Intercultural Studies
SBU offers the Intercultural Studies B.A. degree program (ICS) and has pioneered in offering a six-month semester abroad field experience. This degree purposes to prepare students intentionally for a cross-cultural ministry.
At the very minimum, ICS majors will:
- Become servant leaders, knowing who they are and how to serve others instead of themselves,
- Appreciate and adapt to cultures different from their own,
- Learn in the context of relationships to speak a foreign language,
- Read from the history, strategies, mistakes, and successes of previous cross-cultural workers,
- Study the worldviews of the major world religions,
- Communicate the gospel cross-culturally, especially in story form,
- Research a people group and develop an evangelism strategy for that group,
- Develop a secular or market skill as a platform for cross-cultural ministry.
The motivation and passion of the ICS major is that the nations would worship and serve God through Jesus Christ. This major is only for those serious about servanthood and cross-cultural ministry.
Our ICS graduates will assume roles in at least four areas of professional service:
- Appointment with sending agencies as cross-cultural evangelists, disciplers, translators, etc.
- Secular international platforms, such as, ESL teachers, community development advocates, education consultants, sports directors, business leaders, etc.,
- Cross-cultural ministers among North America’s ethnic communities or urban poor,
- Church staff and college ministries which train and mobilize others to serve cross-culturally.
These symbols illustrate the preparation process:
 |  |  |  |  | |  |
| Bible & Theology | Discipleship | Skills | Cross-cultural Ministry | |||