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Crossing Cultures with Jesus: Sharing Good News with Sensitivity and Grace
You can be a missionary by crossing an ocean or by crossing the street. We now have unprecedented opportunities to meet people from every culture and nation. International study and global migration allow us to build relationships with Buddhists and Muslims, students from Singapore and workers from the Middle East. But how do we share the gospel with people from different cultures and worldviews? Crosscultural evangelism can be scary. But veteran crosscultural minister Katie Rawson shows how we can witness the way Jesus did, entering into people's worlds and drawing them into God-centered community. She equips readers to evangelize Jesus' way, depending on him as companion and guide and venturing out in joy to be and share good news. Filled with compelling stories, practical resources and relational tools, this guide gives crosscultural training and shows how you can share the gospel through story and diagram, with clear communication and authentic community.
- GenresChristianEvangelism
208 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2015
20 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 6, 2026
This book was so good!! It was an incredibly helpful guide in launching a ministry for international students. This book has a great balance of keeping your first love for Jesus first, while also giving the reader vision for practical steps they can take with their international friends. This book was so touching and so practical, and included so many great resources that she lists at the end of every chapter. I would reccomend this book to anyone hoping to share the love of Jesus with those around them or across the world.
May 28, 2022
Really helpful book for starting to think about international ministry. Good introduction to honour/shame, power/fear cultures and how this affects our meetings, Bible studies and explanations of the Gospel. Lots of useful resources and encouraging stories.
dnf
June 9, 2025the attitude of the author definitely rubbed me the wrong way. not what i support or believe in at all.
June 17, 2018
Summary: An introduction to international student ministry that focuses on both entering into the world of international students, led by the Spirit of Jesus, and drawing those students lovingly into Christian community.
In 2017, 1,184,735 international students were enrolled in studies in US universities. Of these 362,368 came from China and 206,698 were from India. It might surprise you to know that over 15,000 of these students come from Nepal and 3,000 of those students are studying in Texas! (Source: "US: international students top 1.18 million", The PIE News).
For many, like myself, who work in collegiate ministry, these statistics point to an amazing opportunity. We literally have the world on our doorstep at many university campuses. The opportunity to welcome these students and to share the Christian message with those who are interested, sometimes from countries where this would not be permitted, is a great privilege. Many will return to their countries to occupy significant positions of national leadership in government, business, education, and other key fields. Yet sadly, there are many international students who are never welcomed into an American home during their academic studies in the States.
The challenge in this work is to pursue it with sensitivity and grace. Often, we mistake politeness for interest, or people will say "yes" so as not to offend when they are not truly ready to do so. When we cross the street to welcome these students we are crossing cultures, just as much as if we were to fly to their country. Katie Rawson writes this book out of over thirty years of experience with international students, offering not simply a set of "how to's" but an incarnational mindset and a spirituality of international student ministry that I believe is much needed if we are to genuinely extend the love of Christ in ways that will connect across the different cultures these students represent. She writes:
"We are sent into the world by Jesus just as he was sent by the Father. With the Spirit of the Father and Jesus inside us, we display Jesus to the world, just as he embodied and displayed the Father. As Jesus entered our world and drew us into his world—the community of Father, Son and Spirit—we are to enter the worlds of those around us and draw them into the community of Jesus. God is already carrying out his mission in the world through the Spirit, and we are to go out as participants in his mission, led by the Spirit, just as Jesus was. And our motive is the same motive Jesus had: to display the glory of the Father to all the peoples of the world so that every people group might join in never-ending worship of the Trinity. . . ." (p. 13)
The two key words or phrases here are "entering" and "drawing in" and the book is organized in two parts around these. After introducing the book with some information around the challenge and opportunity of cross-cultural evangelism and the love of the good and beautiful God that is at the heart of the universe and hopefully fills our hearts, Rawson turns to entering in. But instead of giving us technique, she teaches us about keeping in step with the Spirit and the vital importance of prayer. Then she begins with the importance of building trust through acceptance and honor while being aware of cultural differences. She helps us understand how our reading of scripture may be colored by worldview lenses, as well as understanding the different worldviews of internationals, particularly from Asia and India. Particularly critical here is understanding different values systems around four key values: honor, innocence, joy, and power.
The second part of the book focuses on drawing people into community. First, and foundational, she focuses on the characteristics of welcoming communities. She applies research by Doug Schaupp and Don Everts on the Five Thresholds of Conversion to communities working with internationals, showing how important walking with internationals through these thresholds is vital to avoid superficial conversions with no lasting transformation. She offers very practical ideas on communication and the differences between direct and indirect styles, different learning styles (conceptual, images, and intuitional), and the value of story. She follows this with a way of sharing the gospel as a story about brokenness in the world. She concludes by discussing how communities are important in the making of disciples when people believe.
