STANDING ON OUR OWN FEET

There is a popular saying in Kenya: Nobody walks with another man's gait. A person's gait is as unique as their fingerprints or voice patterns. To borrow someone else's gait is to become someone else. Churches in the non-Western world should not attempt to imitate the gait of Western churches, nor should we want them to. In other words, indigenous churches have the irreplaceable privilege of being God's best version of themselves-standing secure with their own unique stance and walking with their own distinctive gait. Unfortunately, when Western Christians engage in global contexts where there is economic disparity, they readily and unknowingly assume, activate, and attract poverty. This behavior causes local churches to walk with another man's gait, lose their balance, and thus compromise God's best version of themselves. This Standing On Our Own Feet workbook via case studies, examples, questions, and application will help you, your team, and your church to intentionally assume, activate, and attract church dignity in your global engagement. Jean Johnson Author of We Are Not The Hero Director of Five Stones Global Jean Johnson serves as a missionary and coach as well as Director of Five Stones Global (formerly known as World Mission Associates). She has over 32 years of vocational cross-cultural ministry experience. This includes church planting among Cambodians in St. Paul/Minneapolis and 16 years of service in Cambodia. One of the key starting points of her missional journey was moving in with a first generation Cambodian refugee family of eight in the inner city of Minneapolis. She presently promotes and teaches about creating a culture of dignity, sustainability, and multiplication in Great Commission efforts. 3