Category Archives: Cross-cultural partnership

Partnership between, on the one hand, followers of Christ and their ministries in in the west — and on the other hand, follower of Christ and their ministries in the majority world

Partnering with “mission from below” to reveal God’s mission from Above

Biblical basis for partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership,
Dr. Samuel Escobar is professor of missiology at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wynnewood, PA.
Dr. Samuel Escobar was professor of missiology at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wynnewood, PA.

I love this quote from Samuel Escobar’s book “The New Global Mission: The Gospel from Everywhere to Everyone” …

Drive and inspiration to move forward and take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, crossing all kinds of geographical and cultural barriers is the work of the Holy Spirit. There is an element of mystery when the dynamism of mission does not come from people in positions of power and privilege, or from the the expansive dynamism of a superior civilization, but from below—from the little ones, those who have few material, financial or technical resource but who are open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. …

It was in 1927 that Roland Allen (1869–1947) first coined the expression, “the spontaneous expansion of the the church,” and we can now measure the incredible extent to which a Christian testimony among the masses of this planet has been the result of such spontaneous expansion, especially in China, Africa and Latin America. In many cases such expansion became possible only when indigenous Christians were released from the stifling control of Western missionary agencies.[1]

One of my very favorite mission books. –wm
One of my very favorite mission books. –wm

Why do I love this quote? It suggests, on the one hand, that the emerging fast-growing church in the “global south” does not need the wealthy church of the West (or “global north”) to grow and flourish and carry out its mission. On the other hand, it prompts this question:

Can the global church achieve true cross-cultural partnerships between … A) those in the church represented by “mission from below” (Christians in the global south: Africa, Asia, Latin America) … and B) those from the more wealthy churches of the Christian world in the global north (Christians in North America and the West)?

And in light of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 — “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me,” consider this: Can we experience cross-cultural partnerships in Christ’s global church in such a healthy manner that the prayer of Jesus is fulfilled—that the world sees that the Father has sent Jesus … that this mission of Jesus is, in reality … God’s mission from Above?

At Mission ONE, we know this is a genuine possibility because we see it alive and working today and every day in our ministry. We also know that healthy cross-cultural partnerships are possible for you and your church tomorrow.

Interested? Write to me, Werner Mischke. Or if you have a comment, please post it below.

1. Samuel Escobar: The New Global Mission: The Gospel from Everywhere to Everyone (InterVarsity, 2003) p. 19

“This amazing incident makes me cry”

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Stories and reports
Key leaders Negash & Bekelech Gemeda of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Key leaders Negash & Bekelech Gemeda of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The following true story is from the last quarterly report from Negash Gemeda, the team leader in Addis Ababa who overseas Mission ONE’s cross-cultural partnerships in Ethiopia.

A Muslim man, probably around 55 years, came to the clinic for help. As he was about to leave the compound where we give the medical help, the Lord spoke to me to talk to this man. The place was packed by people and almost all were Islamic by faith. You can feel the atmosphere not very easy to talk to an old Islam, especially about faith.

Finally I called Kay, who is the team coordinator, just to be with us and pray as I talk to the gentleman. It took me a while to really get in to the main talk, and as I start telling him about the new life in Jesus, I see his eyes getting bigger and his face start smiling.

After sharing with him the true faith life in Jesus, the man asked me what to do, and I told him to receive Jesus the Christ as his Lord and Savior. Within no time, in tears he prayed with me the Sinner’s Prayer and gave his life to the Lord.

Finally he went into his pocket and took out his Muslim hat, for which he has great attachments all his life, and handed me to burn it there on the spot.

This amazing incident makes me cry. Not only me, Kay and other ministers who were with us praying. Anyway I told the man we don’t want to burn his hat there in the church and we told him he can do anything he wants when he gets to his house.

The reason I said this was because we are there to do medical help, and the people around us will see and big problem will take place and we don’t want the local church to suffer unnecessarily. Also God did not speak to us to burn his hat, but instead to burn his heart with his word. Anyway God used the medical people and the rest of the local to proclaim his message to the lost in an amazing way.

