultures—
is part of the learning lessons for “Week 4: Identity” in
The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.

Download the Mission ONE Ambassadors brochure here.

Searching for problems vs. searching for possibilities

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, Short-term missions

Walking With The Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development, by Bryant MyersBryant Myers’ book, Walking With The Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development is an extremely thorough resource for Christians engaged in the work of world missions, especially those who are involved in community development among the world’s poor. One of my favorite parts of the book is in the chapter, “Development Practice: The Tool Kit.” In this chapter, Myers describes a discipline called Appreciative Inquiry (or “AI”)—an approach that looks at “organizing as a mystery to be embraced rather than a problem to be solved.”

According to Wikipedia, the basic idea of Appreciative Inquiry is to build organizations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn’t. Consider this: What would you do if you were going into a new community where it was obvious there are glaring problems and crippling poverty? You might begin by asking and observing, “What’s wrong here? What needs fixing? Let’s list all the problems in order of importance and then work on them one by one.”  In contrast, check out these questions below from Myers, page 179—a list of questions that he says would be asked by someone with an “Appreciative Inquiry.”

  • What life-giving, life-enhancing forces do you have in your community? What gives you the energy and power to change and to cope with adversity?
  • Thinking back on the last one hundred years of your community, what has happened that you are proud of, that makes you feel you have been successful?
  • What are your best religious and cultural practices? Those that make you feel good about your culture? That have helped you when times were tough?
  • What do you value that makes you feel good about yourselves?
  • What in your geographical area and in your local political and economic systems has helped you do things of which you are proud?
  • What skills or resources have enabled you to do things your children will remember you for having done?
  • How have your relationships, both within and without the community, worked for you and helped you do things that you believe were good for the community?

Elsewhere in this chapter and actually, throughout the book, Myers deals head-on with the need to confront evil and oppression. We cannot simply avoid the reality of what is wrong. But I believe Myers is also articulating the tremendous value of recognizing that wherever God is present, he is at work! Even in the darkest places, God is there and He is at work. Consider the biblical support we find in Philippians 4:5 and 8 …

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; …

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What if, in our work of serving an impoverished community or a cross-cultural partnership ministry, we always began with a focus, not on the need and the problem, but rather, on “whatever is true … honorable … just … pure … lovely … commendable”? What if in the work of short-term mission trips, leaders intentionally focused FIRST on learning what is good in the community being served? And doing this before trying to solve the problems, address the glaring weaknesses, and make it “better?” When we are coming alongside indigenous Christian leaders and their ministries in the majority world, this will go along way in building friendship and trust.

The appreciation, empowerment and dignity that people would feel would be tremendous, don’t you imagine? Myers writes,

The net result of such an inquiry is often spectacular. The laundry list of problems the community would like the NGO to fix is lost in the enthusiasm of describing what is already working. The community comes to view its past and itself in a new light. We do know things. We do have resources. We have a lot to be proud of. We are already on the journey. God has been good to us. We can do something. We are not god-forsaken. This is a major step toward recovering the community’s true identity and discovering its true vocation. With these discoveries a major transformational frontier has been crossed.

In the practice of healthy cross-cultural partnerships, it is vital for partnership advocates from the west to be intentional about looking for what is good, strong and beautiful before identifying what is ugly, sinful or weak. In doing so, could it be that we also may become more aware of our own needs, weaknesses and sins—and that ultimately, we are just as vulnerable and desperate for the saving grace of Jesus Christ?

Of course, this mindset and approach can be applied in not just far-away cross-cultural settings, but also in my own home, my family, church, business, or neighborhood.

After all, as Apostle Paul wrote, “The Lord is at hand!”

For more about the discipline of Appreciative Inquiry in cross-cultural partnership,
see “Week 11: Appreciation” in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.

