Contact Mark Naylor at mark.naylor@twu.ca for further information. All workshops, seminars and interactive programs are available to our FEBBC/Y on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland upon request and dependent upon Mark’s schedule.  There is no fee attached to these programs, although there may be some incidental costs.

Resolving Intercultural Conflicts

Gleaned from the experiences of a number practitioners and study of intercultural church settings and based on an understanding of power distance, this workshop explores methods of overcoming those intercultural tensions that can hamper a church from becoming all that God intends.

Read the Cross-Cultural Impact article: Resolving Intercultural Conflicts

Please contact mark.naylor@twu.ca for further information.

 Nurturing Intercultural Health in the Church

One of our initiatives to service our churches is the development of a workshop that introduces people to the dynamics of intercultural relationships and provides direction to deal effectively with the inevitable tensions that occur in a multiethnic environment. This workshop is a good first step for both churches that are seeking ways to deepen intercultural relationships within the congregation as well as providing a platform for greater cooperation between monoethnic churches that have different cultural orientation. The workshop is offered to church leadership and interested members upon request.

The 4 hour workshop which includes stimulating interaction between the members of the ethnic groups represented is divided into two parts:

• Part 1: Understanding Cultural Dynamics
• Part 2: Discovering your own cultural orientation

Download an introduction to the Cultural Orientation Workshop.

Principles for effective Cross-Cultural outreach

Utilizing some of the material of the Cultural orientation workshop described above, this workshop explores effective means of cross-cultural outreach. The implications for Gospel communication are explored for a variety of cultural distinctives. 

In addition to the workshop, coaching for those reaching out cross-culturally is also provided.  A number of significant steps are required to develop a team which is effective in cross-cultural ministry: clarifying a vision, choosing a team, strategizing for involvement and accountability, receptor sensitivity training, etc.  Grassroots evangelistic methods such as the SISI system are explored and utilized.

Contact mark.naylor@twu.ca for details.

Intercultural Dynamics in the Church

How is effective church leadership developed in a multiethnic context? How can cultural tensions in the church be resolved? What are the dynamics of a multi-ethnic church? What are the effective models for multi-ethnic churches?

Download Mark’s article on Setting an Intercultural Agenda for your Church, from the Northwest publication Being Church: Explorations in Christian Community, edited by Dr Larry Perkins, 2007.

Intercultural Church Dynamics. Based on the above mentioned article and a case study of a successful intercultural church in our Fellowship of churches, a seminar has been prepared to consider how a church can  be intentional in becoming sensitive to intercultural issues.  While not promoting one model over other models, the seminar points out that the cultural tensions and issues facing all multi-ethnic churches are especially highlighted in this model and provides explanation and analysis of how these issues were overcome to provide healthy multicultural leadership within a congregation that reflects the surrounding community.

Download a handout outlining the content of the seminar.

Portfolio of Cross-Cultural Experiences
Develop a Portfolio of Cross-Cultural Experiences with a small group from your church.

The “Portfolio of Cross Cultural Experiences” is an entry level program of experiences that allows church members of all ages explore diverse aspects of cross-cultural ministry. Many of us are living in multi-ethnic settings without recognizing the significance and depth of our differences. Stepping into the context of other ethnic groups can help develop an appropriate empathy towards other cultures as well as prevent those misunderstandings and judgments that cause mistrust and fear. These experiences can also stimulate the desire to be more involved in God’s mission to the world. This guided and reflective approach recognizes the current desire in many churches to provide people with hands-on cross-cultural experiences. The academic demands are minimal with a greater focus on growing through experience and cohort interaction.

Download the Portfolio of Cross-Cultural Experiences Brochure

Think Like a Missionary: Putting Missional in your Church’s Vision

This workshop walks the church through the implications of “the missional church” in shaping a church’s vision.  This workshop encourages stimulating and thought provoking discussion for those congregations looking to shape their particular identity and vision.

Download the Think like a Missionary workshop handout

Read the Cross-Cultural Impact articles on the Missional Church:

• Not Just Business as Usual
• The Missional Priority
• Biblical Perspectives
• Missional Scholarship
• Rescuing "Missional"
• Centered vs Bounded Churches

Read the article on the Missional Church published in the Evangelical Baptist’s "Let’s Talk Theology": Swimming in the Rapids

Other Lectures / Seminars available to Churches

Cross-cultural ministry:

• Church planting cross-culturally
• Cross-cultural evangelism
• Living in a Pluralist Context
• Intercultural communication
• Implications of the “missional church” for cross-cultural church planting