Mark Naylor is the Coordinator of the Centre for Intercultural Leadership Development (CILD)
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Aspects of Islam by Ron Geaves. London: Darton, Longman and Todd. 2005
Sectarian divisions for any religion tend to occur down the fault lines of the strongest convictions. Ron Geaves sheds light on fundamental faith issues within Islam by exploring significant religious disagreements that exist between committed Muslims. [...]
About two times a year I travel to Pakistan to work on the Sindhi Bible translation. Currently we are preparing a Sindhi New Testament for the Hindu people of the Sindh along with a review of the New Testament that was translated for a Muslim audience. A few vignettes taken from my most recent trip [...]
By embracing dialogue rather than proclamation as an approach to engage people with our faith, are we selling out to cultural pressures? By choosing the route of Significant Conversations because it is more comfortable and natural for us in our pluralist society, does this mean we are neglecting our call to proclaim the gospel? Are [...]
When faced with expressions of values that clash with biblical perspectives, Christians often resort to either “fight or flight” in response. They either say nothing and miss an opportunity for a significant conversation, or they challenge the value. Fortunately, there is another way to engage people in conversation that is both rewarding and enjoyable, leaving [...]
Recently a friend sent me a link to a blog skeptical of the power of prayer. Some key comments taken from the blog are as follows:
Surely the divines can explain what distinguishes the moments when prayers do save someone from those when they don’t. Is it the targets of prayers that are distinguishable, or the [...]
Terrorism as “lashing out”
In one section of a popular book on globalization, The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman explores the impact of globalization on the Arab-Muslim world and how this relates to the rise of Muslim based terrorism.
[Arab-Muslim] youth, particularly those living in Europe, can and do look around and see that the Arab-Muslim world, [...]
I was witness to an amazing children’s illustration one Sunday that went hilariously wrong. The woman was trying to make the point through the use of keys that the only key into heaven was Jesus. She dangled her keys and asked what they allowed her to get into. One child said “house” and another said [...]
Continue the Conversation
This past week I had a discussion with a couple of fellow believers who had had a significant conversation with an elderly person who was in the last days of his life. They were talking to him of the grace and forgiveness offered by God. His response was, “I have cheated and lied. [...]
See also the follow-up article: Pastor’s Role as Spiritual Coach II
Helping people trade their lives for significance
Our home church is searching for a senior pastor. My wife is on the search committee and so we have been discussing the type of pastor we would like to see come and serve in our church. Our preferences [...]
A friend of ours was chatting about his experience attending membership classes at his church. He mentioned that one part of the statement of faith requires members to affirm that the Genesis story is not to “be accepted allegorically or figuratively.” He did not have a problem with this, but I find it an odd [...]
I have done the introductory workshop for Significant Conversations (a grassroots approach to evangelism) in a number of churches during the past year, with far greater interest and response than anticipated. The workshop was initially designed for church boards so that they could evaluate the approach and decide whether or not to present the concept [...]
I had a unique and unexpected experience the other day. I was having a breakfast meeting in a restaurant with the chair of a missions committee. When we had finished the meal, I asked the waitress for the bill and she replied, “That has already been taken care of. That couple over there has paid [...]
This is GREAT! A Canada-wide evangelism campaign organized and funded by atheist and humanist societies. Atheist and humanist societies in Canada are following a similar move in England to post slogans on the sides of buses and in other locations, one of which reads, “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your [...]
Every now and again (more often than I would like) I need a slap up the side of the head when I lose perspective on what Jesus values in ministry. I often look for efficiency and cleverness to accomplish a task when only humility, time and a receptive spirit suffice. A book by J.B. Phillips [...]
I was chatting with a friend of mine who works as a robotics engineer and I began to express my passion for Bible translation. In fact, I got a little over-excited and exclaimed, “I have the best job in the world!” He looked at me sideways and said, “I thought I had that job.” Well, [...]
Emmanuel is my favorite Christmas word, partly because it is also a missions word. God is a missionary God and provides us with the greatest expression of missions in and through the Christmas event. The reason why the shepherds could accept the angel’s invitation was because God had come to earth: “Let us go and [...]
When Muslims come to Christ they often suffer a cultural and religious identity crisis.
