Discussion Reply: Cultural Intelligence and Gospel Communication (GLST)
Read Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love with People of Other Cultures by Chang (Chapters 6,7,8, and 9)
Read Chapters 6 and 7 of Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success by Livermore, David
Prompt Steven: For context, I am not currently in full-time ministry. I serve at my local church and go to school full time in preparation to become a military chaplain. Chaplains have a very diverse role; according to Pauletta Otis, “The U.S. military chaplaincy is the embodiment of pluralistic cooperation among religious faiths that serve in defense of the people and government of the United States.”[1] She goes on to say that “As military members, chaplains are uniquely positioned to assist Service members, their families, and other authorized personnel with the challenges of military service as advocates of spiritual, moral, and ethical maturity and resiliency.”[2] With this background information, I hope anyone unfamiliar with military chaplaincy has a better idea of this ministry.
Livermore states, “The first part of CQ strategy is using our cultural understanding (CQ Knowledge) to plan for an interaction or project taking place in a different cultural environment.”[3] Tim and Ashley Chang emphasize contextualization, which they define as “finding the form best suited for sharing the Gospel within each culture—the idea being that not every local culture has to have the same religious organizational structures, architectural schemes, or rituals.”[4] With all of this in mind, it is essential to have good CQ Knowledge to have a better CQ Strategy.
As I continue to learn about Cultural (and Christian Cultural) Intelligence, I am encouraged and look forward to becoming a chaplain and having the opportunity to minister to many service members from all different walks of life. Aside from sharing the gospel with service members, it can be a chaplain’s responsibility to report “information on the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of the local population (in a combatant or noncombatant area).”[5] Of course, sharing any knowledge of another culture can only happen when one has some cultural intelligence. Using CQ Knowledge will not only help me with potential job requirements but will also help me grow to understand other cultures and how I could potentially minister to these neighbors. Understanding that CQ Knowledge is the first part of CQ Strategy is essential because, as Livermore states, “your cultural understanding servers as your GPS for navigating new terrain.”[6]
Finally, coming up with a plan and learning something new will be challenging. But as Chang states, “it’s not our own strength that gets us through. The truth in our circumstances lies in the fact that God is always there.”[7]
[1] Pauletta Otis, “Understanding the Role and Influence of U.S. Military Chaplains,” in Military Chaplains in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Beyond: Advisement and Leader Engagement in Highly Religious Environments, ed. Eric Patterson (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2014), 19.
[2] Ibid., 19-20.
[3] David Livermore, Leading With Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success (New York, NY: AMACOM, 2015) 138.
[4] Tim & Ashley Chang, Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love with People of Other Cultures. (Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company, 2021) 110.
[5] Jason Klocek and Ron E. Hassner, “Contemporary Challenges and Future Opportunities for U.S. Chaplains” in Military Chaplains in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Beyond: Advisement and Leader Engagement in Highly Religious Environments, ed. Eric Patterson (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2014), 206.
[6] Livermore, 139.
[7] Chang, 124.
Prompt Sarah: Cultural intelligence (CQ) is defined as “the capability to function effectively across national, ethic, and organizational cultures[1] There are four main markers of cultural intelligence, they are: CQ Drive, CQ Knowledge, CQ Strategy and CQ Action. Those categories can be more simply described as motivation, cognition, metacognition, and behavior respectively.[2] “Cultural intelligence is a learned capability that builds on the other forms of intelligence needed by today’s leaders. Just as leaders can grow in their social, emotional, and technical competence, they can grow in their ability to effectively lead across various ethnic and organizational cultures.”[3]
Chang and Chang provided readers several very practical, and powerful information regarding intercultural communication. This is a helpful for every believer who desires to respond to the call to participate in the complete the Great Commission. Chang and Chang offer five major concepts that encapsulate the very essence of intercultural communication. They are as follows, Contextualization, Managing Conflict, Practicing Genuine Love, Paying the Ultimate Sacrifice, and Leaving before It’s Too Late.[4] These five concepts have influenced how ministry has been done in the past and will be done in the future. Chang stated, “The word contextualization described a practice where missionaries became one with the local people by eating their food, wearing their clothes, and even identifying the Gospel with the local history and culture. Contextualization should cover as many aspects of culture as possible.”[5] Concerning missions, it is most effective to graph yourself into the culture you wish to share the gospel with when wanting to grow in intercultural matters.
When I first started in ministry full time, I started by working in college ministry before taking on any larger roles. This was in part to get my feet wet in ministry and learn how to adapt to the different environment and culture found on a college campus. When sharing the gospel with students or preaching during the campus ministry meeting, I tried to aim all of examples at things that college students like and could relate to. Being that I was concerned with making my words and sermons applicable for college students, I lost sight of three important things. They are my bible knowledge, life in prayer with God and that I knew how to listen for his voice for direction. I had contextualized myself so heavily into college ministry, that I had let that overcome the power of Christ, His Spirit, and Word. Dealing with college students, I learned very well how to manage conflict. Working with students, gave me many opportunities and helped me grow in genuine love, and to do my part in spreading the gospel to college students.
Although I loved my time serving in college ministry, the Lord made it clear I was not supposed to continue with it even when it was going well. Chang wrote, “people often serve admissions for several years, so regular small checkups and even occasional major ones can help you see the big picture. Checkups involve ensuring that we are continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”[6] These checkups helped me to not grow stagnant and made sure I was still where God wanted me. Obedience is more important than results or success. After all, we need to remember truth that, “You are my friends if you do what I command”[7] (John 15:14).
[1] David Livermore. Leading with Cultural Intelligence. (New York, NY: AMACOM, 2015), 4.
[2] Livermore, 30.
[3] Livermore, 40.
[4] Chang, Tim & Chang, Ashley E. Christian Intercultural Communication: How to Share God’s Love with People of Other Cultures. (Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt, 2021), 34.
[5] Chang and Chang, 67.
[6] Chang and Chang, 88.
