Recommended Books
Cross-Cultural Partnership: Navigating the Complexities of Money and Mission
(Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2010). An outstanding book addressing the vitally significant and oftentimes thorny cultural issues concerning money which are inherent in cross-cultural partnerships. The book is divided into four parts: 1) Core Cultural Concepts, 2) Uprooting the Harmful, 3) Partnering in Better Ways, and 4) Redeeming Conflict. The book is highly readable, practical, and full of biblical and missiological wisdom.
Author Mary Lederleitner is an Researcher, Trainer and Consultant for Wycliffe Global Alliance, and was part of the COSIM Resource Team for 5 years. Her focus is best practices and issues related to cross-cultural ministry and partnerships. She is also actively engaged in creating adult church mission curriculum to better equip and empower people for cross-cultural ministry. She is pursuing a Ph.D. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide
(Mission ONE Resources, Scottsdale, AZ, 2010). Ideal for a six-week small group study, The Beauty of Partnership equips followers of Christ to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for healthy cross-cultural partnerships. This resource helps individuals, church groups, and mission teams to develop effective cross-cultural relationships … while reducing misunderstanding, confusion, or wasted money. With The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide believers discover how these three qualities—godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence—work together for ministry success. Designed on the basis of adult learning theory, the study incorporates a variety of readings from partnership practitioners, missions educators, and culture experts. Included is a Discussion Guide DVD.
Author Werner Mischke has served on the COSIM Resource Team since 2004. He is Executive Vice President and Director of Training Ministries for Mission ONE, a long-time COSIM member.
When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor—and Yourself
(Chicago: Moody Press, 2009). This book combines sound theology, solid research, foundational principles, and proven strategies that prepare you for Christian transformational ministry among the poor, whether in the local community or abroad. Churches and individual Christians often have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty—assumptions that many times lead to ministry strategies that do considerable harm to poor people as well as to themselves. When Helping Hurts addresses these assumptions and offers several principles and strategies for poverty alleviation, including—the distinction between relief, rehabilitation, and development—and the difference between asset-based and needs-based strategies.
Author Daniel Rickett, PhD, is founder or The Daniel Rickett Group, a missions consulting firm specializing in cross-cultural partnership. Dr. Rickett was one of the co-founders of COSIM, and served on the steering committee for the first COSIM conference in 1996. He now serves as Executive Vice President of She Is Safe.
Well Connected: Releasing Power, Restoring Hope Through Kingdom Partnerships
(Waynesboro: Authentic Media, 2005). While this book deals with partnership in general (not only cross-cultural partnerships), it is a truly comprehensive book in covering the principles and practices of Christian ministry partnerships. (Visit: www.powerofconnecting.net)
Author Phil Butler is the founder of Vision Synergy and has been a pioneer in the partnership movement for the last 40 years.