Myths to reject—to help your partnership succeed, part 3 of 3

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, Short-term missions
  1. “Getting things done is more important than relationships.”
    This is a classic weakness found in many unhealthy partnerships. In the west, we love our formulas for success and our to-do lists. In the majority world, there is a greater value given to relationships,  community harmony and “the journey together.” Jesus teaches us that a vital relationship with him is essential for fruitfulness (John 15:4). Bearing fruit, getting things done flows out of healthy relationships.
  2. “It’s cheaper and easier to just give the job to the nationals.”
    Careful here. There can be an unhealthy attitude in the saying, “More bang for the buck” that suggests partnership with nationals is mainly about the money or the method. The idea of “using the nationals because it is cheaper” can be disrespectful and dehumanizing—both toward the indigenous Christian men and women with whom we are partnering, as well as the western missionaries who live and serve in the majority world at significantly higher cost. Financial stewardship is, of course, an important issue. But it is only one of many variables in the work of Christian world missions.
  3. “We can do partnership quickly.”
    In the American South, there is a saying, “Git ’er done.” I love the spirit behind this saying—hard work, no wasting time, that can-do attitude. But when working in cross-cultural partnerships—in communities where things move much more slowly, where competition and speed is not as important as group harmony—we must adjust to a slower pace. After all, we are their guests! Isn’t it true that relationships and trust are built slowly? Expecting to get things done fast usually results in big disappointment, and can damage a cross-cultural partnership.
  4. “Cross-cultural partnership is easy; we can go it alone.”
    Healthy cross-cultural ministry partnerships require education, training, hard work and many other investments over a long period of time. There are no shortcuts; it’s the law of the farm: You reap what you sow. Furthermore, to think you don’t need the wisdom and experience of missionaries and mission partnership experts is arrogant, and it violates the principle of the interdependence body of Christ—“the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you” (2 Cor. 12:21). The local church should not say to the professional mission practitioner—neither should the professional mission practitioner say to the church—“I have no need of you.” This African proverb sums it up: “If you want to fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Myths to reject—to help your partnership succeed, part 2 of 3

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Indigenous ministries, Organizational competence, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
  1. “You can’t trust the nationals.”
    One of the greatest gifts we can give to one another in cross-cultural partnerships is friendship, and friendship is nothing if it is not rooted in trust. According to Daniel Rickett in his book, Making Your Partnership Work, the greater the interdependence and the greater the cultural distance, the greater the need for trust. If you have little trust, you simply will not have a healthy or lasting partnership. As Steven M. R. Covey says in his book, The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything, “High trust is the critical career skill in the new global economy.” See also the intro video for Week 5: Trust, in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.
  2. “We’re just being biblical” … or … “We don’t need cultural intelligence.”
    According to Brooks Peterson in his book, Cultural Intelligence: A Guide To Working With People From Other Cultures … Cultural Intelligence is the combination of: Knowledge About Cultures + Awareness of Yourself and Others + Specific Skills and Behaviors. Cultural intelligence (CQ) is important because there is a great temptation to think … “We’ve been Christians a long time, we have been successfully following Christ for many years, building his kingdom in our community” … “We do not need to learn that much about cultural differences and how to adjust our thinking and behavior when working cross-culturally; after all, aren’t we all one in the Body of Christ?” … “Only full-time resident missionaries need to develop deep cultural understanding.” In reality, cross-cultural partnership practitioners will benefit just as much from cultivating cultural intelligence as resident missionaries. My definition of cultural intelligence is as follows: Understanding deeply our diversity and unity, for the glory of God. For more on CQ, check out the intro videos for Weeks 5–8 in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey; all of these lessons are devoted to Cultural Intelligence.
  3. “Accountability is not that important.”
    Actually, accountability is vitally important—because appropriate accountability is biblical. It is modeled in Scripture again and again. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). Note also the word, “appropriate.” Finding the right level of accountability going both ways is a matter of cultural intelligence and organizational competence. Without appropriate accountability, your partnership can easily move toward frustration, distrust, or failure. See also the intro video for Week 10: Accountability, in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.
  4. “There’s not much risk in cross-cultural partnerships.”
     Reread point number 1 and point number 3, above. How much money is wasted by not doing our “due diligence!” Our tendency is to underestimate the risks of cross-cultural partnership, especially if we  expect success to be easy. To reduce the risks, going through a learning journey like The Beauty of Partnership is extremely helpful—it reduces the risks by giving you the KSAs (knowledge, skills and attitudes) necessary for a developing a healthy cross-cultural partnership. And once you have gained these KSAs, you can confidently and wisely take wonderful big risks for the glory of God! See also the intro video for, Week 3: Risk, in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.

