Ministry with Internationals: The world on our doorstep

Not so long ago western Christians had to travel to take the gospel to nations of the world. These days English is the international language of choice for commerce, IT, academics, politics and diplomacy. And the world comes to us. So Christians in English-speaking countries have amazing opportunities to reach the world for the gospel without having to move anywhere.

You may think that you live in a predominantly “white British” area. I live in a small London suburb that looks like that. But a local church ministry to internationals here has made contact with more than 30 different nationalities! How many nations could be reached on your doorstep, by your church, in your local community?

This week on the blog we're going to look at how we can encourage one another to get involved in ministry with the international community living near each of us.

What internationals might be living in your community?

The first step is to identify the communities near you. Perhaps there are international uni students here for three or more years. Or English-language students visiting for a few months. There will be asylum seekers, ex-pat workers, au pairs, migrants recruited to fill employment gaps, and those travelling the world. Look out for ethnic grocery stores; community noticeboards advertising English classes and interpreting services; non-English-speaking parents at the school gate.

Making contact with internationals

It’s not easy for internationals to make friends with British people. Some live here for years but never enter a British home or eat home-cooked British food. Brits tend to be polite but reserved, and many of us are anxious about talking to someone who has limited English or a heavy foreign accent. (If that’s you, look out for our upcoming article on “Crossing the language barrier” tomorrow.) If you befriend an international—welcome them into your home, share food and traditions with them, take an interest in their culture and custom—most will be delighted to get to know you.

Ideas to get you started:

• School’s a great place for befriending internationals. Unless they have a high level of English, internationals find it difficult to join in with a group conversation, so it’s easy for them to get left out of parents’ friendship groups.
• If you regularly visit a cafe or restaurant, or a hospital or care home, make a point of chatting to a non-British worker there. Who knows where your conversations might lead?
• Check what’s going on in your local area. How about opening up your home to language students during the summer-school season? Or inviting international students at Christmas? Are there local support groups that need volunteer help?
• Church ministries can be helpful and attractive to international people: children’s clubs, pre-school groups, school-holiday activities, cafes or drop-in centres, and social events—especially those centred on food or important dates in the calendar, like Christmas.
• Perhaps you could start up something yourself: cookery classes related to your own culture; a free English-conversation group; a club that arranges outings and social events for internationals.