Lesson 4
Preparing for
Cross-Cultural
Ministry
Part A
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What is Culture?
Culture is the sum of the
distinctive characteristics
of a people’s way of life.
Culture is not neutral. All cultures
stand under the judgment
of God and His word.
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Each of us has a set of
eyeglasses we look through
to view reality
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Those
represent
our worldview which
influences how we
• Understand reality
• Judge reality
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Common Stereotypes of what the
U.S. thinks of the
Majority World
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Lazy
Inefficient
Emotional
Slow and unmotivated
Rooted in traditions
Corrupt leaders
Naïve
Strongly interdependent
Spiritual
Majority World thinks
of the U.S..
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Aggressive
Preoccupied with tasks
Harshly pragmatic
Tense & pressured
Discontented & lonely
Corrupt leaders
Educated
Strongly individualistic
Materialistic
After Dearborn, STM Workbook, p.5 25
Understanding culture
• Cultures are complex and not
easily understood
• Culture is a gift from God
• We are all shaped by our culture
and carry cultural baggage
wherever we go
• Different cultures have different
worldviews
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Challenge of Entering a New Culture
Culture is the sum of the distinctive
characteristics of a people’s way of life
• Each culture is unique
– shared culture
– personal culture—shaped by values, life
experiences, family history, education,
personality, region
• Each of us carries a cultural bias
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Entering another culture
• We are all products of our cultural
heritage which dictates how we see and
how we interact
• We tend to think that everyone else
sees and interacts with the world the
way we do
– Judgment comes quickly
– Withhold judgment and ask questions then
comes understanding
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Cultural distinctives
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Language
Attitude toward time, routine, schedule
Attitude toward space and property
Attitude toward use and sharing of
resources
• Thought processes
• Role of family, kin, community
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Cultural distinctives (cont)
• Attitude toward work and division of labor
• Gender—different modes of speech, dress,
and conduct
• Modes of learning—by observation,
modeling, or instruction
• Food
• Sanitation, hygiene
• Humor and games
• Beliefs, health procedures, social conflicts
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Whole Group Activity:
How we value time
Question: How long would you wait for someone to
meet you at Starbucks?
If <15 minutes, go to location 1 in the room.
If <30 minutes, go to location 2.
If >60 minutes, go to location 3.
This will show how people value time differently. Note:
People in the Majority World have an attitude toward
time that is different from us in the West. Clock time is
much less important than event time.
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Cultural blind
spots in STM
• Our way is best
• “Time is money”
• The danger of misunderstanding
the needs of the poor
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Our way is best
• Insensitivity to differences
• Judgmental/critical spirit
• God-complex: this is what you
need!
• Why can’t they be more like us
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Time—Clichés & Proverbs
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Time is money
Making every minute count
The sooner the better
No time like the present
Now or never
Opportunity only strikes once
Make hay while the sun shines
He who hesitates is lost
The early bird catches the worm
Make it short & sweet
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Time
Obsession with time leads to:
– Urgency
– Emphasis on “doing”
– Control
– Unwillingness to collaborate
– Impatience
– Demand for measurable results
– Undue emphasis on efficiency
– Quenching the Spirit
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Biggest Challenges in STM
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Communication
Misunderstanding
Personality conflict
Poor leadership
Bad teamwork
--David Livermore – Serving with Eyes Wide Open
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It takes time to Understand a
Different Cultural
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Time—clock time vs. event time
Task vs. relationship
Context—high vs. low
Individualism vs. Family & Community
Power Distance—family, class, position
Uncertainty avoidance
--Source: Livermore, Serve with your eyes wide open, p. 118-127 17
It Takes Time to Understand a
new culture so in the meantime:
•Look for common ground or similarities
•Use caution when (over)interpreting nonverbal
behavior as it can easily be misunderstood
•It takes longer to discern differences so be
patient
•Beware of creating stereotypes. Cultures are
different and individuals within a culture are
different
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PERSONAL
ENTRY POSTURE
(Approach)
Openness,
Acceptance
Trust
Adaptability
Suspicion
Fear
Superiority
Withdrawal
Prejudice
PERSONAL
COPING SKILLS
(Response)
RESULT
Rapport & Empathy
Alienation &
Isolation
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Dealing with culture shock
• Be intentional in making choices to stay on the
upper track
• Suspend judgment
• Discuss it with your team members, host
missionary, other expatriates—de-briefing
• Journal to help process your thoughts and what
you are observing and learning
• Try to learn a little of the local language
• Be an inquirer, listener, learner
• Examine your expectations—be realistic about
what you hope to accomplish
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Culture Shock:
How to respond?
“The more we retreat from the Culture and the people
the less we learn about them;
the less we know about them,
the more uncomfortable we feel among them;
the more uncomfortable we feel among them,
the more inclined we are to withdraw.”
Source: Storti in Elmer Connections, p 43
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Culture Shock: What is it?
• “when you experience frustration from
not knowing the rules or having the skills
for adjusting to a new culture”-Elmer
• The reaction to the incongruity between
your culture and one you are
experiencing
• Typical emotions—embarrassment,
disgust, fear, helplessness
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Realistic Expectations
• Can help protect us from major
disappointments
• Can minimize the impact of
culture shock
• Expectations can be shaped by
good preparation and training
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Expectations about what?
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Local people’s feelings about the U.S.
Accommodations
Food
Personal hygiene and sanitation
Noises
Time
Transportation
Ability to communicate
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Cross-Cultural Behavior:
Some Guidelines
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Age—show respect for older people
Hierarchy—show respect to leaders—listen & learn
Gender—relationships, greetings, gestures
Dress—dress modestly, adapt to conventions—
pants, shorts
Formality—present yourself according to your
position
Conversation style—hints , metaphors, direct or
indirect
Group presentation—be tactful instead of noisy,
speak softly
Values—understand what is acceptable and not 25
Cross-Cultural Behavior:
Some Guidelines (cont)
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Food—eat & pray
Possessions—take only necessities
Time—go with the flow—event vs time orientation
Groups—community more important than individuals
Anger—oftentimes not expressed publicly
Failure—can be perceived as a weakness,
vulnerability, avoiding confrontation
• Gift Giving—need to know how to give/receive gifts
• Money—use with great care; danger of harm
• Promises—be aware of making promises
intentionally or unintentionally
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Adapted from: Stepping Out: A Guide to STM
More practical ideas
• Travel with a cultural insider
• Move about with equipment exposed—be
transparent
• Know as much about the culture as you can
• Dress and act appropriately
• Consider not paying to film but offer to buy
something
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Small Group Activity
What kind of information
should be solicited from
each team member in a pretrip assessment?
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