ME500: Communicating and Serving Cross-Culturally (4 units)
Betty Sue Brewster, Associate Professor of Language and
Culture Learning
DESCRIPTION:
God’s heart is for developing relationship with people whom He created, and for communicating His message to them. In sending Jesus He gave us a model for communicating with people in their own cultural context. People in ministry, cannot afford the luxury of having a monocultural outlook. Skills in intercultural relationships and in culture learning are essential, whether you are a pastor ministering in a multicultural context or needing to give your congregation a missionary vision, a Christian worker in the inner city, a cross-cultural missionary, or a lay person planning a short-term ministry. This is a practical hands-on culture-learning course to help develop cultural self-awareness, a positive approach toward other cultures, and intercultural interaction and communication skills.
LEARNING
OUTCOMES:
• Develop a holistic
view of serving cross-culturally.
• Gain an awareness of the pluralist world.
• Develop an initial understanding of doing mission in context.
• Learn the basics of communicating the Gospel cross-culturally.
• Cultivate cross-cultural sensitivities.
• Develop an understanding of the role of culture in the communication of the
Gospel.
• Begin to apply skills of culture learning in intercultural communication.
• Learn how to apply biblical and missiological principles in cross-cultural
ministry.
COURSE
FORMAT:
Class activities include experiential culture learning activities, demonstrations, lectures, discussion, and class member presentations. Small groups meet regularly in class for discussion and prayer, and to plan and debrief fieldwork.
REQUIRED
READING:
Kraft, Charles. Communicating
Jesus’ Way. William Carey, 1999.
Law, Eric H.F. The Wolf Shall Dwell with
the Lamb. St. Louis, Chalice Press, 1993.
Smith, Donald K. Creating Understanding. Zondervan, 1992.
Sogaard, Viggo. Media in Church and
Mission. Gabriel Resources, 1993.
Read biographies of at least 2 persons
in cross-cultural ministry.
RECOMMENDED
READING:
Hunter, David and MaryAnn B. Foley. Doing Anthropology. Harper & Row, 1976.
Lingenfelter, Sherwood. Transforming Culture. Baker Books.
Mains, David. 8 Survival Skills for
Changing Times (chapter 4). Wheaton, 1992.
Mains, David and Melissa Mains Timberlake. Getting
Beyond “How are You?” – Learning to Connect in a Disconnected World.
Wheaton: Victor Books, 1992.
Spradley, James P. The Ethnographic
Interview. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1979.
Stafford-Yilmaz, Lynn. A to Zany
Community Affairs. U of Michigan Press, 1998.
Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace.
Abingdon Press, 1996.
Zimmerman, W. How to Tape Instant Oral
Biographies. New York: Guarionex Press.
ASSIGNMENTS:
• Readings, reading
interactions and class discussion.
• Plan and carry out regular fieldwork in community, reflect and report on what
has been learned, share the experience and reflections in small groups as well
as in class.
• A paper describing the participant’s strategy for cross-cultural
communication, learning, and ministry.
Th.M.: Greater analytical depth in
writing assignments. In addition, choose one of these:
• Complete one additional complete field experience, with written report
• Read 150-200 extra pages from the recommended readings with reading
interactions
• Write an additional 1250 words for the strategy paper
PREREQUISITES: None. Auditors must get instructor's permission. All auditors and non-credit people are expected to fully participate in the fieldwork.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
Required for MA-CCS and MA-ICM programs.
FINAL
EXAMINATION: None.