Ethical Storytelling
Everyone who has been to China, or met a Christian from China, or read or heard something about Christians in China, has a story to tell. But no one has the whole story.
Cross-Cultural
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Skills No Longer Needed
Re-entering a country that is “home” can be confusing. There is an unlearning—a releasing of some of the strategies that were only needed in a place with different rules and ways of living. We do not return as people who have stayed as we were before we left. There are things to shed; there are things to keep.
Hui Weddings, Funerals, and Other Rites of Passage
Rites of passage are supposed to be passed through—they serve as gateways to the next stage of life. Yet too many of our Hui friends see them as closed doors, barriers to entering new life in Christ.
Reverse Culture Shock
Having been back in Australia for a few months now, we have well and truly entered the stage of transition that follows the initial happy honeymoon phase—and have plunged down on the reverse culture shock curve.
A Positive Legacy in China
While insensitive cross-cultural work has often resulted in closed doors or deportation, sensitive and authentic cross-cultural work has time and again won over the hearts of the Chinese people.
Hui Food, Clothes, and Greetings
How did you feel the first time you visited a “foreigner’s” home? Were you nervous? Did you find yourself wondering what to wear, what food would be served, and whether to bring a gift? Perhaps you are more often the host. How do you help your cross-cultural guests feel at ease?
Partnership with a Purpose
Partnership is for a limited time as the national church learns to tap into previously unnoticed local resources. A successful partnership takes time and trust.
Drawing Boundaries amidst Ambiguity
What is the most important thing I would want someone going to China to know?
China Ministry and Transformational Development (1)
The experiences of the few remaining expatriate cross-cultural workers in China suggest that while we are not at the end of Christian development work in China, we are confronted with a substantially different ministry context.
Historical Context Matters
As we stop to listen, as we hear the Chinese people’s stories, as we discover for ourselves Chinese history, as we put ourselves in China’s shoes, the Chinese context and therefore their practices and worldview become more understandable.
Understanding the Challenges of Cross-cultural Workers from China
A PhD dissertation analyzing the experiences of cross-cultural workers sent from China is now available in Chinese.
China’s Ambassadors of Christ—Chinese Version
China’s Ambassadors of Christ to the Nations by Tabor Laughlin was published in 2020 by Pickwick Publications, an imprint of Wipf and Stock, as part of their Evangelical Missiological Society Monograph series.
The book is based on Laughlin’s PhD dissertation analyzing the experiences of missionaries sent out from mainland China and delves into the cross-cultural challenges they face and other issues affecting their ability to remain on the mission field.
A Chinese translation of the original dissertation is now available.