Missionary Confidential

Moving to a mission field that speaks our same language, it’s easy for people to feel that it’s one less hurdle to doing ministry in another culture. I now view it as an obstacle that creeps up later, causing distress for many missionaries.

Initially, we did not have to spend months or years learning a totally new language, unlike many of our missionary friends in other fields. This obviously made our preparation timeline go much faster, which isn’t a bad thing. Our contacts in our field gave us a short list of phrases to learn, and we thought we were on our way.

Until one of us asked a young woman a question that, in our mission field’s culture, was very, very vulgar. » Read the rest of this entry «

Just found a blog site, “The Other Side” of Missions, written by and for missionary kids (MKs). Since entering the mission field as a thirty-something, it was refreshing for me to read such candid writing from teens and children, wise beyond their years, experiencing missions ministry. Entries such as “Me on Display” explain the ups and downs of being a public figure (in Christian circles), and “Who Am I?” eloquently parallels my entry, “The Double Life of The Missionary”. Take a moment and check out their excellent blog.

As we were preparing ourselves to enter the mission field, I was concurrently studying an unrelated topic at a secular university and was required to take an intercultural communications course. While the book and course were clearly aimed at the business student who may have to negotiate a deal abroad, I found that it helped me understand how an action or word usage so innocent in my culture could be interpreted by another culture as anything from rude to insulting to demeaning.

It was a broad-based book, covering multiple cultures by explaining how negotiating a deal in one particular culture required the first offer to be double of what you wanted because there was a mandatory first refusal. It was understood that your second offer would be rejected because culturally they would only accept on the third offer. Strange to someone from my culture, but if it’s explained and expected you could still be successful in the negotiation.

So when we were fact-finding in our part of Western Europe, we felt we had to ask the nationals’ opinions about what some missionaries had done wrong here to cause offence. And, boy, did we get a laundry list of slights, insults and other things, some of which were rude even from the States’ perspective, but much of it was lack of cultural sensitivity or understanding. As we were mentally keeping track of things not to do, most every person would always end their list with, “But don’t worry. Just be yourself.” » Read the rest of this entry «

I’ve seen it before. Enter the new missionary to the field. As you get to know him or her, the conversation inevitably drifts to what they exactly intend to do here. “Just what I did back in the States,” he’ll say. “You know, I successfully planted X churches, several in some tough spiritual areas. I’ll just hire a Christian worship leader, run some ads in the paper and on TV, get some lights, run a few videos, and we’ll have hundreds the first week.” And they’ll have hardly anyone show, because this culture doesn’t respond to attractional events. With no other ideas than their usual formula, the shoulders shrug and they’re gone on the next plane.

Now, some haven’t had quite the swagger I described above (a few did, though), each one has had the same confused look at the end of their attempt. How could this not work, it says. It worked in so many other places. Why didn’t the people respond?

While I think we all wish for the “silver bullet” of how to win souls, I really don’t think it exists. Every situation is different, every group needs the Gospel in a way that they will understand. And if you’re not in tune with the needs of your particular area, an attempt by blind replication will fall incredibly flat. Read this review of “Sunday School Musical” from the blog Christ and Pop Culture to see an example of a non-Christian company trying to cash in on the Christian market by copying the wildly popular “High School Musical”.

So what’s a missionary to do in another culture when all you’ve known is how to do ministry in your homeland? Some thoughts: » Read the rest of this entry «

After the Bible study, Marta asked to speak with me, away from the others. We’d been leading in this Baptist church in Western Europe for a few months now and were getting to know the regulars.

“I am confused,” she said in staccatoed English. “In Chile, I went to a Baptist church, too. And this is why I come to your church, because it is Baptist. But it is not like my church at home at all!”

Marta went on to describe the customs in her church in great detail, from the music to the worship style to the way the leadership evidently was heavily involved in the daily decisions that each member made. And she was right, it sounded nothing like how church was here. None of it sounded sacrilegious or wrong, just different and closer to how I suspect a Latin culture might praise God.

Her genuine confusion brought home the point that culture shapes our Christianity. Like Marta, I hadn’t anticipated how very different the Christian faith can look here in Western Europe compared to my West Coast experience in the States. I had expected perhaps a few minor changes, but melody changes to the same songs or traditions dictating when to stand to sing a song (here it’s about four beats before the group should sing, not immediately after the song is announced) had thrown me slightly.

Western Europe has seen a huge increase in immigrants, mostly from Third World countries. Many have little to no grasp of the English language. Because of all the prior mission work that’s happened in the 10/40 window, a good portion of these immigrants are evangelical Christians. And when they land here, they look for a church to join, which is a great thing. But it’s presented some interesting dilemmas in a country where less than 1% are evangelical Christian. » Read the rest of this entry «