June 24

Making Disciples Across Cultures: Missional Principles for a Diverse World (2015)
By Charles A Davis

This very insightful book is geared to missionaries working across cultures, but it is relevant for any church worker or volunteer.  While it's great to engage with those in other cultures, we sometimes fail to realize the cultural biases we bring into our own ministry or service.  The author worked for decades as a church planter in Venezuela, then as a leader of a mission agency, and he suggests ways Christian workers can rethink their ministries to allow for cultural differences and thus become more effective ministers of the Gospel.  He addresses many aspects of Christian leadership.  The chapters on "Disciples do what love requires" (Gospel-Truth vs Works-Justice) and "Leaders equip disciples for ministry" (Equippers/Ministers) were especially helpful to me.  Charlie is not afraid to cite examples of efforts that did not work (from which we can all learn), and he grounds each chapter in scripture.