Myths to reject—to help your partnership succeed, part 1 of 3

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Godly character, Indigenous ministries, Organizational competence, Training
  1. “I have more to teach than to learn, more to give than to receive.”
    When it comes to cross-cultural partnership ministry, it’s often the other way around. You may indeed have much to teach, but if you have this attitude, it will be an obstacle to serving well. Why not engage in cross-cultural partnership to learn together, to discover what God is teaching all parties in the partnership? What’s more, given that the church in the west is generally in significant decline (see my blog post, 15 August 2009), shouldn’t we rather learn from our brothers and sisters in the majority world—how to pray, strategize, serve and suffer well in the cause of Christ?
  2. “We can partner without being invited.”
    I recently heard of a mega-church that decided to build a school in Africa for half a million dollars, and then also committed to fund it for 10 years. Seems like a worthy goal, except for one huge thing: This was done without consultation from the local leadership, without local “ownership”—essentially, without being invited. This is probably a train-wreck waiting to happen. It belies a lack of trust and respect for local leaders, and violates the spirit of humble servanthood. For more on this, see my blog post, “Have we been invited?”
  3. “I can control the partnership with the right system.”
    I am aware of a cross-cultural partnership which began with this attitude: “We absolutely can’t let this fail” … “We have to control this as much as possible” … “One of us from our side will sit on their board of directors, and we are going to MAKE SURE there are no problems.” What do you think happened? The partnership failed miserably—and there is an ongoing three-year lawsuit between these Christian partners. The result has been that thousands upon thousands of dollars have been squandered, along with untold heartache and the name of Christ defamed.
  4. “My ministry model is the most biblical.”
    If you believe that, you have probably labored intensely to be faithful to the Word of God—and paid a significant price to do so. This is a good thing. But isn’t it also true that your ministry model is influenced in part by your culture, your worldview, and peer group? Your ministry model is one way of obeying the Scriptures, and it is possibly no more biblical than a myriad of other ministry models found in the majority world. Consequently, we should be very cautious in trying to extend our unique ministry model across other cultures around the world.

Will I choose “the robe” or “the towel” in partnership with indigenous ministries?

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Godly character, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

Jesus washing Peter’s feet, by Ford Madox Brown
Jesus washing Peter’s feet, by Ford Madox Brown

Duane Elmer’s Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility is a wonderfully rich book describing the challenge and promise of Christlike servanthood in cross-cultural settings. But it’s not only helpful for people who serve full-time in cross-cultural ministry. Elmer’s book is also great for anyone engaged in partnership with indigenous ministries … or going on a short-term mission trip … or who simply wants to be more like Jesus in their everyday relationships. Everyone would benefit much from this read, simply because servanthood is so contrary to our nature.

The message of this book is partly based on John’s gospel, chapter 13, where Jesus washes the disciples’ feet.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him …

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.  –John 13:3–5, 12–17 (ESV)

Dr. Elmer says that a vital question for Christ followers centers around the metaphor of the robe versus the towel: Will I serve God in the way of the robe or the towel? Jesus took off his outer garments, his robe, representing authority and lordship—and instead took up the towel, and washed the disciples’ feet. Footwashing was a common practice in that culture, but it was always a job reserved for the most lowly of servants. Nevertheless, Jesus chose the towel. Elmer writes…

Jesus came to earth occupying two roles: (1) Lord and Christ, and (2) humble, obedient servant. He alone is Lord and Christ. But he taught and exemplified humble servanthood, the role we are to occupy—the way of the towel. The problem arises when his followers choose to follow him in his kingly role and not in his servant role. They gravitate toward the robe while resisting the towel. The Lord Jesus Christ alone wears the robe. His disciples are to follow him only in his humble, obedient servant role—maybe even his suffering-servant role.

I understand this. I gravitate toward the honor of the robe and while resisting the humility of the towel. But as I abide in Christ, another way is genuinely possible: the way of servanthood.

Isn’t this is the essence of healthy cross-cultural partnerships—Christ-centered servanthood? We in the west have such a tendency toward an attitude of superiority. It’s natural. A mindset of superiority is usually not explicitly stated by westerners, but non-western Christians can easily sense when westerners visiting their country come across as having more money, better ideas, better spiritual wisdom, more ministry experience—an attitude of superiority rather than servanthood. Ironically, westerners often have more to learn from them than the other way around. At Mission ONE, we believe that in a healthy cross-cultural partnership, we are learning together, from God and from one another.

This book by Duane Elmer can offers clear guidance about specific behaviors and practices so that we can actually live out “the way of the towel.” Those practices are openness, acceptance, trust, learning, and understanding—all culminating with truly effective serving. The book is structured around these practices; I love the definitions, the practical life stories, the clear principles, the Christ-centered theology. Thank you, Dr. Elmer, for the great service you have rendered to the church through your book.

Will I choose the robe or the towel in my life? Will the way of the towel be what characterizes how I partner with indigenous minsitries? By God’s grace, and by abiding in Christ, I want to choose the towel, don’t you?

What is a “partnership in the gospel?”

Biblical basis for partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Godly character, Uncategorized

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3–5 ESV)

Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi is, among other things, a letter that celebrates partnership. Here are some introductory observations about this theme based on Philippians 1:3–5.

