WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES - World Evangelical Alliance

ABOUT THIS BOOK
This new edition consists of four parts.
Part 1 deals with the essential subject of Culture and Contextualisation.
Those working in a different context and culture must learn and understand
that culture. Understanding culture means understanding “worldviews” at the
heart of a culture. From its worldview will flow beliefs and values which in turn
affect the behaviour of people in that culture.
Part 2 focuses on Preparation for Cross-Cultural mission – training that
is needed and the qualities that are particularly important for cross-cultural
candidates. Orientation is necessary before a person goes to the field of work
and also when a person arrives on the field.
Part 3 deals with Cross-Cultural Stress – culture and language shock
when first arriving on the field and the normal stresses of a different culture in
living and relating to people and circumstances. How can this be prevented
and how do we handle stress which is inevitable? Mission supervisors also
need the understanding of “doing member care” from the beginning of
assignments to the re-entry of workers.
Part 4 on “Tentmaking” is for those who intentionally decide to serve in
another culture in their profession as bi-vocational workers. While some cultures
or peoples may be in a foreign country, some workers may be called to minister
among a different culture or people within one’s own country.
“Tentmaker” and “tentmaking” are terms widely used in church and
mission circles. These terms are associated with Paul’s practice of “tentmaking”.
Although I have led discussions on “Tentmaking” in Asia and at major
international conferences, I have never been comfortable with the terms mainly
because they have been used too loosely and widely to cover a variety of
situations and professions.
In this book, I have stuck to the terms “tentmaking” and “tentmakers”,
only because they are widely used. In using these terms throughout this book,
I refer to those who are trained and equipped to be bi-vocational labourers
serving in their profession. (This is likely a narrower definition than what some
people mean when they use the terms to refer to any Christian business or
professional person crossing cultural boundaries). I have assumed that
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