Neal Cushman has taught in the Cross-Cultural Studies Department at Northland since 1991. Prior to his ministry at Northland, he and his wife, Pam, served as missionaries in Nova Scotia, Canada, in church planting and camp ministry. The Cushmans have three children: Ryan, Nikki, and Peter.
Cross-Cultural Studies: Overview
How do you define the term cross-cultural? Cross-cultural has to do with the study of cultures that are not your own. It’s designed for you to not only understand the culture but to be able to communicate across the culture—and for that communication to be effective and accurate.
Is the cross-cultural degree a missions program? Yes, everything that we’re trying to do in this program is missions-oriented. We are not highly motivated to prepare international businessmen or teachers just so they can find a job. Rather, we’re giving young people a tool that can be used—whether as an international businessman, pastor, or teacher—so that they can reach people in other cultures where those people might otherwise be unreachable.
What comprises the cross-cultural studies degree? As with all of our degrees at Northland, the Bible major makes up the core. This, of course, complements the coursework directly related to cross-cultural studies. Before anyone can become an effective missionary, he must have a solid understanding of the Bible. Then, there are two emphases that can be chosen from within the cross-cultural studies major: either education or missions. Both are missions related, but the education emphasis prepares students specifically to become teachers in cross-cultural settings—most often as ESL (English as a second language) instructors. The missions emphasis is directed more to the traditional missionary who will be preaching, church-planting, or training nationals as pastors and Christian laymen.
What will the cross-cultural studies degree prepare the student to do? We desire that this degree will be used in global ministry as our students spread out throughout the world to every possible country, reach the people that they are targeting, and start churches to fulfill the Great Commission. When we look at global opportunities, we recognize that there are places where our graduates can declare themselves as “missionaries” on their visas. But, in other closed countries, a “missionary” would not be allowed to enter. Going in to teach English opens doors to reach the unreached in these countries. Regardless of the emphasis, the cross-cultural curriculum prepares students to understand and adapt to different cultures—whether it be among minority groups in the United States or in the uttermost parts of the earth.
Education Emphasis
What are some highlights in the education emphasis that prepare students to teach in cross-cultural settings? There are several practical experiences that give students hands-on experience as a part of their training. First, there is a global studies tour that includes a study trip under the instruction of Dr. Jim Bennett, Northland’s vice president for Global Opportunities. This is typically an eight- or nine-day trip that focuses on the history and culture of the country visited. Then, there is the ESL (English as a second language) certification that includes a four- or five-week internship. As far as specific courses go, students are required to take four semesters of a foreign language in addition to linguistic courses.
How does a student become certified in ESL? We certify all of the students who complete all of the related courses. Our ESL program is a carefully defined education program that teaches students how others learn the English language as a second language. Although much of our educational philosophy corresponds with general education courses, the methodology is very different. The student will be well-prepared in grammar but will also be trained in cross-cultural communication and linguistics. This will help the student understand how to communicate with people from other cultures and understand the underlying differences in the languages that make it difficult for someone to learn English.
All of that culminates in an internship, where the student puts into practice all that he has been taught. The internship must be a minimum of four weeks. The student teaches thirty-five hours and observes five hours. He also creates ten original lesson plans and is required to interact outside the classroom for ten hours. This internship can take place anywhere that English is being taught—in the United States as a second language or overseas as a foreign language.
Missions Emphasis
What are some of the highlights of the missions emphasis, and how does it differ from the education emphasis? In place of the education and ESL courses, there will be more courses specific to missions, church planting, and preaching. For women, instead of the preaching courses, there are courses specific to communicating the Bible to women; however, there are still the required four semesters of a foreign language and cross-cultural courses that are essential to any missionary.
This major also culminates in an internship—the missionary apprenticeship program. For the apprenticeship, the student spends nine weeks under the direct mentorship of a missionary on the field. To prepare them for the real-life experience of being a missionary, the student must decide where and with whom he is going to serve and must raise all of the money to go. Every step of the way, our office interacts with the student and coaches him in the process. The student is required to be accountable to his supporting churches through a prescribed number of e-mails and photos. He is responsible to “pick the brain” of that missionary and to observe and live that life. This apprenticeship takes place between the junior and senior year.
How can a student prepare for his future ministry while enrolled at Northland—outside the classroom? Because such a large percentage of the student body and faculty/staff are involved in missions, it produces a “missions culture” that is a defining distinctive of Northland. A part of the servant-leader mentality that we try to instill here is teaching students to be willing to go to the uttermost parts of the earth—to minister where they may not receive recognition, money, or fame. They will see that exemplified in the faculty, staff, and administration. Our missions office, Northland Center for Global Opportunities, is one of the most active places at Northland. Its mission is to place faculty, staff, and students in cultures around the world and to constantly bring before them the needs of unreached places—where there is little or no Gospel witness. We host a missions conference each April—a time when the world is brought before our students, and they have the opportunity to talk to missionaries in person. There is a student-led organization here at Northland called “Open Eyes” that meets regularly to discuss the needs that exist around the world. And, there is a mission prayer band which meets weekly to pray for missionaries.
If a student avails himself of all the opportunities that are here, his burden for missions will grow, and he will gain invaluable experience that will prepare him for his future ministry.
Precollege Preparation
What about before coming to Northland—how can a high school student begin to prepare himself for the cross-cultural studies major? Try to travel cross-culturally where you are actually getting involved in another culture. Try to find people in your community who are from other cultures and visit them or have them over to your home. Gear your writing and history projects as much as possible to target those particular things. Be very active in your local church. Tell your pastor that you are thinking about missions and ask him to take you under his wing and train you. You don’t have to wait until you are in college to get serious about answering the call of the Great Commission.