Tag: ministry

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Honor, Missiology, Resources, Shame No Comments Tagged with , , , ,
The latest issue of the Lausanne Global Analysis includes my article “Honor & Shame in God’s Mission.” This short primer (1,600 words) is available online for free, so functions as a 5-minute introduction to honor-shame. The article explains: (1) the meaning of honor & shame, …

Lausanne Article: “Honor & Shame in God’s Mission” Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Communication, Evangelism, Ministry, Missiology, Resources 4 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Biblical writers communicated God’s honor for the shamed through stories. Narratives recount how God saves his people from disgrace and displays honor.Here is a story set of 30 biblical narratives that address honor and shame. For a more complete list , …

Set of 30 Bible Stories about Honor & Shame Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Communication, Honor, Relationships, Resources, Shame, Spirituality, Theology No Comments Tagged with , , , ,
Why learn about honor and shame? Here are four benefits.1. HermeneuticsI once saw a Turkish person read Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15). He read the opening verse about the son asking for his inheritance, closed the Bible, and declared, “That …

4 Benefits of Learning about Honor & Shame Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, leadership, Ministry 1 Comment Tagged with , , , ,
Patricia Toland (Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies, Biola University) has served in Africa and Latin America since 1990 mobilizing the Latino church and training Latino Missionaries. She also lectures, trains, and ministers internationally to missionaries on the field and in universities.Church …

Honor & Patronage Among Church Leaders Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, ethics, Ministry, Relationships, Resources 1 Comment Tagged with , , ,
For people to understand, you must speak their language. Obvious, huh?But most Westerners ignore this basic rule of communication in their cross-cultural relationships. To meaningfully communicate love and honor to people, we must use the cultural “grammar” of honor-shame in …

6 Keys for Relationships in Honor-Shame Cultures Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Culture, Evangelism, Jesus, Ministry, Missiology, Relationships, Theology 4 Comments Tagged with , ,
A conversation with a young Central Asian Muslim changed my theology forever.We were having a conversation about God, and there was an open door to share the gospel, so I said something like, “Your sins make you guilty before God, …

3 Tips for Evangelism in Honor-Shame Cultures Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Honor, Ministry, Missiology, NT, OT, Resources, Shame, Theology 1 Comment Tagged with , , , , , ,
My latest book Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials (InterVarsity Press) is now available.This 270-page book equips Christians to proclaim and embody the gospel in honor-shame contexts. Our aim was simple: to show how honor-shame is central …

New Book: Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures (IVP) Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Culture, salvation, Shame 2 Comments Tagged with , , , ,
“Honor // Shame” is a powerful devotional video. Since it is just 2-minutes long and well-edited, it could nicely introduce a Bible study or sermon. Broaching the topic of shame can be uncomfortable, so why not outsource the dirty work with a quality video!Produced by Ricky Diaz and Luis Espino, …

Honor-Shame Devotional Video (2-min) Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, Jesus, NT, Relationships 6 Comments Tagged with , ,
This post is part of the online conversation “Leading and Ministering in Honor-Shame Contexts” in April 2016. Click here to read reflections and insights from mission practioners. In many countries, patronage is the de facto socio-economic system.Patronage can be defined as “a reciprocal relationship between unequals.” The …

To Be, or Not To Be … a Patron? Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Culture, Honor, Missiology No Comments Tagged with ,
This post is part of the online conversation “Leading and Ministering in Honor-Shame Contexts” in April 2016. Click here to read reflections and insights from mission practioners. Honor-shame cultures share something in common with wine. They both have terroir—a unique flavor depending on the context. Honor …

The Different Faces of Honor-Shame Cultures Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Evangelism, Honor, News, Theology 5 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Bruce Sidebotham (D.Min., New Geneva Theological Seminary) spent 7 years doing cross-cultural ministry in Indonesia. He directs the ministry called Operation Reveille that helps service personnel with cross-cultural relations. Why do Muslims attempt to defend the honor of Islam against insults? Amidst the …

Why Muslims Defend God’s Honor Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, Honor, Ministry, Missiology, Relationships, Resources, Shame, Sin, Spirituality 2 Comments Tagged with , , , ,
What is addiction? How is addiction healed? This new TED talk—“Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong”—connects these questions about addiction to shame and honor (granted, it uses language besides “honor” and “shame” to do so). Research shows …

An Answer for Addiction Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, Evangelism, Honor, Ministry, Resources 2 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Last month, I heard this story from Bob Lupton, founder of Focus Community Strategies and author of Toxic Charity. Their ministry adopted a “Toys for Tots” drive during the holidays. Churches would gather presents, then bring them to people in …

How to Give Aid…Without Shaming Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Honor, Ministry, Missiology, Relationships 3 Comments Tagged with , ,
Our previous post introduced the idea of restorative justice. Here are three applications of restorative justice. 1-Cross-Cultural Relationships Here is a common scenario Western missionaries face: When I confronted a national believer over the problem of _________, he felt shamed and …

3 Ways To Apply Restorative Justice Read more »