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Stories & Blog
The Unreached Among Us: Engaging Them
Read the series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
In this article, we hear from Adam, who ministers to internationals in the Midwest.
Basic prerequisites | Overseas missionaries put distance between family and friends, give up comforts and move away. To a lesser extent, working cross-culturally in America requires similar sacrifices: You have to say “no” to many opportunities with people like you so that you have space to establish cross-cultural friendships.
Be ready to lay aside some personal comforts. You can’t keep up with all of your reality shows if you’re going to get into Bollywood movies and professional cricket with your Pakistani friends. In fact, there’s not much time for TV because you are teaching someone how to use a smoke detector and picking up their cousin from the airport.
We like the comfort and privacy of our homes, but ministering cross-culturally might mean opening up your home to more people than you normally would for later hours than you normally would. I wouldn’t quite call that suffering, but it’s definitely stretching my comfort zone.
Lifestyle vs. program | Many Christians think of discipleship and evangelism as an event or a program, but making disciples should be a lifestyle. It starts where you live, work or play. Is there an international that you can get to know at work? If not, try connecting through a hobby. Sports, community groups, art groups and even walking provide the context for continued friendship.
Consider moving into an international neighborhood. Being neighbors is a great excuse to be in frequent contact. Maybe host an exchange student, mentor a refugee family through a resettlement agency, teach in a literacy program, or befriend a university student.
I suggest that you start by praying for one international friend to receive you into his or her life, then open your eyes for who the LORD will bring across your path.
Italicized name changed for security reasons.
In this article, we hear from Adam, who ministers to internationals in the Midwest.
The Unreached Among Us: Engaging Them
by Adam, who serves the unreached at his doorstep
If you’re like me, you have a burden for everyone to know the good news about Jesus. Maybe you’re not ready to move to a country where they eat bugs, but you’re willing to make some sacrifices to reach the lost in your own city.Basic prerequisites | Overseas missionaries put distance between family and friends, give up comforts and move away. To a lesser extent, working cross-culturally in America requires similar sacrifices: You have to say “no” to many opportunities with people like you so that you have space to establish cross-cultural friendships.
Be ready to lay aside some personal comforts. You can’t keep up with all of your reality shows if you’re going to get into Bollywood movies and professional cricket with your Pakistani friends. In fact, there’s not much time for TV because you are teaching someone how to use a smoke detector and picking up their cousin from the airport.
We like the comfort and privacy of our homes, but ministering cross-culturally might mean opening up your home to more people than you normally would for later hours than you normally would. I wouldn’t quite call that suffering, but it’s definitely stretching my comfort zone.
Lifestyle vs. program | Many Christians think of discipleship and evangelism as an event or a program, but making disciples should be a lifestyle. It starts where you live, work or play. Is there an international that you can get to know at work? If not, try connecting through a hobby. Sports, community groups, art groups and even walking provide the context for continued friendship.
Consider moving into an international neighborhood. Being neighbors is a great excuse to be in frequent contact. Maybe host an exchange student, mentor a refugee family through a resettlement agency, teach in a literacy program, or befriend a university student.
I suggest that you start by praying for one international friend to receive you into his or her life, then open your eyes for who the LORD will bring across your path.
Italicized name changed for security reasons.
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