As I had said in a previous post, I would like to briefly blog through each chapter of the book Cross-Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer. This is more as a review for me of these ideas as it is to share with you, but I hope that you too will be encouraged by it.
Chapter One is entitled, “Servanthood: Its Burden and Challenge.” In it, Elmer highlights that serviing cross-cultural ministry is about more than just task effectiveness. Missionaries are sent do to a job, but serving is to more than just complete the task. The focus of this book is to expose the relational and adjustment factors that critical to truly serving others unlike us.
In this brief introductory chapter, he mentIoned that an attitude of superiority and lack of cultural understanding are the two factors that lead well-meaning missionaries to not be perceived as servants by the people they so desire to serve.
The book is broken up into three parts. Part One is a discussion of the nature of servanthood, Part Two is a description of the process of servanthood, and Part Three deals with the implications for servanthood as we fulfill various capacities in ministry.
This is great. I need to read this book, but don't have it so I'll just read your commentary! Not sure I'll get all I need out of it this way, but it's sure nice. =)
Posted by: Tammy Brouwer | 16 May 2011 at 06:23 PM
Tammy, it is a great book. It is on Kindle too. You can check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Cultural-Servanthood-Christlike-Humility-ebook/dp/B001IDYHH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1305623533&sr=1-1
Posted by: Dan Eads | 17 May 2011 at 12:16 PM