December 12, 2023
Mark Hedinger
At our core, CultureBound is about two things: teaching, and seeing the gospel enter every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
CultureBound’s mission starts with this question: what is needed to advance the gospel? Our core activity is therefore teaching or training those who share or receive the gospel everywhere.
Our work is modeled after what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:2 - that the things that Timothy had received should be entrusted to other faithful people who are able to teach yet others. Teaching involves content of what the gospel worker needs to know, and method of teaching, so it can be passed on to still others.
Teaching involves content of what the gospel worker needs to know, and method of teaching, so it can be passed on to still others.
How does that work for CultureBound?
CultureBound’s Content – ASK & How
CultureBound has a specific niche in the preparation of intercultural gospel workers. We teach people Attitude, Skills, and Knowledge to live and work and make disciples in an unfamiliar language and culture. We don’t do this so that the missionaries will be more comfortable (although that happens). Our goal is that Gospel workers will draw close to the people they have been sent to and will share the Bible’s truths in a language and life patterns that feel familiar to those people. Our goal is also for the audience to feel like they heard a message that was meant for them (it was!).
People doing gospel work in cultures and languages different than their own need to know a lot of content – the Bible; how to communicate well in their homeland; technical issues of getting a visa and travel. They need to know how to take care of themselves and their family – physically, spiritually, emotionally. We are grateful for the multitude of schools and training organizations that are part of preparation for work that crosses cultural and language borders.
What sets us apart from other organizations is our niche – the special area that we have honed over decades. We don’t teach culture and language. We teach how to be life-long learners of the culture and language of the people that are being reached. This includes the life habits of those they live among – patterns of cooking, of cleaning, of family life and health. Habits of speech and thought patterns and discerning what is beautiful, or ugly, to the people. We teach people how to be never-ending in their quest to excel in using the language of the people they are sent to.
CultureBound’s Methods – Teaching Made Practical and Agile
Our method is simple - we practice what we preach! There is no single method to teach people how to be learners of a culture or a language. Some people learn best from lectures while some like experience-based training. Some are skilled with the internet while others rely on face-to-face. At CultureBound, we value agility. So, we get to know the people and organizations we work with, and we teach in ways that fit their cultural patterns and personal preferences.
There is one requirement about our methods: mission work is life-on-life and actively involved. It is never just academic. Neither are we. Our methods train people in how to get involved with the people they are sent to, and to learn the culture and language of the people themselves. That is our niche. That is why CultureBound is here.
Mark Hedinger, DIS, is Executive Director of CultureBound. Mark and his family spent 12 years living and teaching in Mexico. Since then, he has taught in many international locations and leads culture training programs at CultureBound. With his Spanish language background, he serves in a multicultural church in Portland, Oregon.