I would describe this book as both practical and wise. It includes lots of tips and ideas, but also reflects the wisdom and spiritual insight and stories of many years in international ministry where the outward journey of reaching students has been matched with an inward journey of knowing Christ more deeply and learning to walk in step with his Spirit. Each chapter includes both individual reflection questions and group discussion questions (written by good friend and ministry colleague Marc Papai) and recommended resources related to the chapter topics (including extensive online resources at crossingculturesbook.org). It is great for collegiate ministers, ministry teams or anyone interested in welcoming and loving internationals students, entering their worlds and drawing them into community,
In 2017, 1,184,735 international students were enrolled in studies in US universities. Of these 362,368 came from China and 206,698 were from India. It might surprise you to know that over 15,000 of these students come from Nepal and 3,000 of those students are studying in Texas! (Source: "US: international students top 1.18 million", The PIE News).
For many, like myself, who work in collegiate ministry, these statistics point to an amazing opportunity. We literally have the world on our doorstep at many university campuses. The opportunity to welcome these students and to share the Christian message with those who are interested, sometimes from countries where this would not be permitted, is a great privilege. Many will return to their countries to occupy significant positions of national leadership in government, business, education, and other key fields. Yet sadly, there are many international students who are never welcomed into an American home during their academic studies in the States.
The challenge in this work is to pursue it with sensitivity and grace. Often, we mistake politeness for interest, or people will say "yes" so as not to offend when they are not truly ready to do so. When we cross the street to welcome these students we are crossing cultures, just as much as if we were to fly to their country. Katie Rawson writes this book out of over thirty years of experience with international students, offering not simply a set of "how to's" but an incarnational mindset and a spirituality of international student ministry that I believe is much needed if we are to genuinely extend the love of Christ in ways that will connect across the different cultures these students represent. She writes:
"We are sent into the world by Jesus just as he was sent by the Father. With the Spirit of the Father and Jesus inside us, we display Jesus to the world, just as he embodied and displayed the Father. As Jesus entered our world and drew us into his world—the community of Father, Son and Spirit—we are to enter the worlds of those around us and draw them into the community of Jesus. God is already carrying out his mission in the world through the Spirit, and we are to go out as participants in his mission, led by the Spirit, just as Jesus was. And our motive is the same motive Jesus had: to display the glory of the Father to all the peoples of the world so that every people group might join in never-ending worship of the Trinity. . . ." (p. 13)
The two key words or phrases here are "entering" and "drawing in" and the book is organized in two parts around these. After introducing the book with some information around the challenge and opportunity of cross-cultural evangelism and the love of the good and beautiful God that is at the heart of the universe and hopefully fills our hearts, Rawson turns to entering in. But instead of giving us technique, she teaches us about keeping in step with the Spirit and the vital importance of prayer. Then she begins with the importance of building trust through acceptance and honor while being aware of cultural differences. She helps us understand how our reading of scripture may be colored by worldview lenses, as well as understanding the different worldviews of internationals, particularly from Asia and India. Particularly critical here is understanding different values systems around four key values: honor, innocence, joy, and power.
The second part of the book focuses on drawing people into community. First, and foundational, she focuses on the characteristics of welcoming communities. She applies research by Doug Schaupp and Don Everts on the Five Thresholds of Conversion to communities working with internationals, showing how important walking with internationals through these thresholds is vital to avoid superficial conversions with no lasting transformation. She offers very practical ideas on communication and the differences between direct and indirect styles, different learning styles (conceptual, images, and intuitional), and the value of story. She follows this with a way of sharing the gospel as a story about brokenness in the world. She concludes by discussing how communities are important in the making of disciples when people believe.
I would describe this book as both practical and wise. It includes lots of tips and ideas, but also reflects the wisdom and spiritual insight and stories of many years in international ministry where the outward journey of reaching students has been matched with an inward journey of knowing Christ more deeply and learning to walk in step with his Spirit. Each chapter includes both individual reflection questions and group discussion questions (written by good friend and ministry colleague Marc Papai) and recommended resources related to the chapter topics (including extensive online resources at crossingculturesbook.org). It is great for collegiate ministers, ministry teams or anyone interested in welcoming and loving internationals students, entering their worlds and drawing them into community,
August 15, 2020
This was a super helpful read. I found myself nodding in emphatic agreement with about 40% of the book, based on my own forays as a majority-culture woman into cross-cultural hospitality, evangelism, and friendship over the past six years of pastoral ministry. The other 60% of the time I found myself learning new things, discovering the best practices of things I had already been trying out, and developing a more solid Biblical framework for instincts and philosophies I held.
I particularly appreciated the section on the four different kinds of cultures; that was a real eye-opener, since I had thought about honour/shame and guilt/innocence cultures before, but never the other two.
