Focusing on Immigrants

What are you doing to reach the immigrants to your community?

Our community has experiencing a rapid growth in the population of immigrants. They come from South America, the Northern and the Southern USA, and Asia. Most have no interest in the Gospel, and are skeptical of visiting Christians. Any suggestions to help us here would be greatly appreciated.

I hope that this doesn't come across wrong, but if they have no interest in the gospel, then there is really not much that you can do for them except to try to show them their need to embrace the gospel. Personally, I find that everyone fears death to some degree, and the Bible bears witness of this in Hebrews 2:14-15, so I try to bring up the topic of death and its cause (sin), and then I preach Christ's sacrifice and resurrection from the dead as the only cure. Even if they initially reject it, then at least I have given the Holy Spirit something to work with or something to potentially give the increase to.

I guess that what I am trying to say without directly saying it is to stay away from using any gimmicks to draw people in.

Showing them love is always a good groundbreaker. Especially if you feed them. Everybody loves food. Of course, when Jesus fed the multitudes, he gave them a lot more than natural food to chew on.

preaching to them about death and avoiding it is not right . it is only the second death Christians will avoid. the first death will continue to happened for majority of people so we need to find a better way of showing people Gods plan. Jesus said his people would be known for their love . so perhaps less preaching and more living the gospels. if people see the love Christians have for them then they will ask where does this love come from . then you can preach

Although I did not mention it in my initial response, when broaching the topic of death, I always talk to people about what happens after physical death. In other words, I let them know that the Bible teaches that after death comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27), and that we will all ultimately face one of two resurrections. Either the resurrection unto life or the resurrection unto damnation (John 5:26-29). Jesus and the apostles regularly spoke on such matters, so it is definitely not wrong for us to follow after their examples.

Also, I did mention that showing them love is a good groundbreaker.

All immigrants come to a new land for a better life.
Show them how God loves them and wants them to do well and pray with them. Its immigrants children who have the hardest time fitting in.

I know because I am a second generation. we never fell like we truly belong, even though we grow up speaking the native tongue learning from everyone else at school. Everyone just looks at immigrants and does see them as outsiders automatically because immigrant families stick together. we have to leave our families behind but everyone always asks us where we come from even if we are born in the new land because we dont look like anyone else, we eat different food, and we have different customs.

telling an immigrant they have to accept Jesus or go to hell is not going to go down well. An immigrant would rather be with their family in hell than be alone in heaven where none will seemingly accept them or judges them based on their looks or status or how much money they make

This is the Bible way that was commanded by the Lord and works for immigrants as well as natives. The one obstacle is language with the great wave of illegals. I've noticed that many don't understand a lick of English. There is that communication barrier. That's where bilingual soul winners are especially needed.

speak in their tongue if you can

I have a collection of gospel presentations in different languages.
Let me know what you need.

Agreed, if they won't listen we shouldn't waste our time on them..-
Jesus said- "If any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them" (Mark 6:11)
Jesus said- "Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, I'll be ashamed of him" (Mark 8:38 )
Paul said- "What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?..Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters" (2 Cor 6:14-18 )
"Evildoers...They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.." (Psalm 59:6)

Right Lassie?

We should care for immigrants! Western Canada, where I live is mostly first to 4th Gen immigrants. I’m 3rd Gen. my grandparents came from Europe, spoke other languages. My husband had German/Moldavian grandparents on one side, but his other side goes back to eastern Canada, and the US - United Empire Loyalists. British people who were against the Revolutionary War, and escaped to Canada, to support the British. In the US & Eastern Canada, it isn’t unusual to trace your ancestors back to the Mayflower, for example! In western Canada, my grandparents were pioneers, who came for free land. But, they were also from Christian Cultures. Even if not necessarily Protestant, although my husband's family were Protestant. And my son-in-law also had Christian grandparents from Germany. My paternal grandparents were eastern European - Polish and Ukrainian. My grandmother got saved during Sunday evening revival meetings at the large downtown Pentecostal Church, along with her sisters. But, she just kept going to her Orthodox church, and reading the same Bible. The newer immigrants cannot do that, their background is not Christian. So, where are these churches?

