Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Outsiders on the Inside: Reaching the Chinese in the United States

Rachel Elwood, support staff, with Mark and Kim, Advance Volunteers
The Call, July-September 2016

“God is doing something big with Chinese people.”

Not One Has Been LostSix years ago, Mark and Kim (last name withheld for security purposes) began attending a Chinese church. But that was just one step in their journey to reaching out to Chinese immigrants and students.

Mark and Kim served at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya with WGM from 2000 to 2007. Prior to that, they had gone on several international medical short-term trips and helped revitalize an inner-city church. When God led them to return to the United States in 2007, they were uncertain what the next step would be. They attended a CMDA (Christian Medical and Dental Associations) conference and were told by an acquaintance, “You need to work with the Chinese.”

Two years of exploring, or “floundering,” according to Mark, followed. They began attending the Chinese church, and, step by step, became involved in various ways. They have worked with the youth group, taught parenting classes, and led outreach to university students. Mark is a deacon, and Kim is on the missions committee. Doors have also opened up that have taken them to China to work with medical outreach. 

Still, it took time—almost a year—to build relationships and gain a better understanding of the community. “Because of our experience as cross-cultural workers, we were comfortable being outsiders,” Kim said. “We were prepared to listen, to learn, and to be in it for the long haul.” That willingness to stick with it earned them the respect of the community, which was further deepened when they went to China for the first time. 

Mark and Kim have learned many things during their years of involvement in the Chinese community. Here are a few of their takeaways that might be helpful to you as you reach out to internationals in your town. 
  1. Look around you. Who is lonely? Who is international? Look for opportunities to reach out to immigrants. Be aware of special holidays. Chinese New Year is a big deal for those Mark and Kim work with, but consider Eid or Cinco de Mayo. Invite people to your house or invite them to share their ethnic foods. “Most university students who come here to study will never set foot into an American home. Look for ways to reach out!” suggested Kim.
  2. Don’t worry about being an expert in the culture or about not having all the answers to every spiritual question. “It’s freeing to realize we don’t have all the answers,” Mark said. “But the Bible does have the answers we seek. We can study together to find them.”
  3. When joining a more established church or ministry, be willing to be a part of what is going on, not trying to change them to be like “us.” Kim shared that when she joined her church’s missions committee, she waited a full year before suggesting any changes. 
  4. Welcome newcomers to this country by offering practical help. “Regardless of culture, most people appreciate a genuine outreach of friendship,” said Mark. 
  5. Listen. “Everyone has a story, and theirs might be more interesting than yours,” emphasized Kim.  
Most importantly, realize that God is sovereign and will guide your steps. Mark shared that if they had gotten involved with the Chinese church earlier, during their two years of searching, it might not have worked well because of other circumstances at the church. “Sometimes God makes you flounder,” Mark said. “But it’s always for a reason.”

Mark and Kim look forward to what God has in store for their future outreach to Chinese people, both in the United States and in China. 

Act!ACT: Missions is a verb. Put love into action this month by choosing at least one of the takeaways Mark and Kim offer here. Challenge yourself to reach outside your comfort zone. Choose one of the actions from the list that isn’t easy or comfortable for you and reflect on what God teaches you through that experience. 
PrayPRAY: Pray for Mark and Kim in their ministry to Chinese people in the United States.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Prayer Calendar July 24-30,2016



Six years ago, Mark and Kim (last name withheld for security purposes) began attending a Chinese church. But that was just one step in their journey to reaching out to Chinese immigrants and students.

Mark and Kim served at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya with WGM from 2000 to 2007. Prior to that, they had gone on several international medical short-term trips and helped revitalize an inner-city church. When God led them to return to the United States in 2007, they were uncertain what the next step would be. They attended a CMDA (Christian Medical and Dental Associations) conference and were told by an acquaintance, “You need to work with the Chinese.”

Hear the whole story tomorrow on The Call blog.

July 24-30: Pray for Mark and Kim in their ministry to Chinese people in the United States.



Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Reaching Our 10/40 Window

Reaching Our 10/40 WindowErin Curtis, Volunteer
The Call, July-September 2016

Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21, NIV)

“The 10/40 Window is in our backyard,” stated ministry partner Amanda Mason. Her work with Muslim refugees points us to the urgent need of reaching this people group as they integrate into American communities.

Amanda felt a tug on her heart in high school for missions to Muslims. She dismissed it quickly. After all, how could a girl in a wheelchair ever be a missionary? Then 9/11 happened while she was in college, and a chapel speaker spoke about ministry to Muslims, stirring the desire Amanda felt as a teen. In 2004, she taught English to Muslims at The American School for Women and Children in Toledo, Ohio, for six weeks. She returned to the school in 2007 to teach for a year. Health complications forced Amanda to move back to her home in Columbus, Ohio, in 2008. 

God impressed His call on her again in 2015. Amanda now works with US Together (Ohio), teaching English to Muslims and international refugees, and she hopes to launch soon with World Relief.

Part of Amanda’s passion is inspiring Christians in America to reach out to Muslims. “I would love to see the Church take on this ministry as something that they can get involved with,” she expressed. According to Amanda, the 10/40 Window in our backyard is truly a window. Just as we don’t see glass panes until we look for them, so too are Muslims in America overlooked by the Church.

Most Muslims in America are seeking a better life for their families. Many are highly educated but speak little English and feel vulnerable. Because many Americans distrust Arabic people, many Muslims struggle to find community. 

Amanda advocates our responsibility as Christians to reach Muslims in our communities. Kindness, basic courtesy, and connection are simple things she has seen Americans withhold from Muslims. Ministry to them involves seeing them as normal people who are in need. Simple things like inviting refugees into our homes and engaging them at a personal level are ways Amanda sees that can best reach them. “It’s worth taking the risk and getting to know them,” she said.