  • Paul remembers the believers in Philippi. It seems he thinks of these Philippian believers often, evidenced by the phrase, “always in every prayer of mine for you all.” We learn from Paul that a healthy partnership is a heart-to-heart connection which deeply affects what we think about. Partnership is not just a passing experience, devoid of long-lasting impact on our lives. A healthy partnership has “relational staying power.” This encourages us to define partnership not only by what is accomplished (although that is important), but more significantly by relationship—the people we come to know and love and work with toward a common vision.
  • Paul prays for the believers in Philippi—a lot! In any cross-cultural ministry partnership, one evidence of health is the quality and quantity of prayer. Paul indicates that he prays for the Philippian church all the time; he is thinking about them and cannot help himself. It seems he prays for them night and day. This adds a cosmic dimension to the relational depth between him and the Philippian believers. This is way beyond just human friendship. This is a human relationship, a community, a fellowship which has its origin and life in the divine. Paul prays for them, and, according to verse 19 of chapter 1, they also pray for Paul: “for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.” Prayer keeps the relationship alive, active, full of the energy of the Holy Spirit, even though they are geographically distant.
  • Paul’s affection is joy. Paul describes his prayer for them as “my prayer with joy.” It is no surprise that he remembers them: there likely is great joy in his memories. Paul writes from prison in Rome, so the sweet memories of the saints in Philippi is a source of encouragement to him. A healthy partnership has positive feelings: joy, affection, hope. An unhealthy partnership has feelings of neutrality (neither hot nor cold), disappointment, distrust.
  • Paul’s partnership has divine purpose—“the gospel.” This is a “partnership in the gospel.” The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. The gospel carries with it the divine expectation of God, namely, that the blessing of salvation in Jesus Christ will be extended by his church to all nations, all peoples, everywhere. The gospel is not just a set of beliefs or doctrines, it is so much more than that. The gospel is a dynamic, global, divine mission and blessing—rooted in the Person of Jesus Christ—and extended through his body, the church—to all peoples. Paul identifies himself in Romans 1:1 as “a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” The gospel of God is thoroughly infused with mission; Paul is sent on mission as an apostle; Paul’s life gives testimony to the fact that the gospel requires enormous sacrifice, adventurous journeys, and suffering.

The fact that Paul’s life has so divine a purpose because of the gospel, is an aspect itself of the glorious goodness of the gospel. Yes, Paul must sacrifice. Yes, there is pain. Yes, there are times of despair. But knowing Jesus Christ in His purpose and mission far exceeds all the negatives. This gospel, this Savior, is so strong, so beautiful, so glorious, so worth dying for. In Philippians 3:8, Paul writes, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” With the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ at the center of it all, it is a mission of blessing; it is also the blessing of being on mission.

I can now ask myself: To what extent am I remembering the brothers and sisters in Christ for whom I am advocating, and with whom I am partnering? Do I pray for them like Paul did—“in every prayer of mine for you all”? Can I add to or deepen my prayers for the saints with whom I am partnering? Is there joy in my memory of the ones in distant lands for whom I serve as an advocate; can that joy be enhanced or rekindled through my prayer for them? Do I fully embrace Christ’s divine expectation? Am I wholly committed to this mission of blessing and this blessing of mission—through cross-cultural partnership?

I am under conviction. What a challenge, and what a joy. What trembling and delight we can have being engaged in “a partnership in the gospel.”

To Catch the Wind: A New Metaphor for Cross-Cultural Partnership

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission

The article referenced by the title of this blog is downloadable by clicking on this link. The article grew out of a dialog I shared with Alex Araujo and Mary Lederleitner in 2008 when we were discussing the possibility of The Beauty of Partnership curriculum. Turns out it was the basis for Alex’s outstanding presentation at 
the 2008 COSIM conference, and is now an important part of The Beauty of Partnership learning journey. This article is written principally by Alex Araujo, Senior Partnership Consultant, Partners International.

PwerboatAndSailboat

The main idea of this article is that we can have healthier cross-cultural partnerships by understanding the paradigm through which we see ourselves, our world, and our ministry partners in the majority world. Alex Araujo offers the metaphor of the powerboat and the sailboat to help us see contrasting paradigms—the “powerboat mindset” versus the “sailboat mindset.” Since this article was presented in June 2008, Alex Araujo has further developed and refined the material. Alex has presented this material in several missions consultations and executive leadership gatherings. This question was often raised: If the powerboat represents the western mindset, does the sailboat represent the non-western mindset? Alex’s answer is No, the sailboat represents the biblical mindset. What then represents the non-western or “majority-world” mindset? Answer: The rowboat. The chart below clarifies the distinctions. See the full article here.

What do you think of this metaphor for cross-cultural partnership ministry? Is it helpful? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this metaphor?