I'm in the thick of developing good and healthy cross-cultural relationships, and it is tough work right now, so this book gave me a lot of hope and help in continuing to do this work, knowing Jesus will bring something good and beautiful out of my loaves and fishes, my blunders and small wins. Thank you, Rawson, for writing this book!
I particularly appreciated the section on the four different kinds of cultures; that was a real eye-opener, since I had thought about honour/shame and guilt/innocence cultures before, but never the other two.
I'm in the thick of developing good and healthy cross-cultural relationships, and it is tough work right now, so this book gave me a lot of hope and help in continuing to do this work, knowing Jesus will bring something good and beautiful out of my loaves and fishes, my blunders and small wins. Thank you, Rawson, for writing this book!
October 14, 2019
A thought-provoking read - would be great for a book-club in a community desiring to reach out to internationals around them. Structured really well with lots of stories and questions to reflect and discuss at the end of each chapter.
December 31, 2023
EXCELLENT!!! Such a needed book for those looking into missions, or even want to create a better space in their everyday life to invite the gospel to those around them without offended them or their culture! Such a great book!
Read
October 26, 2019Read for Evangelism class; very good and brought up some good points that I hadn't thought of.
December 17, 2020
A must read for any one wanting to share their faith in a way that honours respects the person they are interacting with.
January 25, 2021
Amazing. A great resource for new missions methods, DMM with internationals. Would use as a course book for a missions class. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to learn and understand missions.
May 16, 2020
What did the book set out to do?
To equip the everyday believer to share the good news of Jesus Christ with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
To what extent did it achieve this?
It does this well.
- The book begins with a clear Trinitarian foundation - the God who is relational; a loving community is at the heart of sharing the good news of Christ.
- Part one 'Entering' - I appreciate the start, prioritising 'Keeping in step with the Spirit' and 'Prayer' - while not all of this sits comfortably with me (eg. some ideas about exercising spiritual authority - though I think this is more to do with ways I am not in step with the Spirit and some lack of understanding on my part - rather than what the author writes) I think it sets out clearly that it is God's mission, in which we get to play a part. It is a helpful foundation that we depend on Him (rather than solely on strategies and tools) in our evangelism.
Other sections for this part on developing trust, worldviews and value systems are helpful. These are approachable for a person coming to cross-cultural outreach for the first time, yet also have a depth to learn from, even if the material isn't completely new. References to aspects of particular cultures (East Asian; Hindu; Muslim) are helpful for depth and specifics - even if the focus is particularly on sharing with East Asians in American settings.
- Part Two - 'Drawing In' - I really enjoyed this part. This addressed relevant and important aspects of drawing people in to communities of believers in cross-cultural contexts, including 'Communities that draw in', 'Conversion in community: 5 stages', 'Communication that connects', 'Stories that bring change', and 'Making disciples in community'.
Again references to aspects of particular cultures (East Asian; Hindu; Muslim) are helpful for depth and specifics here.
General: Grounded in biblical principles; Some really practical tools and specific wisdom from a clearly well-experienced person in cross-cultural outreach (particularly regarding international students) - some of this clearly set out in 'sidebars'; lots of encouraging stories - though an example of inexperience at the start of the book helps to show grace to the reader, that we do make mistakes, and while there is lots of wisdom to learn for cross-cultural outreach, we are not to be crippled by this, rather we are to live and learn to love and be good news to others increasingly well, in God's grace and guidance, and for His honour.
Discussion questions / suggested Bible texts / further reading given for each chapter help make this a rich resource for using with others.
A good, early (first?) resource on reaching out to international students / cross-cultural outreach - particularly for reading with others, who are thoughtfully beginning to pursue this.
To equip the everyday believer to share the good news of Jesus Christ with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
To what extent did it achieve this?
It does this well.
- The book begins with a clear Trinitarian foundation - the God who is relational; a loving community is at the heart of sharing the good news of Christ.
- Part one 'Entering' - I appreciate the start, prioritising 'Keeping in step with the Spirit' and 'Prayer' - while not all of this sits comfortably with me (eg. some ideas about exercising spiritual authority - though I think this is more to do with ways I am not in step with the Spirit and some lack of understanding on my part - rather than what the author writes) I think it sets out clearly that it is God's mission, in which we get to play a part. It is a helpful foundation that we depend on Him (rather than solely on strategies and tools) in our evangelism.
Other sections for this part on developing trust, worldviews and value systems are helpful. These are approachable for a person coming to cross-cultural outreach for the first time, yet also have a depth to learn from, even if the material isn't completely new. References to aspects of particular cultures (East Asian; Hindu; Muslim) are helpful for depth and specifics - even if the focus is particularly on sharing with East Asians in American settings.