Praise the Lord for the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ! We at Mission ONE are extremely grateful for our partnership with our dear brother Negash—and the teams he oversees in Ethiopia—as they evangelize and plant churches among many lost peoples.

“She put out all the idols from her house”

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Stories and reports, ,

The last quarterly report from the HBI India Team supported by Mission ONE indicates that they are ministering among diverse groups of peoples or ethnic groups. They are the …

Pallar, Sutar, Khatik, Maki, Konawi, Lohar, Agrawala, Lingayal, Uphar, Kadasiduru, Badegiru, Banjara, Vanniar, Aasari, Marwadi, Goundar, Naavidar, Sanapallulu, Setti Balija, Patil Majhi, Kunabi, Aadivasi, Bari, Mannga, Sabar, Reli, Khanda, Chettiar, Aadi Dravidar, Parayar, Saanar, Kuyavar, Marvadi, Reddy, Kurumbar, Koundar, Narikuravar, Madiga, Mala, Balija, Brahmins, Vyshyas, Chakali, Mangali, Erukala, Aranavadi, Uppara, Kamma, Kapu, Semapatterlis, Golla, Indiga, Boya Vadde, Savara, Relli, Jathapu, Perikivally, Naidus, Sundhi, Yadava, Barber, Yanadi, Lambadi, Blacksmith, Kampa, Pandara, Majala, Kuvi, Gabari, Baldar, Bhil, Dhangar, Kunbi, Koruku, Mali, Udayar, Pillai, Harijan, Mudaliyar, Yanadulu, Naidu, Dhobis, Gabali, Patel, Banjari, Adibasi, Badari, Roldi, Chamar, Oree, Yadavar, Hakkipikki, Sudugadu Siddar, Mahar, Dangar, Muli, Kumuti, Gauda, Liari, Bunabi, Saha, and Teli people groups.

Isn’t the diversity that’s represented by this list simply amazing? Praise the Lord!

The HBI team supported by Mission ONE comprises some 35 indigenous Christian workers and pastors who are doing evangelism and church planting. The peoples whom they are serving are primarily Hindu, but they also comprise Muslim and tribal peoples.

They reported in the last three-month period that … 260 people received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior … 65 were baptized … 22 new churches were planted.

Praise the Lord!

Here’s a story from Pastor N. J. Meshram—one of the HBI leaders supported in part by Mission ONE:

Sithubai, a non-believer, suffered from some unknown sickness. She was unable to move her body for the past four years. She was taken to various temples and underwent treatments but everything ended in vain. During house visitation time, she told the Pastor about her suffering and asked him to pray for her. Along with his believers the Pastor prayed and asked for His grace to heal her. The Pastor could see the faith within her heart that Jesus Christ can cure her. After few days, the Pastor visited her again. He was happy to see that she put out all the idols from her house. After prayer, she felt some kind of peace filled her heart and gradually she received her physical healing. God did a great miracle in her life by delivering her from the sickness which took hold of her for the past four years. She was much grateful to the Lord and accepted Him as her personal Savior. Now she is regularly attending the church of Pastor Meshram. All glory and praises to our Lord Savior Jesus Christ!

HBI stands for Hindustan Bible Institute and is one of Mission ONE’s long-standing indigenous ministry partners. HBI is led by Dr. Paul R. Gupta. If you are interested in …

  • getting a copy of the last Mission ONE/HBI quarterly report,
  • investing with regular monthly support in the HBI India Team, or
  • would like to serve as a Mission ONE Ambassador on behalf of the HBI India Team (we will train you and equip you!) …

… simply write to me, Werner Mischke, by clicking here.

Today, risk is different

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

If our single, all-embracing passion is to make much of Christ in life and death, and if the life that magnifies him most is the life of costly love, then life is risk and risk is right. To run from it is to risk your life. –John Piper [1]

There have always been great risks in following Jesus Christ and living in obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission. I think of missionaries like Jim Elliot … “Philip James Elliot (1927–1956) was an evangelical Christian missionary to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Waodani people through efforts known as Operation Auca.” [2] The story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot has, indeed, inspired thousands who have gone from America, Canada and other western nations to serve “overseas” on the mission field.

