July 2015 
                                                                            

How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?

 

Think about those living on your street or in your apartment building.  Where are their home countries? Or, were they born and raised in your country? Do you have a neighbor from a different nation? Or maybe YOU are living outside of your homeland! 

 

United Nations statistics report more people living outside their homeland than in any other time in history. Around the globe, over two hundred million people live in a country other than their homeland. Half of these global nomads live in ten nations -The United States, Russia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates, The United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia and Spain. 

 

Up to 15% of the people living in some of these countries moved there from somewhere else. 

 

A question . . . how can we use this moving from nation to nation for the sake of the Gospel?  

In our next email updates we will consider ways that WorldView is preparing people to talk to "new neighbors" now living up and down the block.

Differences Can Create Opportunities!


There are more people living outside of their homeland today than at any time in history. What does that mean to the Kingdom?

 

1 - In some places, it is Christians who have moved out of their homeland and are now in a land without many Christians. In that case, those who have recently moved in can bring the Gospel with them. The Kingdom grows because Christians from one land share with non-Christians in their host nation.

Chinese Congregations
 Worship in Panama

 

2 - Perhaps non-Christians have moved out of their homeland, and they now live in a land with many Christians. The churches established in that host culture become light and salt, sharing with their new neighbors who do not know the Lord.

 

3 - Sometimes it is Christians from a country who move into communities of their unsaved countrymen. Chinese Christians who move from China often find opportunity to share with non-Christian Chinese in their new host nations.  

 

4 - There are so many other options! What of the Christians who have left their homeland and who team up with other Christians who also left their homeland? I know Koreans who serve on teams with other Koreans, but none of them have ever lived in Korea!  They got to know each other as the "Missionary kids" of immigrant communities of various nations.

 

Diversity of Hands Holding National Flags People are on the move. The Gospel 

is for all people. These two facts are both powerful, and they are even more powerful when they interact!  Next time you see an immigrant in your neighborhood, stop and think what that might mean  for bringing the Gospel to the unreached.

It's Happening Here too!

 

Portland, Oregon, (home of WorldView) is home to people from all over the world. Sitting on the Pacific Rim, it is especially inviting to many Asians--Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, East Indian and others. This gives Portlanders opportunities to reach other nations right next door.

 

Two religious views held by many of these Asians are Hinduism and Buddhism. To help Portlanders reaching out, WorldView recently hosted two seminars-"Know Your Hindu Neighbor" and "Know Your Buddhist Neighbor".

 

In the March "Know Your Hindu Neighbor", Brother "Sy" shared basics of a Hindu belief system, which can includes the existence of many gods, and reincarnation, while at the same time calling Hinduism monotheistic. He also pointed to how many white Americans now adopt Hindu beliefs. As we watched a YouTube interview of a Hindu convert (YouTube link), we could see both the beliefs and how they attract new followers.

 

Dr. Tin Nguyen provided insights to Buddhism at May's "Know Your Buddhist Neighbor". Dr. Nguyen's ministry includes researching Buddhism as he ministers to Vietnamese locally and in Asia. At the WorldView seminar, he relayed the complexity and wide variety of what Buddhists believe as they focus on becoming nothing through multiple cycles of life. 

 

Both seminars stimulated the participants to learn more about the Hindu and Buddhist belief systems. Plans are underway for a follow-up session to the Buddhist seminar which will provide tools for sharing Christ with Buddhists. Interested in attending? Email Joan Burdick at: office@iiccworldview.org.


Coming Events:

 

July 6 - 22
"Seeing a Culture" Seminar
A WorldView training seminar. Participants learn to observe a culture accurately as a first step towards cultural understanding. See descriptions of all the seminars on the website - iiccworldview.org
Email us for more information or to register.

July 14
11:00 AM  - 1:00 PM
Second Tuesday 
Mission Lunch
Steve and Joann Price share exciting news about the developments of Sanctuary Inn.
Please email the office or call (503 235 3818) and let us know you are coming.  

August 11
11:00 AM  - 1:00 PM
Second Tuesday 
Mission Lunch
Willem and Carol Nel share their ministry in Mozambique.
Please email the office or call (503 235 3818) and let us know you are coming. 

 

Prayer & Praise!

 


--for the language and culture seminars to be encouraging and a great place to grow.  

 

--for all gospel global workers around the world who are far from "home."

 

--continuing wisdom for the changes, joys and challenges facing the two sister ministries of WorldView and Sanctuary Inn. 

 

Did You Know ?

 


Lima, Peru, has a thriving community of people from China. 

 

Beijing has an active group of US citizens. 

 

France is home to thousands of North Africans.

  

In 2008 the buying power of minorities in the USA exceeded $1.5 trillion. An increase of 231 percent from 1990.

Coming in the Fall of 2015

 

Tools For Beginning Language Learners 

Inquire about new classes by Email: language@iiccworldview.org

 

Whether anticipating attendance at a formal language school or expecting to learn a language by working with a language helper, participants learn the strategies and skills necessary for successful language learning.

Multicultural Team Seminar
Questions? Email:  info@iiccworldview.org

Serving interculturally is more complicated than serving cross-culturally! This seminar offers interpersonal and ministry skills for working with people from three or more cultures.
6012 SE Yamhill St.
Portland, Oregon 97215 
USA
503 235 3818