Bridgebuilders discover and learn about other cultures through the Bricks, our cross-cultural training curriculum!
The Bricks
Divided in four quadrants, the program consists of fourteen Bricks that are used at the Bridgebuilders Club meetings. Each Brick has a single theme and contains information on games, content talks, tasks, challenges and evaluation.
The themes range from identity, discovering other cultures and communication, to personal boundaries, flexibility and hospitality.
This is the breakdown of the Bricks in its four quadrants:
Year One
Quadrant One
Quadrant Two
You
Others
January – March
April – August
Year Two (optional)
Quadrant Three
Quadrant Four
The World
Your Call, Your Mission
October – December
January – August
Bridgebuilder Cycle
- A Bridgebuilder experiences the following five elements within the cycle:
- Start Day or Weekend: teambuilding and introduction to the program.
- Host: receiving a group from another country.
- Guest: visiting a group in another country.
- International Youth Festival: meeting lots of youth from different cultures in one location.
- The Bricks: completing the seven module training program with an additional seven modules for an optional second year.
Spiritual
Though a Bridgebuilder Club meeting is not a Bible study group, there is a spiritual component that is an important part of the Cycle. The first year of the Bricks has a cross cultural learning focus with the spiritual component added as the group encounters issues, cultures or groups with a stronger spiritual ethos. Especially in an exchange with a youth group from a church this plays an important role in the training, also in the first year. In faith-based groups the Bricks allow leaders to take more initiative in also introducing the spiritual aspect even during the first year.
After completing the cycle, Bridgebuilders are aware of their own culture and background. They are curious, flexible in unfamiliar situations, free from harmful stereotyping and open to other people’s mindsets, ideas and beliefs without compromising their own. They are able to move beyond their own comfort zone and have learned to walk in someone else’s shoes.
The 7 Bricks of the first year:
- Identity
- Discovering Your Culture
- Flexibility
- Personal Autonomy
- Discovering Others
- Hospitality
- Communication
The 7 Bricks of the second year:
- Empathy
- Faith Around the World
- Working the Middle
- Personal Calling
- Serving Others
- World Changers
- Express it through your project!
For more information on getting the Bricks program, contact our office.