Cross Cultural Servanthood Summary

Cross-Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer has changed the way I view missions. From contextualization in a new culture, to resolving conflict in my own, this book has given me a new perspective on life in general. There are so many different aspects of Elmer’s book that positively affect me, however there is not enough room in a five-page paper for all of them. Thus, I have chosen a select few to feature here. Together, they create quite an interesting range of topics, however they are all tied to one common goal: promoting the Kingdom of God. In Cross-Cultural Servanthood, Duane Elmer discusses the many challenges of servanthood. One of the difficulties is contextualization. To contextualize is to put a phrase, idea, or action in perspective for another culture to understand without losing its original intent. As servants reaching out to various people groups, we need to have proper contextualization so that God’s message is not lost in transition from one culture to another. Elmer states, “The reality is that many of us want to serve from our own cultural context. That is, we believe that servanthood everywhere else probably looks like it does in our own culture”(2006, pg. 16-17). Unfortunately, servanthood is not the same from country to country, and neither is humility. …show more content…
“Openness is the ability to welcome people into your presence and make them feel safe”(Elmer, 2006, pg. 39). This also includes suspending judgement, having tolerance for uncertainty, keeping an open mind, and staying positive. Once openness has been reached, acceptance can begin. Acceptance was created by God. “Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (Romans 15:7 NLT). When Jesus came to earth, he accepted us exactly the way we are. So, in order to become servants, we also must keep an open mind and accept all His