Category Archives: Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

My musings on various authors and their books and articles relative to cross-cultural partnership

Today, risk is different

October 9, 2009Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnershipWerner Mischke

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:

Is fast my normal mode of ministry? Am I expecting my cross-cultural partners to operate in even half the same speed?
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?
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?
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?
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:

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?
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?
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

Rio’s win for the 2016 Olympics: an impact on world missions?

October 4, 2009Global Christian mission, Global trends, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnershipWerner Mischke

A Brazilian celebrates in Copenhagen after Rio de Janeiro won the right to host the 2016 Olympics.

The Wall Street Journal had a terrific article on Saturday October 3rd about Rio de Janeiro winning the bid for hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. The article was written by Matthew Futterman in Copenhagen, Matt Moffett in Rio de Janeiro, and Douglas Belkin in Chicago. Here are some quotes:

… Rio de Janeiro, in a dramatic victory over much-wealthier cities, won the right to host the 2016 Olympics, bringing the Games to South America for the first time and crystallizing Brazil’s rise as an economic and political power. …

… Brazil’s strategy tapped into a strong current of resentment among delegates outside Europe and North America whose countries had also never hosted the Games. Brazil had lobbied these voters behind the scenes in a bid to win over a contingent they thought would be sympathetic to their cause. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pleaded with IOC voters to send a “powerful message … that the Olympic Games belong to all people, all continents, and to all humanity.” …

… The pitch [by President Obama] contrasted the one given by representatives of Rio, who spoke of an entire continent yearning for acceptance. …

… “This throws a little cold water on the Obama dream that simply having a fresh face and open-minded rhetoric will change the way the world views America,” said presidential historian David Greenberg. …

After the announcement of the final vote, Mr. da Silva said, “Brazil has moved from being on the level of a second-class country to a first-class country.” …

For the full content of the Wall Street Journal article, along with photos, click here.

After viewing the photos and reading the article I smiled. It is great to see the overwhelming enthusiasm of the Brazilians for gaining the the privilege of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics.

I began to ask myself, what impact will this have on the world Christian movement? I doubt that this will have much direct impact, but I believe the indirect impact—an impact on attitude—could be very significant. I wonder …

Could it be that American leadership in the world is waning and that in the work of Christian global missions, the role of Americans will be increasingly that of a servant and partner rather than leader?
Could it be that the voices of western and American Christians will be marginalized as more majority-world Christian leaders emerge on the global scene?
Could it be that the wealth of the church in some nations in the majority world such as Brazil, India, China, South Korea, and South Africa will become increasingly significant forces for world evangelization while conversely, the status of America as a debtor nation will reduce her influence in the world Christian community?
Could it be that this makes cross-cultural ministry partnerships all the more vital for the future of the world Christian movement?

I think the attitude of confidence and celebration shown by Brazil and other majority world nations relative to Rio’s winning the bid for the 2016 Olympics will influence the church worldwide. I believe this is healthy. After all, Christianity is not a western religion. The more that Christianity is not dominated by one culture (and here I am thinking of western culture) … the more that Christianity is seen by the world as a faith for all nations, and that Jesus is Lord and Savior for all peoples … the more it fulfills God’s original promise to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3) …

“…so that as grace extends to more and more people
it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:15).

Rio wins. It’s a good thing. What do you think? Go ahead, leave a comment below.

On being co-creators with God

September 2, 2009Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Entrepreneurship, Global Christian mission, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnershipWerner Mischke

DISCIPLING NATIONS The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures One 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

August 29, 2009Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, Short-term missionsWerner Mischke

Bryant 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

August 27, 2009Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, Short-term missionsWerner Mischke

“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.
“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.
“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.
“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

August 26, 2009Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Indigenous ministries, Organizational competence, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnershipWerner Mischke

“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.

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

August 23, 2009Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Godly character, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnershipWerner Mischke

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?

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