A Digital Course by Mission ONE for Healthy Cross-Cultural Partnerships Through Missional Work
Our widely-respected thought leadership on cross-cultural partnerships has now been adapted from a study guide into this immersive digital course! This globally-endorsed material is now available to more people for the glory of God!
Cross-cultural missions can be challenging for many reasons. Aside from the logistics, budgeting, and coordination, we often see an enthusiastic, optimistic team deflated by cultural misunderstandings.
It’s possible that we can all share a story of how we've seen missions done wrong. At Mission ONE, we've spent over 30 years learning to listen, be humble, have integrity, and learn from our many indigenous partners. When cross-cultural partnerships are done well, God will use you for his glory and you will learn more than you teach.
We are so glad you’re here. If you are involved in or desire to be working in, cross-cultural missional work, you’re in the right place.
We believe in the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and that God has given each of us unique gifts, and a desire to help others and share the gospel across the world—for all people, for the glory of God.
But the approach to cross-cultural mission work involves more than just planning; in fact, there are certain aspects that may be overwhelming, and difficult to navigate.
That is where The Beauty of Partnership comes in.
This 6-week digital course is only $20 and is based on generations of thought leadership and expertise in cross-cultural partnerships. And now you have an easy way to learn this new skill as well as engage others as you grow together to help the world to be more like the Kingdom of God.
We are sharing the very practices Mission ONE has been using for over 30 years to bring you unique principles and practices for healthy cross-cultural partnerships. As followers of Jesus, we want to bring hope to families and communities across the street, and around the world—through the transforming gospel of Christ.
You’ll embark on a missional learning journey where you’ll gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes for building successful cross-cultural partnerships. Here’s what you can expect to learn:
- How to approach cross-cultural partnerships from a posture of service and humility, further developing your Godly character
- How to participate in the practice of empathic listening, which is listening from the heart rather than listening to respond
- How to develop trust via openness and acceptance
- How to distinguish either/or thinking from both/and thinking
- How to identify your own cultural style when compared to a majority-world partner
- How to develop the practices of healthy accountability between cross-cultural partners
- How to discover and apply the discipline of Appreciative Inquiry
Every church and missionary needs a team of partners praying for them, encouraging them, and supporting their work. But more than that, when the body of Christ collaborates in humility across social, cultural, racial, or national divides, we see a vivid contrast to the world’s many divisions and conflicts.
We see the beauty of the Lord embodied in cross-cultural relationships and partnerships.
What People Are Saying About This Course
“I highly recommend the Beauty of Partnership to leaders and pastors all over the world.”
–Dr Larry Reesor, President Global Focus
“If you want THE training manual for building and sustaining missional relationships, this is it.”
–Daniel Rickett, Ph.D, author of Making Your Partnership Work
“The Beauty of Partnership takes church missions leaders or short-term teams to a whole new level of readiness for effective collaboration with national brothers and sisters.”
–Ellen Livingood, President Catalyst Services
“The Beauty of Partnership is the best resource I've used to prepare intercultural mission team leaders. If you aspire to extraordinary partnerships or just want to process the ups and downs of your mission journey, the Beauty of Partnership is for you. The Beauty of Partnership lets scripture and the wise counsel of experts act as a sounding board for your own experience. It will foster rich group discussion, aha moments, and provide practical skills and competencies for intercultural service.”
–Dave Hunt VP International Operations, Partners International Canada
Are you ready to explore The Beauty of Partnership and...
- Take steps to build flourishing and healthy cross-cultural partnerships?
- Share the gospel of Christ in a way that brings honor and dignity to all people?
- Make communities more like the Kingdom of God, one at a time?
FAQ:
What Should I Expect from The Beauty of Partnership Course?
The Beauty of Partnership digital course is split into 6 modules, each with a specific lesson or task to be completed each day in that week, making the learning journey a six-week-long course. Each module has a video lesson to watch first and then reflection and activities to be completed throughout the week. Some of the activities are readings that are provided, and others ask you to engage with people in your life to practice the principles of the course. Content can either be completed inside the digital course platform, or you may download and print the assignments to work on them offline throughout the week.
How much time should I plan on dedicating to the course?
Some daily lessons can be done in 15 to 20 minutes. Others may require about an hour, which includes reading time. So overall, the course can be completed in about 18-24 hours total. We will encourage you to plan for additional small group time.
What if I want to go through this course with a group of people?
We love group learning and encourage you to join or start a group for this course! The Beauty of Partnership has the ability for you or someone else to lead a cohort of participants through the course, monitor their progress, and be notified once they’ve completed the course. We also provide a facilitator’s guide on how to effectively lead a group through the course content. This is perfect for Mission’s Pastors and others who want to require the course as a prerequisite for going on a mission trip. If you're interested in leading a group through The Beauty of Partnership, please email [email protected], and someone from our team will get in touch with you shortly.
You may also download our Facilitator's Guide which will help you effectively lead your group through the material.