Risk was right for them despite the loss of life. Many Waodani people have come to Christ, and God has been greatly glorified. Of course, over the course of church history, there are millions who have given their lives for the cause of Christ. I am humbled by the thought of it all.

But the world of missions has changed dramatically in the past generation. For one thing, the success of the world Christian movement has dramatically increased the cross-cultural missions efforts coming from many nations that were once “receiver” nations (nations that received missionaries from the west). Nations from the “Global South” such as Nigeria, India, China, the Philippines, South Korea, and South Africa come to mind as new “sending” nations. As Samuel Escobar says…

… despite the present shift of Christianity to the South, in coming decades Christian mission to all parts of the globe will require resources from both the North and South to be successful. Pakistani missiologist Michael Nazir-ali has expressed it well in the title and content of his book From Everywhere to Everywhere (Collins, 1990) in which he offers “a world view of Christian mission.” It is increasingly evident that responsible, mission-minded Christians today must work together in order to turn into reality the proposal of the Lausanne Covenant: “Missionaries should flow ever more freely from and to all six continents in a spirit of humble service” (par. 9). [3] [My emphasis in bold.]

There are those who look at partnership with indigenous ministries as a healthy mission enterprise, one that is not especially risky, and for whom the rewards greatly outweigh the risks.

There are others who operate out of a high-control, low-trust mindset relative to partnership with indigenous ministries. This post is for them, and the words for risk relative to cross-cultural partnership are: 1) wait and listen, and 2) trust and follow. Again, this may not sound too risk-laden to some of you, but for leaders who want to go fast, control outcomes and lead aggressively, it can be very risky, indeed.

Big risk #1: WAIT and LISTEN. Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Is fast my normal mode of ministry? Am I expecting my cross-cultural partners to operate in even half the same speed?
  2. Have we spent time in solitude before God—listening to his Word and Holy Spirit concerning the important issues regarding our cross-cultural partnership? Have we considered, What would Jesus do?
  3. Have we listened with our hearts to one another in this cross-cultural partnership? Have we taken ample time with the Christian leaders on the other side of the partnership to listen—really listen—to their hopes and dreams?
  4. Have we listened and gathered counsel from others in the body of Christ who are experienced practitioners in healthy cross-cultural partnership—in order to avoid making unnecessary mistakes and squandering resources?
  5. Have we spent any time together with the key leader(s) in this cross-cultural partnership—just getting to know one another as friends? To hear about one anothers’ families and stories, struggles and victories?

Why is “WAIT and LISTEN” such a big risk? Because many western Christian leaders have the general attitude of speed-it-up and get-it-done! You may discover that your own ministry peer group is not willing to wait before diving into a full-fledged partnership. Even if you want to wait and listen, your colleagues, ministry team members or donors want to move fast. They may even  think you are lazy, spending too much time listening, building relationships, waiting on God, developing friendship with your cross-cultural partners. The cultural pull of going fast—putting task ahead of relationship—is like swimming in a very strong river. To go against the flow of this river can be a big risk.

Big risk #2: TRUST and FOLLOW. Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Having spent time listening with your heart to your cross-cultural partners, are you ready to trust one another? Do you have confidence that they will indeed have the wisdom and knowledge to best serve the community in which they minister—and that you can be trusted to come through on what you have promised?
  2. Do your partners have the confidence that you genuinely understand their ministry? Since the activities of this partnership are primarily happening in their nation and community—do you see that you are coming alongside their dreams more than them coming alongside your dreams? In humility, are you willing to follow Christ and serve their ministry vision, having mutually agreed-upon principles and guidelines for the partnership?
  3. What about money? Do you trust your partners to handle funds appropriately? Or do you want to control how funds are managed? This practice, though common, is offensive to the indigenous Christian leaders—it is like a father-to-son relationship more than brother-to-brother. Are you willing to relinquish control of funds—knowing there is appropriate accountability—willing to believe the best, and work through challenges with patience and grace?

Why is “TRUST and FOLLOW” such a big risk for some western Christian leaders? It challenges the prevailing attitude that we in the west know best. Many western Christians are simply uncomfortable with this. And if you challenge them, it may generate suspicion or conflict. Because of their success, many western Christian leaders only understand one approach: control and lead. Whether from the business or ministry environment, they simply have not developed the skills to build the cross-cultural relationships where this kind of cross-cultural trust is essential. Consequently, for you to move from a control-and-lead mindset toward a trust-and-follow mindset could jeopardize your relationships with influential people in your ministry team.