Equipping missionaries to minister to refugees in America is one area Amanda notes churches can focus on more. These missionaries need greater doses of prayer, training, and support.

Exodus 22:21 spurs Amanda on. “Politically, today, we are against refugees,” Amanda observed. “We need to remember that we [Christians] are refugees in this world, that this is not our home.”

GO: Do you want to find out more about ministering to Muslims in the United States? Contact Jared Gleason at recruiting@wgm.org for available ministry opportunities.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Prayer Calendar July 17-23,2016

July 17-23: Pray the God will help you find a way to reach out to foreigners in your community. 

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

“The 10/40 Window is in our backyard,” stated ministry partner Amanda Mason. Her work with Muslim refugees points us to the urgent need of reaching this people group as they integrate into American communities.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

A Case for Immigrants

Michael Guilliams, Missionary, North America
The Call, July-September 2016

A Case for ImmigrantsThe Arabic lady was sitting alone on a bench while I was at the park with our boys. As a man, it would normally be improper for me to speak to a Muslim woman; however, God prompted me to speak to her.

What came next was a surprise. As she talked in broken English, I began to see a picture of a heart that was lonely from years of a hard life and that was weighed down with many burdens. She began talking about her family, friends, and a desire to find a job and to learn English. We talked for over an hour, and a door opened for me to become part of her life. My wife started to meet with her to help her learn English, and a friendship has developed as we have simply shared life with her. From driving her to job interviews to helping her family move, it has been an education to see what difficulties people face when coming to another country.

In the media, there has been a lot of talk about immigrants: what should be done and what shouldn’t be done with people coming from the Middle East and surrounding countries. I would like to make a case for immigrants, that they be seen as souls to be won for Christ. For many years I have heard people say, “I could never go to another country to share Christ with others.” In God’s wisdom, He has now made the people from other countries our neighbors.

It's clear that the United States is changing at a rapid pace. For many, the possibility of people coming from other countries to settle within their own neighborhoods is a reality. The question is, how do we respond to these ever-increasing numbers of people? The answer is to not look at immigrants as a burden but to view them as people who need to hear about the love of Christ. Just as we have shown love and compassion to our Lebanese friend, it is important for us, as believers, to love and care for those who need our help.

The path to making a difference starts with meeting needs: teaching English, providing food, being a friend, or even providing mechanical assistance. In simple ways, you can make a difference in the life of an immigrant. As we sort out the differences in culture, class, and expectations placed upon us by our experiences, it is important to remember that we all have the same basic needs: to be fed, to have purpose, to be loved, and to be understood.

If we can share Christ with our immigrant friends and meet their needs, then we all will be a bit happier and help fulfill the Great Commission in our own backyards.

Pray for missionaries who reach out to immigrants and refugees.
PRAY: As they bore witness to Christ in Judea, Peter and the apostles were reluctant to minister to Gentiles, who were seen as outsiders by Jews. However, God’s desire was to offer Gentiles the gift of the Holy Spirit, and He intended to use the disciples to build the kingdom. Likewise, your missionary journey will potentially lead you to be in community with others who don’t look like you, dress like you, or talk like you. Ask God to prepare your heart and to help you receive all of His children as He does.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Prayer Calendar July 10-16,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:


"The Arabic lady was sitting alone on a bench while I was at the park with our boys. As a man, it would normally be improper for me to speak to a Muslim woman; however, God prompted me to speak to her."

July 10-16: Pray for missionaries like Michael and Brenda Guilliams who are ministering to immigrants and refugees in the United States.


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Where We Stand: WGM's Position on Immigrants and Refugees

The Call, July-September 2016

Where We Stand: WGM’s Position on Immigrants and Refugees
With millions of people in the Middle East fleeing war and poverty, a humanitarian emergency has engulfed the globe and sparked intense controversy. We join with many other voices in affirming God’s love of refugees and immigrants and His concern for their physical and spiritual well-being.

We believe unequivocally that Christians are called to reach out to all people with God’s love. We also understand the fear that causes some to question how to—or even if we should—help people whose religion and cultural practices seem in complete conflict with our own. We encourage Christians to remove lenses of fear and anger from their eyes, and, instead, put on the lenses of Christ’s example of perfect love.

The Scriptures are filled with stories of men and women who were refugees and immigrants. (Jesus Himself was a refugee with His parents.) We are told clearly how to treat foreigners living among us. We are told clearly to be hospitable and to love our neighbors. We do not pretend to have all the answers for this complicated crisis. There is much that simply must be left to God. But we know that we must speak truth—the truth that God loves all people, regardless of nationality or religion. We know that we must love our neighbor with a love that endures and persists beyond hatred and fear. We know that we must take action, for faith without action does nothing.

We encourage Christians and churches to partner with nonprofit organizations that are involved in resettling refugees and immigrants, helping to supply homes, furnishings, language helps, employment, and education for children. Although media attention is focused on the current migration movement from Syria and the Middle East, we believe these principles apply to immigrants of all nationalities and religions.

We do all this as we seek to model the example that our Lord Jesus Christ gave: to live sacrificially and to reach out to the most vulnerable with compassion.

Pray for WGM
PRAY: Pray for World Gospel Mission as we respond to opportunities to work with immigrants and refugees around the world.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Prayer Calendar July 1-9,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

"With millions of people in the Middle East fleeing war and poverty, a humanitarian emergency has engulfed the globe and sparked intense controversy. We join with many other voices in affirming God’s love of refugees and immigrants and His concern for their physical and spiritual well-being."

Pray for World Gospel Mission as we respond to opportunities to work with immigrants and refugees around the world.