- Part Two - 'Drawing In' - I really enjoyed this part. This addressed relevant and important aspects of drawing people in to communities of believers in cross-cultural contexts, including 'Communities that draw in', 'Conversion in community: 5 stages', 'Communication that connects', 'Stories that bring change', and 'Making disciples in community'.
Again references to aspects of particular cultures (East Asian; Hindu; Muslim) are helpful for depth and specifics here.
General: Grounded in biblical principles; Some really practical tools and specific wisdom from a clearly well-experienced person in cross-cultural outreach (particularly regarding international students) - some of this clearly set out in 'sidebars'; lots of encouraging stories - though an example of inexperience at the start of the book helps to show grace to the reader, that we do make mistakes, and while there is lots of wisdom to learn for cross-cultural outreach, we are not to be crippled by this, rather we are to live and learn to love and be good news to others increasingly well, in God's grace and guidance, and for His honour.
Discussion questions / suggested Bible texts / further reading given for each chapter help make this a rich resource for using with others.
A good, early (first?) resource on reaching out to international students / cross-cultural outreach - particularly for reading with others, who are thoughtfully beginning to pursue this.
September 15, 2017
Thankful for this book.
- Brilliant for anyone engaging in cross cultural ministry with Eastern people.
- Excellent practical advice.
- Recommended for all pastoral workers in culturally diverse contexts.
- Brilliant for anyone engaging in cross cultural ministry with Eastern people.
- Excellent practical advice.
- Recommended for all pastoral workers in culturally diverse contexts.
December 24, 2015
I think if found it!
In just a few short days I will be leading a group of 20 college students on a short term mission trip to Uganda. For many of the students this is their first mission trip, and for a whole bunch of them it’s the first time they will ever step off American soil. Going on a mission trip can be quite difficult, especially if its your first time… new food, new sights, new sounds, oh and yeah sharing the gospel cross-culturally!
But… I think I found a book that will help those students go through a cross-cultural experience like a mission trip. Its Katie Rawson’s Crossing Cultures with Jesus: Sharing Good News with Sensitivity and Grace.
This book is written by a campus minister who has worked with international students for over three decades! So she is really used to sharing the gospel cross-culturally. In it she shows the reader how to enter into people’s worlds and draw them towards Jesus. The book is filled with encouraging stories, and tons of practical advice. Some of the most helpful parts of her book are the sidebars which she includes. These sidebars cover subjects like: presenting the gospel in an honor-shame culture, listening to God, doing a lectio divinia, characteristics of a welcoming community, hospitality, etc.
The book is split up into two parts. Part one is about developing our own relationship with the Lord and entering into relationship with those we are trying to reach. The second part covers evangelism with cross-cultural sensitivity.
Overall I have to say that…
Crossing Cultures With Jesus is my new go-to book for preparing a short-term mission team.
Even though we had completed all of our training before we are getting ready to leave in a few days, I was so confident in this book that I sent out an email to our whole team saying – if you bring one book on the plane to read bring Crossing Cultures with Jesus. Its that good!
Note: I received this book from IVP in exchange for an impartial review.
In just a few short days I will be leading a group of 20 college students on a short term mission trip to Uganda. For many of the students this is their first mission trip, and for a whole bunch of them it’s the first time they will ever step off American soil. Going on a mission trip can be quite difficult, especially if its your first time… new food, new sights, new sounds, oh and yeah sharing the gospel cross-culturally!
But… I think I found a book that will help those students go through a cross-cultural experience like a mission trip. Its Katie Rawson’s Crossing Cultures with Jesus: Sharing Good News with Sensitivity and Grace.
This book is written by a campus minister who has worked with international students for over three decades! So she is really used to sharing the gospel cross-culturally. In it she shows the reader how to enter into people’s worlds and draw them towards Jesus. The book is filled with encouraging stories, and tons of practical advice. Some of the most helpful parts of her book are the sidebars which she includes. These sidebars cover subjects like: presenting the gospel in an honor-shame culture, listening to God, doing a lectio divinia, characteristics of a welcoming community, hospitality, etc.
The book is split up into two parts. Part one is about developing our own relationship with the Lord and entering into relationship with those we are trying to reach. The second part covers evangelism with cross-cultural sensitivity.
Overall I have to say that…
Crossing Cultures With Jesus is my new go-to book for preparing a short-term mission team.
Even though we had completed all of our training before we are getting ready to leave in a few days, I was so confident in this book that I sent out an email to our whole team saying – if you bring one book on the plane to read bring Crossing Cultures with Jesus. Its that good!
Note: I received this book from IVP in exchange for an impartial review.
January 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this book in college. It’s a great read on cross cultural evangelism without being a screaming zealot or a politically correct scaredy cat. Respectful, informative, actionable, and interesting to read.
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