Key principles for
successful intercultural living, communication, and ministry
The key principle for successful intercultural living, communication,
and ministry is bonding. According to Elizabeth S. and E. Thomas Brewster, bonding
is crucial for a healthy relationship in which they contribute this to the first
hours a newborn infant is with its mother. They go on by comparing this
importance of infant/mother bonding. They explain how it is just as critical for
a missionary to bond with a people group, early within the relationship.[1] Brewster’s state, “Like the first day of
an infant’s life, the first two or three weeks of a newcomer’s stay is of
crucial importance.”[2]
The missionary must become a belonger
in the sense of belonging to the people group they are called too. Some factors that contribute to becoming a
belonger, are communicating what the missionary’s needs are, learning the
language, and by living with a local family. There is a heavy risk involved for
those who do not become belongers and those who do not take the risk and
immediately totally immerse themselves in the new culture usually do not return
for a second term of service.[3]
William Reyborn expounds the idea of becoming a becomer by focusing on the
ideal of searching for a point of identification. His whole focus centers on
the point of identification in which he propounds that a major aspect of the
missionary task is to search for a connection or point of contact.[4]
This point of contact is by submersion of the missionary’s life into the
culture, customs and ways of the community in which they are now part. Reyborn
expresses the belonger and the point of contact with other people groups with
the willingness to surrender and to step out of the comfort box in which the
missionary is familiar with. Communication is a key in building the bond
between the missionary and other cultures. Everything we do is in essence a
communication –intended or not. Moreau states, “The ability to develop
communication patterns that build trust is an invaluable missionary skill.”[5]
Without understanding the importance of communication, bonding will not occur
and will therefore quench the Spirit to move.
[2]
Ibid
[3]
Ibid. 469
[4] William
D. Reyburn “Identification in the Missionary Task” in Perspectives on the World
Christian Movement, ed. Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne (Pasadena, CA:
William Carey Library, (2009). 471.
[5] Scott
A. Moreau, Gary Corwin, and Gary McGee. Introducing World Missions: A
Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker
Academic, 2004. 267
A critic is someone who never actually goes to the battle, yet who afterwards comes out shooting the wounded. See the link below for more info.
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