David Livermore has published another book. This one is entitled “Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage our Multicultural World.”

“It’s about the growing challenge and opportunity that exists for Christian ministry leaders in encountering lots of different cultural contexts,” said Livermore, who is the executive director of the Global Learning Center at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.

“From international church partnerships to short-term missions trips, growing diversity throughout most U.S. communities, organizational cultures and generational cultures, it’s hard to be effective in ministry without an ability to adapt to dozens of different cultural contexts. This book draws upon the emerging domain of cultural intelligence to offer a way forward.”

The book was published Feb. 1 by Baker Academic.

Livermore’s book aims to help the reader increase their cultural intelligence, or CQ, which, as Livermore defines it, is an individual’s capability to function effectively across national, ethnic and organizational cultures.

“I wrote the book itself in three to four months but the research behind it was a three year project,” Livermore said. “This is a field of research being studied by a team of us across 25 countries.”

Cultural Intelligence can be seen as a four-step cycle: drive, knowledge, strategy and action.

Livermore points out that the attempt to become experts at all the different cultural contexts is wrong and that building CQ provides well-rounded skills for people who live out the Gospel in a multitude of cultural settings.

“We need more than just IQ to be effective today, which is why we’ve heard a lot about EQ (emotional intelligence) over the last 15 years,” he said. “CQ is built from the same research on multiple intelligences and suggests that to be effective in the 21st Century, you also need CQ.”

“I would suggest that there’s nowhere these conversations should feel more at home than among Christians,” he said. “At its core, the Gospel is about reaching across the chasm of difference to announce and demonstrate the Good News of Jesus.”

Paul Borthwick, a consultant and speaker from Development Associates International, an organization that mentors to Christian leaders worldwide, endorses the book, saying the need for cultural understanding in a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected and multicultural is vital.

“Cultural Intelligence is an essential, foundational resource for anybody desirous of being effective in interacting across cultures, whether we travel internationally, visit our great urban centers or get involved in our local school system,” Borthwick said.

Livermore is also having another book published in Sept. 2009. The fall release is called “Leading with Cultural Intelligence.” “This next book is for a very different audience,” Livermore said.

The book due for fall release is being published by the American Management Association for executives and leaders involved in business, government or non-profit work.

“The Baker book is in the academic line and is much more heavy on theory, research, etc,” he said. “This next book is extremely practical and offers a very accessible, quick understanding of cultural intelligence and applies it to business leaders engaged in international business and/or as they deal with an increasingly diverse workforce.”

Livermore is the author of “Connecting Your Journey with the Story of God: Disciplemaking in Diverse Contexts” and “Serving With Eyes Wide Open,” both of which are focused on cross-cultural craft.