Because of being part of the British Empire, more recently the Commonwealth, it is easier to get into Canada from counties such as India, Kenya, Hong Kong and so forth. Before 1948, all citizens of the British Empire had BE passports. So very easy to immigrate.

In BC, the Chinese were brought over to build the national railway. They were treated abysmally, including poll taxes, unsafe working conditions, plus, they had to earn a fortune to bring their families over. But, they persisted. Now, with unification programs, we have many people from China. But certain provinces, like BC and Alberta have a lot of Chinese. It makes for great restaurants! Most Chinese are hard working and buy homes, start their own businesses. The City of Richmond, BC has a huge population of descendants or first/second generation Chinese. In the 1980’s, my husband & I would go to certain Malls for dinner, and they would bring out the English menu from under the counter. We would be the only Caucasians in the place. The street signs in Richmond are often in Chinese. This isn’t just a small Chinatown. It is most of the city. Well, except for the Muslims, the East Indians and the Japanese in Steveston, who still live and fish commercially, despite being removed to camps in the interior, during WWII. Many lost their boats & commercial licenses.

Within the Chinese community, huge Christian churches have developed. Not just in Vancouver, but Calgary & Edmonton. We were invited to a Chinese Christmas dinner in Edmonton, from a man that worked with my husband. It was in a massive Chinese Church. One of the pastors was a fellow student at my seminary, and he was working in outreach within his community, esp the new immigrants. The Alliance Church had many large Chinese Churches, who reach their own community. Many attended my SBC Baptist seminary, just 1/2 hour out of Calgary. I became friends with several women, one was a pastor, and preached regularly. Women pastors in Chinese churches is the rule, the norm. The men don’t want to do the work! My theology prof, who had been a missionary to Asia, and spoke Mandarin helped with a Chinese Church plant. He would preach, and it was unusual for a man to be in the pulpit. Which means, all the railing against women preachers by Caucasian fundamentalists, really is a cultural issue, in these churches.

Anyway, there are Chinese Buddhists, of course. One lady I took world religions with came from a Buddhist family. Her whole family was Buddhist. She was praying for them, and witnessing to them. When she first came to Christ, she was disowned. But God helped her reunite and share the gospel through prayer and love!

It is the Muslims, and East Indians in Canada that are not being reached, in my opinion. There are a few individuals that Christ reaches. We had a friend whose father was a Hindu priest. He became an evangelist to his community, along with his Filipino wife. They would give their testimonies, at banquets & outreaches. One time, the man, who spoke Hindi and Fijian, besides English, spoke 4 words in an unknown tongue. (You all know I am not charismatic!)

At the end of the banquet, a man rushed up, and said, “Why didn’t you say you spoke Armenian?” On a napkin, he had written down the 4 word my ex-Hindu friend had said, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” He showed me the napkin! The man was saved after the gospel was explained. Every trip back to Burnaby, our friend would see this man, and his unsaved family members would hear the testimony, the gospel, and more would get saved. 36 in total! I guess that is a way to reach immigrants. And I still don’t believe a lot of what goes on in Pentecostal churches, is from God. But, when you see the evidence, and so many get saved, it’s hard to stand against a work of God. I wouldn’t use this as a method of evangelism, but if it happens, I don’t think we should kick against it. But the sad part of this story, is the man who was the Hindu, really slipped away from God. He was drinking, smoking and his wife left him over the women he was sleeping around with. So did his second wife! Was it because he had absolutely no support among his own community? Not many Hindus become born again Christians. Or was it just pride, slipping away from God because of his huge evangelistic endeavours? I guess one day, I'll ask God. Certainly, he walked away from God by sinning, but I wonder how isolated he felt, being the only former Hindu, Fijian Christian?

