Here’s some more information about our current project, the Foundations in Intercultural Studies (FIS) course.
What is FIS?
It’s a course/training program run by YWAM’s global training network, the University of the Nations. The goal of the FIS is to train inter-cultural workers to be effective in their intercultural relationships, evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and reconciliation between different cultures.
How long is the course?
FIS is comprised of an intensive three-month lecture phase and three month practicum. After completing FIS, students have the option of taking other related courses and completing a degree in Intercultural Studies.
Where does it take place?
The city of Amsterdam, one of the most diverse cities in the world, is our classroom for the lecture phase of FIS. The practicum location changes and we work with the students to design a location that serves their long-term ministry goals. Historically, the FIS has been run in other global locations, and ideally, it will be running in multiple locations in the coming years.
What does the curriculum look like?
Topics that are covered include:
- Culture & God’s purposes
- Global & urban mapping
- Intercultural relationships & conflict resolution
- Family systems
- Spiritual worldview & world religions
- Culture fatigue & culture learning
- Discipleship & church planting
- Bi-cultural youth & postmodern society
- Intercultural communication & peacemaking
- the Gospel & culture change
- Intercultural ministry
- Language acquisition
How are these topics taught?
The FIS uses a variety of methods to cover the curriculum: weekly lectures, projects, field assignments, cultural observation, and much more. It’s both an intellectual and a hands-on course.
Why are you involved with FIS?
It’s something we believe in. It provides some extremely practical training for people within our mission who are working with different cultures. It fills a niche that in our opinion needs to be filled. For those who are just getting started, it provides a solid foundation for future intercultural ministry. For those who are already working in a different culture or a multicultural setting, it provides them with new tools and perspectives, and enables them to be more effective in their work. The reality is that a lot of the cross-cultural and mission training programs out there are either out-dated or ineffective. We’d like to think that FIS can be different; our hope is to merge the wisdom of the past with current strategies that are relevant to issues like globalization, immigration, urbanization, and postmodernism.
When will the FIS take place in 2009?
We’re planning to run FIS from January to July 2009 in Amsterdam.
What do you need/how can we pray?
Well, we need enough students-we’re hoping for between 12 and 20. One of the great challenges is getting visas for students, especially from the developing world. Often it’s these people who are already on the ground doing amazing things who can benefit the most from the training. We also need to raise enough support for us to move back to Amsterdam for at least the duration of the FIS, and maybe longer depending on our visa situation. We also need visas!