I recently spoke to a Muslim background believer on the phone. He told me of his struggles to live as a Christian within a Muslim setting. His extended family has many Muslim religious leaders and there has been much opposition. He recently [...]
The following comments are actually a repeat of a blog presented over a year ago. Since that time, the relevance of Significant Conversations in facilitating the change needed to make a kingdom difference has begun to be noticed. The Center for Intercultural Leadership Development is now offering coaching to FEBCC churches in the areas of [...]
In the Cross-Cultural Impact article, Confessions of a Failed Church Planter, I related the following story of an incident during our ministry in Pakistan:
Nathaniel (not his real name) told me one day of his favorite chapters in the Bible. Most of them were the expected ones (Ps 23, Rom 8, 1 Cor 13, etc.), but [...]
The increasing diversity and complexity of our context has given rise to specializations in pastoral ministry. Due to the increasing ethnic diversity in Canada a further skill set is required – pastoring in an intercultural setting. Northwest Baptist seminary is addressing this need through the Cross-cultural Leadership Development program (CLTP), a one-year undergrad, mentored, experienced-based [...]
The Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, coincides with September this year [See 30-Days prayer focus for daily online prayer items or a downloadable calendar]. Historically, much Muslim – Christian interaction has been negative and detrimental, with the Crusades being the most glaring example that impacts relationships to this day.
However, there are those who are building [...]
Lorry Lutz, in her book, Looking Forward To The Rest Of Your Life? Embracing Midlife and Beyond,1 asks the challenging question, “What specific ministry/service do you think God expects of you in the years after retirement?” For Joe and Lourdes De Guzman, it is training church leadership in the Philippines. For Herm and Joan [...]
Are literal translations more accurate?
When Today’s New International Version (TNIV) was first published, I walked into our local Christian bookstore and asked the sales person, "Do you have the new TNIV?" A wary look came into his eyes and he said, "Why do you ask?" Puzzled, I replied, "Because I would like to purchase a [...]
Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians.
CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]
NOTE: A companion workshop to these articles is available to multi-ethnic churches that provides information, exercises and interaction to encourage the implementation of those disciplines that promote healthy intercultural relationships. Please contact Mark via the form below.
Whose rules rule?
In the innovative cultural simulation game, Barnga, created by Sivasailam Thiagarajan, groups of people play a simple [...]
Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians.
CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]
Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians.
CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]
Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians.
CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]
Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians.
CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]
The Power Distance Contrast
In Pakistan there is a strong tradition of "holy men" who are called Pirs. One day I had a visit from a young man who informed me that he was the Pir of his village. I was puzzled by this because he was dressed in modern clothes and did not have the [...]
In the book UnChristian (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), which deals with research from the Barna group, David Kinnaman refers to a survey which asked the participants to agree or disagree with the statement, “Christian churches accept and love people unconditionally, regardless of how people look or what they do” (p. 185). 20% of [...]
The Christ of the Indian Road by E. Stanley Jones, 1925. Abington Press
E. Stanley Jones was a highly influential missionary who worked in India during the time of Gandhi. The principles for cross-cultural ministry presented in this classic are as valid today and in any context as they were when this book was written. His [...]
Best Practices for Church Missions Workshops Photos
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Immanuel Abbotsford
“Thank you for the great workshop. Our missions focus is struggling and we found it to be so helpful and encouraging. The questions and exercises were well thought out and gave us good direction, as well as the prayer focus throughout. We [...]
I came across an interesting theory. People act according to their conviction about the nature of God. If God is perceived as an autocratic patriarch whose rules must be followed without question, then that is how the leaders of that group will act. If God is viewed as a stern judge who is inflexible concerning [...]
The story of Umar and Marvi is a legend of the Sindhi people that expresses a fundamental tribal value of the Sindhi people. A young, beautiful teenage girl (Marvi) is kidnapped from her tribe by a young prince (Umar) who is enamoured by her and wants to make her his wife. She is taken to [...]
It feels impolite and invasive to challenge someone on a personal level
I am uncomfortable with direct methods of evangelism that early on present the hearer with an invitation to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Part of my unease has to do with my Canadian upbringing. It feels impolite and invasive to challenge someone on [...]
section headings … can be misleading
I like section headings in Bible translation. They are not part of the original text, but added by the translation team to assist the reader in three ways: “1. to help those already familiar with the Bible to find a passage they know; 2. to help those unfamiliar with the [...]
Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends
Edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Charles A. Anderson, Michael J. Sleasman. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007. 285 pages, $29.99, paperback.
Most of our churches in the Fellowship are not missional, but communal in orientation. That is, their primary orientation towards the community in which they are placed [...]
The Common hunger of Humanity
What we as human beings search for and value in life is the “meaningful” and the “good.”
With regard to the “meaningful,” we are always trying to make sense of our world. Hopelessness, which is what we seek to avoid, is the antithesis of the “meaningful” and happens when the [...]
Joy’s (1) emotional pain was evident as she related her move from her family’s mono-ethnic Chinese church to a multiethnic congregation. She felt guilt as if she had somehow betrayed her home church.
Bob pastored a multi-ethnic congregation but was frustrated by his inability to recruit leadership from certain groups.
Jane enjoyed belonging to a church [...]
Three ways to understand the Bible
My wife, Karen, heard a message by a young woman with no theological training on Jer 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you….” The young woman spoke of the verse as if it was addressed to us today and talked about the plans God has for us. Although [...]
I am slow. I have come to the realization – at least a full decade after more perceptive and observant thinkers – that we are no longer in the information age; we are in the networking age. Facebook is not about information, but about connecting. Due to the ease of access and overwhelming quantity of [...]
The following is a response from my wife, Karen, to a couple of recent blogs found on this site:
In his Oct 17 blog "The Foundation for Hearing God," Loren Warkentin wrote:
We Christians have become acculturated to this [fast-paced] style of living and I believe it has affected our spiritual lives. We are easily bored. If [...]
During the time we lived in Larkana, Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto became prime minister of Pakistan. Since Larkana was her family home town, there were some obvious perks. One of the most obvious was the construction of several fountains at key intersections. Each fountain had a plaque proclaiming the name of the patron who had funded [...]
Five aspects of evangelism common to our churches that need to change if we are to make a gospel impact in our communities:
a. The individualistic nature of evangelism. People commonly view Sunday worship as their expression of church, while the rest of the week is lived without church involvement. For example, I have seen [...]
For the past couple of years I have been leading a Bible study on the theme “touching the robe of Christ.” This was adopted as a paradigm for the desire to break past misleading interpretations, religious terminology and church traditions and trappings in order to connect with God through Christ, to experience the reality of [...]
I received a good question from Missions Catalyst e-Magazine. Shane Bennett writes,
So, how have you seen short-termers transformed into long-termers? I’m thinking of good examples in which sharp people end up in significant, well-fitting roles. I’m imagining non-manipulative methods in which people are invited to recognize their gifts, are provided with proper stepping stones to [...]
As a missionary involved in Bible translation for the past 18 years, I was disappointed with the tone of the article “‘Packer’s Bible’ now bestseller” appearing in the BC Christian News, August 2007 Vol 27 #8 < http://www.canadianchristianity.com/bc/bccn/0807/01bible>. During the course of celebrating the growth in sales of the English Standard Verson (ESV) – a welcome [...]
It was while Karen and I were visiting the Bridal Veil waterfall outside of Hope that we discovered that we had neglected to bring our camera. For some people I know, this would have been reason to travel the 5 hours back home to get it. However, we have always been apathetic (or [...]
At the beginning of August Karen and I visited the Bridal Veil waterfall outside of Hope. At the foot of the falls there is a fenced off area for observers with a large “CAUTION†sign warning people to keep back and enjoy the falls from a distance. The falls are beautiful – almost [...]
“That’s just NOT right!” exclaimed a woman in a Bible study I was conducting. The object of her disapproval was Naomi’s instructions for Ruth to approach Boaz while he was sleeping (see Ruth 3). She was correct in that she recognized the inappropriateness of such an action within our society. She was incorrect because she failed to recognize [...]
Every now and again I hear the phrase “how many people have you led to the Lord?” The meaning of this evangelical lingo is “how many people have committed their lives to Christ under your guidance as you have explained the gospel message?” Although my desire is for people to commit their lives [...]
