Video Transcript: Navigating Cultural Differences

Abby - Host Minister training, navigating the cultural differences.  

Henry - Yes, very important, because you know, and this may not be where you  sail. You may not do cross cultural host ministries, but if you did, we want to at  least hear some of those. So, you know, a little bit this is yes.  

Abby - So host ministers are going to have to navigate cultural differences, you  know, especially if you are doing, like you said, a more cross cultural  experience. So you want to create an environment of love and acceptance,  where you have communication and it's Christ centered unity. So the objectives,  how do we understand that impact of cultural diversity in the hosting  environment, learning strategies for navigating it with grace, developing  communication skills to bridge any cultural gaps, and again, creating that  inclusive environment that respects the guests customs and beliefs, as well as  as your own  

Henry - number one, understanding cultural backgrounds. Well, it really what's  important to one culture. The values is not necessarily in culture or important to  another. Each culture has unique values that shape communication and  behavior. Adapt your hospitality to reflect respect for the guests cultural values.  So let's talk about that just real briefly. So what are examples of things that are  different in this culture that we would have, let's say the United States, and let's  say a culture that somebody would experience in someone fleeing from an  Islamic country, and they somehow become a refugee, and they're now in your  home. Okay? So there are so many things that are real and abiding that in our  culture we would think nothing of. Now, here's an example. The our modesty  concept would be probably very different, right? For someone coming. Yeah,  yes. So it may be that you may even ask, So, how do people dress in your in,  what do you feel comfortable with,  

Abby - right? Even like, What's What are you comfortable with? Is in pajama  time, even, you know, again, if you're in that shared home environment, you  know,  

Henry - it's just a little thing, but there, there could be so many more that you  know that at even terminology and specific roles, you know, each culture has a  different understanding of that. And if you're allergic to people that don't believe  in values, like you. This is maybe not a ministry for you, because these types of  things will come up, and they're very common.  

Abby - Yeah. And then again, the religious and spiritual practices you're going to communicate your home's Christian values. But again, if you're hosting a guest 

who has a different religious belief, you know you want to be able to show some  respect for what their maybe practices are as well. And  

Henry - that doesn't mean you don't do your typical habit of devotions and  prayer, but it does mean to say, you know, this is a Christian household, and we  go to church if you're interested to find out more about the Bible, about God,  how we understand it, we'd love to get into more details, yeah,  

Abby - community creating across cultures. So the verbal communications  deduce vary between cultures. You know, I've heard you talk before, because  we have different like language programs. You know, certain cultures are way  more blunt and direct, and they say it how it is more so where other cultures that would come across really offensively, like your Chinese culture, right,  

Henry - right? Like we come, we come from the low culture. Now, what does  that mean? That being said, Abby pretty much can say anything to me about  what she feels about something. What about leadership? When we work  together here at Christian leaders Institute, she can just like, blurt out, even  though I am her elder in the low culture, we don't, I don't get offended, or I don't  expect her to, you know, not bring up a subject, or I expect her to be blunt. Okay, now, loving, right and fair, teachable, humble,  

Abby - something I say might to someone else be like, I'm being offensive to  you. Yeah. How  

Henry - can you talk to your father like that, the way I you know, and you're  talking in a way that defines and maybe that's just our Dutch culture background is much more in that way. But other places on Earth, it's you are very respectful.  Well, if someone comes into your home and you have a clash in culture in that  way, you may say, Hey, here's in our culture. We typically be are very blunt,  yeah, okay. How does your culture work with that?  

Abby - Do you sort of hear, and it creates an opportunity that for you to discuss  those things and then to have better understanding of each other. As you go into this host, minister and guest relationship,  

Henry - you'll notice the non verbal communication. Non verbal cues vary  between cultures, and just learn how to respect their cultural norms. One thing is very good to do is to research the culture. And on YouTube today, you can  

Abby - do that exactly. We have so many resources available to us so that you  know you can really try your best to learn how you could respect the cultural 

norm. I had watched on Snapchat. There was like this, guessing who was from  Native American background or not. And so the people that were interviewed  were asking questions. They would ask this question, I never even heard of that. And then the person they're talking like, yeah, yeah, he's like, oh, yeah, you're  Native American. Then, because you know what this is, or that is. And so it's just fascinating that, again, you could go and look up those things and learn so much about the culture so that it can help you respect it more in this relationship.  

Henry - So recently, we had our Arabic Minister Shant over for a whole week,  where we hosted him at our home, and we had a really enjoyable time, but we  were constantly laughing at the cultural differences. He said he's never been in  a Dutch home, because we're like, time is this next thing? We do this, and we,  

you know, it's like, there's like, oh, we have this still time to do this. And there  was an even conversations were like, boom, boom, boom. Whereas, you know,  in his culture, there's more narrative, there's story, you know, and he says it's so  he then he enjoyed it, and I enjoyed his culture, but we were transparent and  self aware  

Abby - discussion about the differences. So trying to foster that environment in  the relationship can be really helpful. There might be different dietary customs  and preferences, so making sure you're asking about that, being aware of that,  and then being able to know to try to accommodate those dietary needs. I mean, some  

Henry - people honestly cannot eat the food that you like. Okay, so that's all  going to be part of a cultural discussion,  

Abby - absolutely handling cultural misunderstanding. So you know that that  might still happen. Maybe, you know, you do your best to vet it out, but then your spouse, like is fumbling the cultural understanding. So how are you going to,  again, address and handle these misunderstandings with humility and just clear  communication and, you know, again, trying to get that comfort level based on  how you're able to resolve these conflicts across the cultures.  

Henry - You know, I've noticed that in general, to not take yourself too seriously.  And if you don't take yourself too seriously and laugh at your own fumbles, they  will laugh with you. But if you take yourself very serious, then they almost feel  like they have to take themselves  

Abby - very straight, and that can create more of a tight and, yeah, it's  Henry - like learning how to just smile, right? 

Abby - So if you haven't taken a people smart course with us, that's a good one  to take as you go to do this, host, Minister, it gets even more into some of those  topics. Yes, very good. Celebrating the cultural diversity, you know, asking  guests to share their culture, you know, even asking them to cook a meal  sometime, asking them to share what they would do on a Saturday, you know,  night as a family, or whatever that would be  

Henry - they would want to cook for you. Yeah, and then that  

Abby - promotes the unity in that diversity. And, you know, again, there's that  Bible verse on about, you know, all of our diversities is what brings us together  as the Body of Christ. And so, kind of see that theme in Scripture. I mean, even  as who Jesus chose as his disciples. I mean, they were so, you know, you've  got a tax collector, you've got them all over the different spectrums, and they  come together and need to be this cohesive group of 12, you know. And so, you  know, it's a really cool opportunity to really emphasize the unity that we can  have in Christ, even with such cultural differences. So yeah, building that cultural and inclusive ministry where you can approach these cultural differences with  humility, communicate clearly to avoid those misunderstandings, and again, just  keep fostering that environment of unity  

Henry - that was the early church. The early church found a way by the Holy  Spirit to cross economic barriers, to cross religious barriers, to cross  occupational barriers, to cross political barriers and the tool was loving  hospitality. It's incredible. So hey, what fun,