Who is the expert content contributor?

This session was created with the help of Dr. Brenda Salter-McNeil. It incorporates several themes from her book A Credible Witness: Reflections on Power, Evangelism and Race. There are 72 short instructional videos by Dr. Salter-McNeil spread throughout the session.  

Emphasis of This Session

As America continues to become more ethnically-diverse, it is very likely that people of other ethnicities will move into your community.  How should you try to connect with these new neighbors?  Should you try to treat them just like you do people of your own ethnic group? Try to blend in with their cultural group?  Try to be "color blind" to their cultural differences?  This session explores these types of questions and helps trainees to understand the pros and cons of eight typical, cross-cultural mindsets.  It emphasizes Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4 as a model of how we should interact with people of other ethnicities.

What are the learning scenarios in this session about?

Our e-learning sessions are built around "learning scenarios"--fictional situations that are similar to the types of challenges that trainees can expect to face.  The main character in this session's learning scenarios is Jen, an Anglo (white) youth pastor in a predominantly white church.  Jen commits to going to a local park for seven weeks to try to meet some of the African American families that are moving into the neighborhood around her church.  During the seven weeks she tries a variety of different approaches to connecting with the women at the park--being passive, direct, honest, "color blind", blending in, etc.  Through the process she learns that connecting cross-culturally can be very difficult but, with Christ's power, it is possible.

What does the session contain?

• 62 learning scenario screens (each screen contains a picture and audio narration)
• 47 coaching videos (example below)
• 25 ask the expert videos
• 7 custom handouts which you can printout and use to remember the content and/or train others
• And more!

Can I see what the session looks like?

You can see screenshots of this session by clicking on the images in the top left corner.  To see one of our sessions in action please watch the instructional videos.

What does a coaching video look like?

This coaching video is on a learning scenario screen where the main character, Jen, has just made a good decision in her interaction with a woman of another ethnicity.

What have people said about the session?

Here are some of the comments we have received from trainees who have taken this session:

"An excellent tool to helps navigate the cross cultural chasm. I certainly would not hesitate to refer this tool to anyone looking for 'dos and don'ts' of racial reconciliation. Wish it was available years ago."

"The use of scripture in this training and the emphasis on prayer is superb."

"This e-learning program is a great tool for understanding the challenges and then giving steps toward building cross cultural relationships. The content will stimulate thinking and discussion for practical action. The "My Notes" and "Training Points" help to go beyond the video and comments."

"The videos with Dr. Brenda were spectacular. I really liked her encouragement to keep at it. A learning and safe environment was created in the video to make mistakes....which is what we all do in intercultural situations. Learning from the mistakes of the main character in the session was also helpful."

"The coaching videos were very informative and encouraging. I felt the questions at the end of the sessions were great as well. Having the different scenarios was helpful, not only to see how it plays out for Jen when choosing the wrong scenario, but how in the wrong scenario, how that affects the person that the statement is being targeted to."

"Many real life scenarios really grabbed the heart because I could see it and feel it happening to me. Could definitely relate to the situations."

"This e-session was most helpful and I kept thinking throughout the session how much I wish this would have been available when our family began our journey of racial reconciliation! I could identify with many of the thoughts and feelings presented and I think it's wonderful to now have a resource available to help others on their exciting journey in their 'Samaria's'!"

"I thought this was really great. I enjoy getting to pick how I thought it should go. What I really took from this was that even in a place where you don't feel like there is much opportunity to interact with a whole different culture, there usually is; you just have not looked for it."

"I have asked myself a lot of these same questions, but never found answers. Instead of just wondering what I should do in a situation, I can actually act with confidence and know of better ways to approach it."

"I thought the sessions were really nicely done. There were a lot of things that I thought would be appropriate to say that in reality my eyes were only fixed on myself. I think these really helped me to shift my paradigm on this type of situation."

How can I learn more about your sessions?

Please click on the pages under "About our Training" on the top menu.