Risk is right for the glory of Christ, but risk—in the missions world today—is different.

I want to know: What do you think? Your comments are welcomed!

1. John Piper: Don’t Waste Your Life (Crossway, 2003)
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot
3. Samuel Escobar: The New Global Mission: The Gospel from Everywhere to Everyone (InterVarsity, 2003) p. 18

Know your cultural style

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Indigenous ministries, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
Brooks Peterson has provided a huge service to help you acquire cultural intelligence—to help you work with people from other cultures
Brooks Peterson has provided a huge service to help you acquire cultural intelligence—to help you work with people from other cultures

What is culture? This book will teach you.

What are the five basic culture scales? Read this book and you will understand.

How do you define cultural intelligence (CQ)? Peterson gives a great definition.

What is your cultural style? How does your personal cultural style compare with the cultural style of the nation where you are serving (or the ethnic group with which you are involved)? This book and Peterson’s web site, AccrossCultures.com, give you outstanding tools to make the comparison.

This book is available from Amazon. Combine this with the corresponding web site and you have a simply great resource.

When westerners partner with indigenous ministries in the global south, there are so many challenges. Why not invest in understanding deeply the cultural differences between yourself and the ones with whom you are partnering? The money and time you will save—and the heartache you’ll be spared—will be so valuable!

Inter-related competencies for cross-cultural partnershipWhy do I believe this so important for healthy cross-cultural partnership? Because cultural intelligence is one of the big three—godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence—each one is vital if your investments in a cross-cultural partnership are to really pay off in the long run.

Learn more about cultural intelligence as it relates to partnership with indigenous ministries by visiting the various pages in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey that are part of this web site.

“One flock, one shepherd” … or … “sheep without a shepherd?”

Biblical basis for partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Godly character
Jesus as the Good Shepherd from the early Christian catacomb of Domitilla/Domatilla (Crypt of Lucina, 200 AD). How does the idea of “one flock, one shepherd” impact your partnership?
Jesus as the Good Shepherd from the early Christian catacomb of Domitilla/Domatilla (Crypt of Lucina, 200 AD). How does the idea of “one flock, one shepherd” impact your partnership?

Jesus said:

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:16 ESV).

Consider the words, “… one flock, one shepherd.” Imagine how this rang in the ears of the first disciples, who knew that likely thousands of shepherds were taking care of likely hundreds of thousands of sheep! How could just one shepherd lead and take care of all the sheep? It surely must have sounded like a radical idea.

What does Jesus mean by “one flock, one shepherd?” Later in John’s gospel, Jesus gives us insights into what he means concerning oneness among his followers.

John 17:20–23

20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

For the sake of the subject of this blog—cross-cultural partnership—and in light of the fact that life on our planet has become dominated by globalization, consider this:

On the one hand, the benefits of globalization represented by the Internet and inexpensive air travel can be a great help in aiding the church in its unity and practice of cross-cultural partnership; it is simply so much easier to communicate today than just ten years ago. On the other hand, there is a risk that modern methods become an end in themselves … that Christian leaders rely too heavily on such things as management systems and marketing communications. This, in turn, undermines dependence on God and ultimately, the goal of Christian unity. It can be summed up by the words, “Amplified opportunity, amplified threat.”[1]

Amplified opportunity: Church history has never had the enormous advantages of the powerful global communications tools which globalization and the Internet afford us today. This blog is one of a billion examples. Could it be that globalization has given us communication tools to facilitate this “one flock, one shepherd” ideal of Jesus Christ—so that Christ’s plan for unity amidst diversity can be more fully realized than ever before in human history?

Therefore, in the light of God’s global purpose to bless all peoples
through the gospel of Christ, could it be that to ignore cross-cultural partnership
as a key method for world evangelization is to fail in stewarding
one of the greatest advantages the church has ever known?