One of the primary responsibilities of the cross-cultural Christian worker is to discover how God’s revelation of himself in both the written word (the Bible) and the living Word (Jesus) resonates with the cultural group with whom she or he is developing a relationship. In our ministry among the Sindhi people, we discovered that [...]
A number of years ago after delivering a sermon I was rebuked by a young woman. It would be nice to say that this was a unique occurrence, but unfortunately, such is not the case. I had made some disparaging remarks about the "Four Spiritual Laws," a tract that provides a four step understanding [...]
In The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), Joseph R. Myers challenges evangelicals to think creatively about how people belong. He utilizes the work done by Edward Hall explaining that there are four “spaces†or levels of connecting in which people relate and commit: Public, Social, Personal [...]
What is the appropriate relationship of a Christian to a local church? How should followers of Christ “belong”? This is an important consideration when ministering cross-culturally, because cultural forms shape the way people understand “belonging”. For example, a helpful, if somewhat simplistic, diagram is provided to demonstrate three levels of relationships in which people experience [...]
My wife, Karen, and I belong to a Bible study connected with our church with participants who are extremely diverse in their Christian faith. One person saw God as a finite being who came into existence at the Big Bang. Another refers to himself as a “lapsed Catholic” who views God as an impersonal force. [...]
How do people belong? This is an important issue in missions, particularly for a church planting mission such as Fellowship International Ministries: What does it mean to belong to a church? There are many different ways to express and value belonging, and these vary from culture to culture. A college student from Azerbaijan informed me [...]
Is it just me or has the concept of “belonging†to a church become more fluid lately? I remember growing up in a churched context and it was very obvious who was “in†and who was “outâ€. Membership was an important concept and there was a sense that unless a [...]
Just what is a church missions team expected to do? Because of the way church missions has developed in recent years this question has become increasingly important for those who desire to be effective mission mobilizers. In some churches the missions committee’s primary role consists of passing on the prayer letters of missionaries to the [...]
What is culture? There is a current debate (National Post, March 2-, 2007) about whether fashion should be classified as culture, with implications for government funding. Canada has policies promoting “multiculturalism.” I have read books and heard sermons concerning the need for Christians to remain separate from “the prevailing culture.” These diverse nuances of the [...]
I have been spending some time interviewing pastors and key missions committee personnel to discover the areas they would like to improve in the area of missions One frustration that a number of people expressed is in knowing how and when they are to keep mission agencies and missionaries accountable. One pastor provided the following [...]
People committed to supporting cross-cultural missions, whether locally or globally, recognize the essential role of missionaries who have dedicated years to learn the culture and language of a particular people group. It is through their expertise that bridges for the gospel are discovered and churches planted. However, missions mobilizers serving in churches are often frustrated [...]
The prodigal son had shamed his father, shamed his family and shamed his religion. As the crowd listened to Jesus reach the climax of the story with the father running towards the son, some of the listeners – those who had shamed their religion through compromise with the Romans, [...]
At a recent seminar a pastor posed the question: “What is the difference between multi-ethnic and multi-cultural?” Ethnicity primarily refers to group identity arising from a common history, kinship and language. Culture refers to the way members of a particular ethnic group relate to their environment and each other. This includes legends, laws, priorities, structures, [...]
I have come to appreciate the fact that the writers of New Testament did not provide a definition of the church. There does not exist a transcultural form, liturgy or practice by which a church can be identified and classified. Instead we are given powerful metaphors such as the body of Christ, or the bride [...]
During my last visit to Pakistan for Bible translation I was rechecking the Psalms with our main translator, GMA. A verse that warranted a correction in the translation was Psalm 135:5 that read in part, “I know that God is great.” GMA commented that this was "weak" because a statement of knowledge or information may [...]
A friend of mine discovered that he was suffering from what he termed a spiritual "Stockholm syndrome", the phenomenon of kidnapped victims bonding with their captors as they look desperately for mercy or an act of kindness. In his previous evangelical faith a dark shadow of hell made my friend hungry for any indication of [...]
The locker room is an essential part of the culture of sport. It is an environment charged with team bonding, encouraging speeches and correcting rebukes, practical strategizing, the repair of both cuts and wounded egos, relief from the pressure of the game, the enjoyment of physical and mental refreshment, the adjustment and sharpening of equipment. [...]
