Communicating Christ within the context of another language and culture is a huge and daunting task. Learn the skills that will enhance your ability to engage with those who God has allowed you to know and serve. Employ these skills as you share the love of Jesus and ultimately make disciples for his glory.
Semester 1
Relationship Principles: Study the dynamics of interpersonal relationships from a biblical perspective. Focus on the attitudes, characteristics and qualities necessary to have positive relationships among your team members.
Teamwork: The Bible emphasizes team based ministry. Learn the principles of teamwork from a biblical perspective.
Time & Money Management: Effective time management is a crucial skill in ministry. Learn to manage this nonrenewable resource through identifying life priorities and establishing goals which are critical aspects of the missionary’s task.
Essentials for Cross-Cultural Learning: Learn the tenets of culture and language learning that will build a solid foundation for developing strong relationships and engaging others both in our home contexts and in other cultures.
Form and Meaning: Examine the relationship between form and meaning and it’s necessity in being relevant in cross-cultural ministry. Learn about the emphasis on the forms used and the meanings communicated within Bible translation.
Learning Styles: Discover the unique ways in which you receive, process and communicate information. Enrich your teamwork skills by exploring the distinctive learning differences and difficulties that exist among us all.
Cross-Cultural Communication: Study the cultural differences in communication and the potential problem areas that need to be addressed in order to communicate clearly and effectively. Focus on the importance of learning the target culture and language as a prerequisite for an effective ministry with a specific group of people.
Semester 2
Sounds and Symbols: Discover the diversity of sounds that make up human speech. Learn to describe and control the speech apparatus. Develop the ability to consistently reproduce and write the sounds from any language.
Phonemics: An alphabet is the foundation for a translation of the Bible. Learn the process of developing a usable writing system for use in a language previously unwritten.
Grammar: All verbal communication is made up of words organized into grammatical structures. Explore the diversity of these structures and learn to describe them and use them to communicate in a new language.
Semester 3
Culture and Language Acquisition Techniques: Apply basic techniques of language acquisition in a real learning situation. Employ methods of investigating culture and reach a beginning level of communication in a new language during this practicum.
Families in Ministry II: Examine cultural influences on parenting, making transitions and dealing with unexpected interruptions as they relate to educational planning and parenting overseas.