The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
A good cross-cultural partnership is like a good conversation. The topic is less important than whether each person can play both roles well in the conversation. Each needs to be both a good listener and a good communicator. Good listeners are rare. Most often people care about being heard rather than listening. What are the marks of a good listener?
A good conversationalist, however, is not someone who only listens and says nothing. To do that is to ask the other person to be transparent and vulnerable while you hide in safety behind a wall. In a good conversation, both people step out into the open. Both share feelings that the listener may not affirm or understand. Both share incomplete thoughts that may be misunderstood. What, then, are the marks of a good communicator?
Good cross-cultural church partnerships involve these same skills, but at a higher level because of the cultural differences. For example, in a relationship between an American and a Ugandan church, I may find it harder to be fully present with a Ugandan friend from a rural village than with a fellow American who is accustomed to multi-tasking. And I may need more patience and persistence to communicate in a way that he is culturally accustomed to.
Each of these skills is important, but I want to highlight one of them: not seeking to change the other without seeking to be changed oneself. A common alternative to cross-cultural partnership is paternalism in which one church (often from a wealthier country) seeks to improve or work through another church (often in a resource-poor setting). Perhaps money is given to accomplish a project, or experts are sent to provide training. These relationships often entail task-oriented conversations, where one participant is expected to change more than the other. Only when we both come to the relationship as broken and see the other as God’s agent in our lives can we move to a relationship where the Holy Spirit is truly free to bring change.
What have I missed in this description of a good conversation? What would you add?
(Painting entitled "Oracle" by Amal Ghosh)
关键词: cross-cultural
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南非
Community farms: (Kibbutz)
4 land & wealth redistribution, to evangelise the community: To train, educate, work, live and have a base from where to launch missionaries into the community. A community farm is where the Christians in the community corporately owns the property. Our corporate finances provide 4 cost of the farm, infrastructure & accommodation for those working on farms while they are discipled. Investors, invest directly in the crops to secure food and jobs for the people. Thousands of jobs will be created where people could be evangelise, reconciled, unity restored and worldviews changed to a Biblical one. Farms will act as a place of employment, a basic income, a missionary training School, an orphanage and launching pad to send trained missionaries. Here Christ Jesus will be a way of living where the community will see what we preach!
Three legs: (Operating separately)
1. Accommodation and employers Lodges/Hostels on farms with infrastructure:
2. Education, “Skills” development, Discipleship training & orphanages.
3. Agricultural projects – investment arm. (Project financing). Outside investors.
Full scale business to create a holistic cosmos to the missionary to have the infrastructure needed to live and operate in without lack or limitations.
Shammah Foundation: Marius Brand: Cell 082 9210 275, e-mail - mariba@zsd.co.za. www.koevoet4christ.co.za
18.10.2010
南非
Community farms: (Kibbutz)
4 land & wealth redistribution, to evangelise the community: To train, educate, work, live and have a base from where to launch missionaries into the community. A community farm is where the Christians in the community corporately owns the property. Our corporate finances provide 4 cost of the farm, infrastructure & accommodation for those working on farms while they are discipled. Investors, invest directly in the crops to secure food and jobs for the people. Thousands of jobs will be created where people could be evangelise, reconciled, unity restored and worldviews changed to a Biblical one. Farms will act as a place of employment, a basic income, a missionary training School, an orphanage and launching pad to send trained missionaries. Here Christ Jesus will be a way of living where the community will see what we preach!
Three legs: (Operating separately)
1. Accommodation and employers Lodges/Hostels on farms with infrastructure:
2. Education, “Skills” development, Discipleship training & orphanages.
3. Agricultural projects – investment arm. (Project financing). Outside investors.
Full scale business to create a holistic cosmos to the missionary to have the infrastructure needed to live and operate in without lack or limitations.
Shammah Foundation: Marius Brand: Cell 082 9210 275, e-mail - mariba@zsd.co.za. www.koevoet4christ.co.za
18.10.2010
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