Ministry Across Cultures
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 24 Feb 2008 in From Steve's Study ::
For many years, the church has sent and supported missionaries in the furthest regions of the earth with the intent of spreading the gospel to all people groups. Indeed, one of the great strengths of St Peters is that it has always been (and will continue to be) at the forefront of this support and mission.
However, the world is shrinking! Years ago, different countries and cultures seemed so far away, but the world has changed. With the increased speed of travel and the explosion in global communication, we can now have contact with people in all four corners of the globe at the touch of a button. Suddenly the world doesn’t look like such a big place.
On top of this, one of the most significant influences on our society of the past decades has been the fact that so many people from all around the globe have been coming to our shores.
It is great to have the opportunity to support missionaries in all the continents of the world, but did you realise that many people from around the world are coming to us? There are a number of people from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB) in East Lindfield (over 26%), many of whom come from countries where Christians are in a very small minority.
In particular, there are many from various Asian nations (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia etc) moving into the suburb. This is becoming a sizeable mission-field on our own doorstep.
The obvious question is then, “What are we to do about this?” We could sit and do nothing and hope someone else does something, or we could be moved by love into action.
In order for to think through these issues, I have invited one of the regional advisers in the area of Cross-Cultural Ministry to come and speak to us, hear our stories, and give us some ideas. She will be coming on Sunday the 2nd March (that’s right, next Sunday), from 2-4pm in the lower hall. You are all invited to come and hear about the opportunities and needs in our area, to have some input into what we do, and to join with us in praying and seeking to bring Christ’s love to all the people of East Lindfield.
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