Amplified threat: The features of globalization consist of such things as extremely powerful global communications … inexpensive air travel … market-based economic systems … and international cooperation by individuals (not just nations and corporations). You may ask, How is globalization a threat? Simply, this: I believe many Christians, myself included, are often seduced into thinking that these powerful tools are a substitute for relying on the leadership and provision of our Shepherd. But the Bible says there is a relational depth—a beauty, wisdom and effectiveness—that is available solely from following our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Could it be that those of us engaged in cross-cultural ministry partnerships
have to be extra intentional in listening to our Shepherd and to each other—
in order to guard against the default culture and inherent spiritual biases of self-reliance,
modern systems, and such practices as results-based management?

Consider the words of Mark 6:34: “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.” Could it be that when Jesus sees us relying primarily on our modern technologies, global communications tools, management systems and fund-raising strategies—he sees us being technologically rich but spiritually poor? Could it be he sees us as “sheep without a shepherd?”

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1. The words “amplified opportunity, amplified threat” and related concepts are from an article by Os Guinness: “Mission modernity: Seven checkpoints on mission in the modern world” in Sampson, Samuel, and Sugden, Eds., Faith and Modernity (Oxford: Regnum Books, 1994).

A model for cross-cultural partnership—inside of God’s grace

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Godly character, Organizational competence
A model for cross-cultural partnership inside of God’s grace
A model for cross-cultural partnership inside of God’s grace

THE CROSS-CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP

  • A, B, and C are partners in a partnership—and represent any organization or ministry entity; for example, a western mission agency, an indigenous majority-world ministry, and a local church.
  • God’s grace—each ministry partner operates inside of the sphere of God’s grace (the large light green circle)—secured through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
  • The vision—is central to the partnership; it’s what has brought the partners together, and is far greater than what any partner can do alone. Each partner brings unique resources to work together toward  the vision.
  • The Cross—represents the finished work of Jesus Christ, and God’s passion to gather worshipers from among all peoples; this is what ultimately holds the partnership together.
  • The advocate—is an individual from one of the partner organizations who serves as a “champion” or ambassador for the partnership, and applies cultural intelligence as he/she serves the partnership toward the vision.

THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

  • Character: Each partner has leaders with godly character (represented by the yellow circle) who live as followers of Jesus Christ. The principal thing is humility.
  • Culture: Each partner devotes resources to acquiring cultural intelligence (represented by the smaller green circle) in order to develop cultural awareness of self and others along with the ability to adjust behavior and attitudes. The principal thing is deep understanding.
  • Competence: Each partner has developed organizational competence (represented by the blue circle) with appropriate systems and accountability. The principal thing is wise practice.

If you are interested in developing godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence for your cross-cultural partnership, consider joining The Beauty of Partnership learning journey. Or contact me, Werner Mischke at werner@mission1.org.

Risk in cross-cultural partnership, part 3 of 3: Navigating risk

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Godly character, Indigenous ministries, Organizational competence, Short-term missions
Are you avoiding risk, underestimating risk, or wisely navigating risk in your cross-cultural partnership?
Are you avoiding risk, underestimating risk, or wisely navigating risk in your cross-cultural partnership?

The first post in this series looked at avoiding risk; the second looked at underestimating risk. This blog post considers a third option—navigating risk—as an act of wise obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission.

3) Navigating risk: Wise entrepreneurial leaders are skilled at assessing risk. They have a knack for ‘knowing that they don’t know,’ and then investing in the knowledge, skills and attitudes to overcome the gaps in their knowledge and experience. Wise leaders know that Jesus Christ commands us to assess the risk and count the cost in following him:

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? –Luke 14:26–28 ESV

Likewise, when western leaders who are following Christ realize their journey is leading them into partnership with an indigenous ministry in the majority world, wise leaders know that they don’t know. The wise leader knows there are risks involved and says,

  • Let’s slow down and assess both the opportunity and the risk.
  • Let’s listen to God, and seek the wisdom of his Word for these matters.
  • Let’s go on an exploratory search do discover what we don’t know about cross-cultural partnership.
  • Let’s listen to other leaders who have been down this road before and have been successful.
  • Let’s navigate the risk, knowing that the opportunity for reward is tremendous, while recognizing that the risk for disappointment is just as real.

