Christian Missions Case Studies | Cross-Cultural Ministry
TL;DR:
This collection links to 39 real-life case studies, most of which are used in Christian missions and cross-cultural ministry training. These problem-centered teaching tools invite students to analyze actual situations and apply biblical and missiological principles. A nine-step discussion guide explains how to examine each situation. The page also shows how context-rich scenarios can strengthen decision-making, communication, critical-thinking, and empathy skills. An acrostic reinforces the value of case studies.
Note: A limited number of cases involving situations in the United States are included at the end of this page.
- This webpage offers global case studies and scenarios involving world missions, cultural conflicts, religious practices, economic aid, and personal dilemmas. Each provides an opportunity to apply principles to real-life situations.
- Good case study use requires an understanding of the context, identification of the central problem, consideration of multiple points of view, and the development of viable solutions.
Looking for a case study to use with a class or group?
What would you do in this situation? What does it mean to put your faith into action?
Case studies—examples of thorny situations—are very useful in a problem-centered
learning approach. Case studies help students practice applying principles and
concepts in real situations. These real-life case studies and scenarios—used by
Howard Culbertson as classroom
teaching and learning aids—are available on this site:
Missionary case studies: The links with an asterisk (*) are situations in which a foreign missionary is directly involved.
Case studies: Aids for problem-centered learning
Nine steps to good case study use
- Case studies involving short-term mission teams
- *Breakup of a missionary team—tough times
- Ancestor veneration/worship
- Case studies involving animism
- Case studies involving Buddhism
- Case studies involving Hinduism
- Case studies involving Islam
- Case studies involving Shintoism
- Case studies involving development and economic aid
- Conflict during the Lord's Supper—cultural change polarizes a church and even tears a family apart
- *Kidnapped missionary: Should the ransom be paid?
- *Obi's death—missionaries in New Guinea
- *Peacemaker or patsy—missionaries caught in the middle of tribal warfare in Papua New Guinea
- Case studies involving situations in the United States
Nine steps to case study discussion: Several of the above cases also have specific study guides linked to them.
Brief scenarios or examples with less description than a typical case study
- Cultural anthropology scenarios:
Gulliver's Travels and ethnography in a McDonald's restaurant
- Theology of missions scenarios: Are people who have not heard the gospel really lost?
- Witnessing scenarios: How
would you respond?
- Using case studies as a learning tool
What's the best way to use a case study?
Case study exploration guide
The use of case studies as educational tools was pioneered at Harvard Business School. The best case studies are not fictional,
once-upon-a-time stories. Rather, even though names and places may have been changed, these
are descriptions of real situations.
For Christian workers entering cultures other than their own, discussing case studies can
sharpen the critical-thinking skills needed to recognize and manage the assumptions they carry
as outsiders.
Want to know how to process a case study? Follow these nine steps to reflect on and
profitably discuss case studies.
How to use a case study
Nine steps to transforming a case study into a learning experience
- Read the entire case study narrative.
- Get acquainted with the cast of characters.
- Who is involved?
- What are their historical relationships?
- What constituencies do they represent?
- What might be the agenda of each character in this narrative?
- Understand the flow of events.
- How did the problem arise?
- Is there a deadline for a decision?
- Determine from whose point of view the events are described.
- Formulate a clear statement of the problem.
- What values or interests are being challenged?
- What should be the central or focal question?
- Identify the issues at stake.
- List factors relevant to comprehending, facing, and resolving the issue.
- What ingredients have compounded the problem or perhaps have even created it?
- Which issues allow room for negotiation?
- Can some of the negative concerns be reframed positively?
- Clarify facts as well as feelings.
- In your initial reading, some facts, elements, or issues may not have seemed very
important. As you reflect further on the case, are there items that have grown in importance in
your mind?
- What details need clarification? In order to productively process the case study, will you have
to make assumptions about unstated details?
- What reactions or feelings did the initial reading evoke in you and others?
- Consider the case study from different angles. A jewel's facets show up best as it is
turned to let light hit those facets at different angles. Approach the case study in the same way.
Look at it from several different angles. That is, consider it from the point of view of each
person involved. What solution would each lean toward?
- Dig around for resources.
- What assets are available to resolve the problem?
- Are there opportunities to partner or network in some way?
- Propose a course of action.
- What ought to be going on?
- What needs to happen to set that in motion?
- To implement the most viable solution, what must be done and by whom?
— Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu
Afterword: Nine things case studies can do for you
A good case study can offer insights and lessons, including:
- Case studies provide a glimpse into real-life situations. They require you to apply theoretical knowledge to practical problems.
- Analyzing case studies involves identifying problems, understanding their root causes, and developing solutions. This can improve your critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Case studies often have decision points where you must weigh various options and make informed choices. This helps hone decision-making skills, including risk assessment and trade-off analysis.
- Real-world scenarios rarely have cut-and-dried, one-size-fits-all solutions. Real-life situations involve various stakeholders, constraints, and dynamics. Case studies offer a way to face these challenges and appreciate the interconnectedness of different factors.
- Case studies frequently look at failures as well as successes. Studying failures can be as helpful as studying successes since it allows you to understand what went wrong and think about how similar mistakes can be avoided in the future.
- Case studies provide context-rich learning experiences that help you see how concepts play out in specific organizations and situations.
- Presenting findings and recommendations based on case study analysis requires good communication skills. Case studies can improve your ability to articulate ideas, justify viewpoints, and engage in lively, productive discussions.
- Engaging with diverse case studies allows you to empathize with different stakeholders and understand their varying viewpoints.
- Case studies can serve as learning tools for continuous improvement. By reflecting on past experiences and considering things you might have done differently, you can fine-tune your strategies and methods.
Simply put, case studies provide a rich learning experience that goes beyond knowledge acquisition to skill development.
An acrostic about case studies
C — Critical analysis of real-world scenarios
A — Applying concepts to practical situations
S — Strengthening problem-solving skills
E — Examining multiple perspectives
S — Studying patterns and outcomes
T — Thinking critically about decisions
U — Understanding complex issues deeply
D — Developing strategic solutions
I — Improving decision-making abilities
E — Engaging with hands-on learning
S — Sharpening analytical and reasoning skills
Like acrostics? Here are more of them.
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