Continued

Surrey, outside of Vancouver, has become a huge city. Because of a Sikh temple on the western edge, there are millions of East Indians who live there. We personally did a lot of outreach with our neighbours. I led many of the woman to Christ, and gave them Punjabi Bibles to read. But there were no churches, no community for them to become a part of. Plus, the husbands were very resistant to the gospel. After we moved, I wondered if those women survived their difficult walk with Christ. How wonderful if one or 2 churches had started women’s Bible studies, or even ESL classes using the Bible, for fellowship and encouraging, teaching them how to walk with Christ. Yet, none that I knew of, did! In a majority East Indian community, almost every Protestant church had Caucasian members. None of the churches we attended in that community, ever reached out to the East Indian community. And yet, they literally lived next door.

Years later I ended up teaching in a mostly East Indian public school in Surrey. I got to know the students, learned more about their culture. I let them know I was a Christian. They even did a writing assignment for me on what they did for Christmas! All but 2 (a JW& a Hindu) participated. They all wrote about “opening up their presents under the Christmas tree, after going to temple!” How sad they were integrating into the surface aspects of Christmas, and missing Christ -God who was immanent in the manger.

Although as an elementary music teacher, I did a Christmas concert yearly, and each class would sing a traditional Carol about Jesus, and a commercial song, like Jingle Bells. All the parents would come to the concert, and be so proud of their children singing Christmas carols in their new country. I would also bring in a children’s Bible, the last class before Christmas, after the concert. I would explain the story, what the words meant, as part of Canadian society. It was only planting seeds. I could have lost my job, I suppose. Although the only one who protested the concerts, was a white lesbian fellow teacher!!

I do believe it is important to reach immigrants! And what an opportunity!! Muslims are so difficult to reach. I had a Muslim woman tell me about Islam in a doctor’s office one day! She was bold! Of course, I was able to defend my faith, although they twist it. "Isa" was a prophet. Well, Jesus/Isa was a prophet, but he was also God. He came to save us from our sins. How many others did that Muslim women share her false gospel with? How many said the Shahada to become a Muslim? Where were the Christians, who should have been sharing the truth of Jesus with them?

I think churches really do need to begin outreaches, as a way to win the world. I know a wonderful missionary couple, who were missionaries with the International Mission Board of the SBC. When the whole department was into cost over runs, the senior missionaries were asked to retire/resign. So, this couple took that as an opportunity to move back to Texas. But, they didn't just sit in a pew in a white church. They raised support, joined another missionary organization, and moved to Austin! A university town, with people from all over the world. They got help from their new organization, but also from the SBC. They did outreach in particular with the Muslims. They would show the Jesus film in Arabic, and other languages, then do Bible studies. I was praying for many of these people who would come, for Christ to shine through. Many did come to Christ, and they were followed up by churches set up to reach multi-nationals. And a number of the people they were able to lead to Christ, were from countries completely closed to Christ. And those people, would go to their home country, and tell their families about Jesus. It was amazing. This couple is still doing this. They have a passion for the lost, and the immigrants.

Billy, maybe show the Jesus film. Start women's Bible studies, maybe as ESL classes. Learn about these cultures. Don't convert them to North American culture, convert them to Christ. Let Him do the picking and choosing about what to change. Of course, sin is sin. And repentance must be part of the gospel. Which is perhaps why Muslim and Sikh men don't want to accept Christ. But, as for the cultural issues, Jesus is above those things. The Great Commission is still in full force. We need to obey God, and reach our neighbours, including those from other countries and religions, which is part of the Great Commission!

"Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matt 28:18-20

Yes countries should take a limited amount of genuine asylum seekers, but not the ungrateful illegal ones who come to scrounge off us, especially as the vast majority are not even Christians.
The Bible is quite clear on this-
"Do not let unbelievers into your house or bid them God speed" (2 John 1:10 KJV)
Jesus said- "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs....do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces" (Matt 15:26,Matt 7:6)

You totally misread what I wrote!

NEVER did I say either Canada or the US should increase its total number of refugees. I didn't even speak of refugees, I was specifically talking about people already here, that we should be reaching out to, which we are not. I realize neither of our countries is able to absorb huge numbers of refugees, which is an ethical issue in itself. I do not believe we should be making our countries unliveable, when we cannot take care of the people who are already here. Canada has a situation which I am not sure applies in the US. We have Trudeau intentionally bringing in Muslim refugees, or maybe not even refugees, without having an plan on how to care for them. Then, he dumps them on the provinces, who don't have the resources to care for them, especially teaching them English.

