Discussion Questions

1. What are some steps you can take to discover the cultural values of the people among whom you will serve?
2. What are positive reasons for cultures to value indirect communication in dealing with conflict?
3. What are some proverbs that express North American values about time? List as many as you can (e.g., “A stitch in time saves nine”).
4. Imagine someone arriving one to two hours late for an appointment. How would you respond? What can you do now to prepare for the different ways your new culture might handle time?
5. What to you imagine people of collective cultures think of individualist missionaries who come to serve them? What can you do to overcome some of the stereotypes?
6. Identify biblical verses that relate to either individualism or collectivism. Do you think that God favors one more than the other? If so, which one and why?
7. What are some of the things you do as a normal member of your home culture that people in other cultures might misunderstand?

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