The wise leader invests in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary for a healthy cross-cultural partnership. He or she knows that developing these KSAs is not just a matter of information; it is rather, the result of a journey that will take time. The wise leader knows that there are many varying cultures in the world—and navigating the vast differences between cultures, worldviews, and social values may be as difficult as navigating across an ocean.

The wise leader invests in the journey to gain wisdom in the practice of healthy cross-cultural partnerships—and once having done so, he or she can truly begin to think big and responsibly pursue significant risk-laden dreams for the kingdom of God. The wise leader is thrilled to be a part of God’s Story, and knows that the impact of their decisions and actions in serving a cross-cultural partnership could ripple across the globe and throughout eternity to the glory of Christ.

To see a video about risk and cross-cultural partnership, go to this page—Week 3: Risk.

If you are interested in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes
to wisely navigate a cross-cultural partnership,
then you may be ready for The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.
Click here to learn more, or simply write to me,
Werner Mischke, at werner@mission1.org.

Risk in cross-cultural partnership, part 2 of 3: Underestimating risk

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Godly character, Indigenous ministries, Organizational competence, Short-term missions
Are you avoiding risk, underestimating risk, or wisely navigating risk in your cross-cultural partnership?
Are you avoiding risk, underestimating risk, or wisely navigating risk in your cross-cultural partnership?

The first post in this series looked at avoiding risk. This post considers a second option: underestimating risk.

2) Underestimating risk: One of the common blessings of going on a mission trip or serving cross-culturally is to discover that the person who I’m getting to know is so different from me, and yet, because we have a common faith in Jesus Christ, we are part of the same family and have a built-in sense of deep spiritual connection. We discover just how true the Bible really is: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4–6).

How wonderful! With this knowledge, many Christians believe it is easy to begin a cross-cultural partnership, confident that whatever obstacles there may be, their common faith in Jesus will enable them to overcome any problems.

A year goes by; so far so good … Another year, and questions emerge … Over time, mistrust develops, and sure enough, obstacles arise along with misunderstandings. From one side are accusations of mismanagement; from the other side, accusations of colonialism or arrogance. It is discovered that expectations for the partnership are radically different, and what seemed at first to be an exciting “can’t-lose enterprise for the kingdom” becomes mired in disappointment and cross-cultural conflict.

What happened? They underestimated the risks. They underestimated the need for developing new knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAs); they did not know that you must develop godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence for healthy cross-cultural partnership.

Risk in cross-cultural partnership, part 1 of 3: Avoiding risk

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Godly character, Indigenous ministries, Organizational competence
Are you avoiding risk, underestimating risk, or wisely navigating risk in your cross-cultural partnership?
Are you avoiding risk, underestimating risk, or wisely navigating risk relative to cross-cultural partnership?

I believe there are three basic ways to think about risk relative to cross-cultural partnerships—or partnership with indigenous ministries. They are: Avoiding risk, underestimating risk, and navigating risk. This blog post considers the first option:

1) Avoiding risk: People who avoid risk relative to partnership with indigenous ministries do so for various reasons—perhaps because they have heard someone say, “You can’t trust the nationals”—or they tried a cross-cultural partnership and had a bad experience. So they simply conclude, “No way” or “Never again.”

They resist learning lessons of how to adjust their approach; they don’t know about the need to learn new skills. Maybe they are unaware that there is a specific skill set necessary for someone to be a partnership ambassador. So they never consider developing the Christlike servanthood, the listening skills, the cultural intelligence, the organizational systems that are necessary to succeed. They give up, thinking that partnership ought to be easy, or that partnership just doesn’t work. They may still have a nagging sense that the body of Christ really is supposed to work together around the world (the Bible surely seems to say that it’s possible), but they see no way to get there.

Sadly, their default response to the possibility of cross-cultural partnership is to avoid the risk, and thus, to forgo the enormous potential for greater blessing for the peoples of the world. They also forgo the privilege of a deep cross-cultural friendship, not to mention the opportunity to better know the Lord Jesus Christ through the journey of working with Christian leaders from other cultures.

Tomorrow’s post: Part 2 of 3—Underestimating risk