That is quite different than the huge number of Iranian legal refugees, for example, who find immediate placements for jobs in nuclear development. When the plane was shot down leaving Iran a few years ago, a passenger manifest revealed that many of the passengers were highly qualified scientists. These people add to the quality of our country, and research and development.

Not so much, people living in camps for generations in Jordan, and the Jordanians want them gone. But, they are without any kind of education,and will not integrate well. I'm not talking about that, nor about Roxham Road in Quebec, where thousands of illegal immigrants entered Canada from the US, which was not persecuting them. Their home country doesn't count, just the country they entered from - the US. Anyway, rumour has it that is closing down as an entrance to Canada.

Meanwhile, for decades, as I illustrated above, many people have come into Canada under family reunification programs. They are here, their families are here. And where and when has the church done much of anything to help these people come to know Christ? My pastor tends to be very leftist. But I don't see him open the church doors to help people who are already here. We have a lot of Ukrainians seeking refuge in Canada right now. But, we also have a huge population of people who have descended from Ukrainian immigrants, like my grandparents, who came to Canada in 1910. My great-grandparents and grandparents worked hard. But, they were Christian. Unlike the large Sikh and Muslim populations we already have. They are here, but the church seems to turn a blind eye to these people who need the gospel. My last church had large bulletin boards of information of the 100s of thousands of $$$ we were spending supporting these missionaries. I'm not saying that is a bad thing. But, not a penny was spent on outreach in our community to help people from countries who were not Christian. What an open door that the western church shuts! And reaching these immigrants does not require a single person coming in illegally, or without qualifications to make a difference in the development of our country. Like my grandparents did - by owning a store, and selling food during the Depression (or mostly giving it away!) and raising up kids who became teachers, doctors, lawyers and contribute in many ways to Canada being a better place to live. My grandmother was illiterate. But, her grandchildren have a huge list of degrees and accomplishments, and her great grandchildren, even more. But, she was a Christian, didn't really need an outreach. But, what about all the Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims who are already here? Who is creating programs to help them speak English, and sharing the gospel at the same time? Very few people or churches, that's who!

Next time, try and read what I wrote, rather than launching off on your own anti-illegal immigrant tangent. Esp. when I do not disagree with you. Billy wanted to know what kind of outreach could be done to reach immigrants who were already in his community. Perhaps that is the question you need to answer, instead of answering me in a way that shows you didn't even read my posts.

You suggested "reaching out" to immigrants who are already here, but that's a no-no because they don't WANT to be reached out to, they simply go on sticking to their own nonchristian beliefs.
In fact THEY should be reaching out to US, in which case we'd be happy to talk to them to set them straight, but in the meantime-
"What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?..Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters" (2 Cor 6:14-18 )

What happened to "Go into the world and preach the gospel"? We do not have to get involved in the world or its ways. Jesus still is Saviour and Lord and the gospel still needs to be preached. We are in the world and there is no escape in this lifetime or unless Jesus comes back. Jesus died for all, even the immigrants that you have a problem with. I can assure you that not all reject the gospel. And an awful lot of people born in our nations reject the gospel also. You can't kick them out!

That's fine, but if they won't listen it's time to walk and not waste any more time on them..
Jesus said-"If any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them" (Mark 6:11)

Would you describe yourself as a Calvinist?

Hindus are not like other unbelievers in that they are open to accepting Jesus as a son of God or variation of God. Hindus also view Jesus as a fairly new God (only about 2000 years old) whereas many of the Hindu gods came about thousands of years earlier. I actually have known quite a few Hindus and they actually like Jesus and Christians but are not open to convert. Christians have to make a case why Jesus is the greater (and only) God, from a Hindu perspective this is hard to do so when they view other gods great in their own way.

Nope, I'm strictly non-denominational because I don't need any cult or sect to do my thinking for me..
Likewise, I recognise only one man as my pastor/minister, namely Jesus himself..-
Jesus said-"Call nobody teacher except me" (Matt 23:8-10)