It was not too difficult to get myself back to the work routine upon returning from Taiwan in 2009, but I sure missed ministering among foreign inmates and work with a multi-ethnic team. That summer, I began to pray and ask the Lord to give me an opportunity to minister among multi-ethnic people.
I heard about the International Student Inc. (ISI) through the Chinese mission organization years ago, so I contacted the ISI headquarter and was connected with a local international student fellowship. I was involved in the international student ministry with the majority were Asians from September 2009 to spring 2011.
When I joined the international student ministry, the weekly attendance was around fifteen students. I teamed up with two male ministers, and naturally I was assigned for food preparation in spite of not having the gift for cooking. With a limited budget and an American sister’s help, we were able to provide free meals to the students weekly. Having a homemade dinner is a big attraction to international students. We also provided transportation if students needed a ride home after the gathering. I applied what I had learned from the prison ministry to this ministry by remembering names and expressing my genuine care and love to every student God brought to us.
It is not easy to grow a small group, but once we had trust and relationships built with several regular attendees, they began to invite their friends to join us. The ministry host church usually would hold a new international student welcome reception twice a year. On Father’s Day of 2010, we rejoiced for our first student baptism. Gradually, the regular attendance had grown from fifteen to thirty by spring 2011. God had also added two volunteers to join the team.
Once we had trust and relationships built with several regular attendees, they began to invite their friends to join us.
Some churches and believers think it is not worth the effort to reach out to two-year community college international students because they might not see any immediate results, and students will transfer to a university in a different city later. But most students are very relational and continue their relationships with the ministry team even after they have completed their studies and returned to their homeland. Among them was a Chinese student from Taiwan, Matthew.
I often drove Matthew home after our gatherings and got to know his story personally. Matthew did not accept Christ before he left the U.S. for his global journey, but he always meets me and another team leader whenever he comes to the U.S. Two years ago, when he went to Germany, we were surprised to learn that he joined the multi-ethnic gospel choir of an international church in Berlin! Even though Matthew is still a non-believer, we trust God will lead him into His sheep pen when the time comes.
International Student Interview Survey
In-person interview surveys were conducted in basketball courts and at church with 10 international student respondents. The average age of the respondents was 20.8 years old. Their religions included 2 Hindus, 3 Christians, 1 atheist, and 4 with no religious belief, and ethnicities included 5 Chinese, 2 Indians, 1 Panamanian, and 2 Asian Americans.
Worldview
When asked about their worldviews, 50% of the respondents thought that conflict and evil have thrown the world into chaos, and 20% thought the world is good and full of life. As to judgment standards for determining good from bad and right from wrong, the student respondents judged either by conscience, laws, the Bible, consequences, avoiding harm to others, or any combination of the above. The findings indicate the fallen world can be used as the connecting point for evangelism purpose.
Church Activities
As for church attendance, 90% of the respondents had been to church before, and 40% were active church goers. 30% of the respondents had either attended church or studied in Christian schools in their countries. These findings show most of the respondents were positive toward attending activities at church.
American Home Visits and Friendship
70% of the student respondents had never visited an American family before, and were interested to visit for holidays or special occasions. All student respondents would like to befriend Americans and also people of other ethnicities. The findings disclose most respondents are highly interested in visiting American homes and becoming friends with Americans and people of other ethnicities.
Most student respondents are highly interested in visiting American homes and becoming friends with Americans and people of other ethnicities.
Perceptions About Christians
30% of the student respondents said Christians are good people. 70% mentioned Christians are devoted to religion and dynamic in relationships with one another, but also noted that not many Christians act as the Bible teaches, and that Christians need to respect other’s choices and avoid bringing religion into conversations. The findings show that most perceptions of Christians are good, but Bible teaching or evangelism is not welcome. Church members need to be trained for relational evangelism, building relationships and trust first, before witnessing and sharing the Gospel.
Expectations from American Church
40% of the student respondents felt very much at home at church, and 30% hoped to have homemade Asian food served at small groups. Others valued friendship and handshake greetings, or preferred to go to their own ethnic church instead of an American church. Respondents who felt very much at home at church commented that the care, smiles, and familiar faces made them feel welcomed, and that the church met their needs. These findings indicate that the student respondents expects American churches to meet their needs, befriend them, and provide opportunities for multi-cultural interactions.
Church needs to understand the cultural needs of community, then develop outreach programs accordingly.
The findings show that 2/3 of the respondents do not belong to any group in the community, and they are interested to belong to a group. Church needs to understand the cultural needs of community, then develop outreach programs accordingly. Non-evangelistic community activities can create a common group identity and a sense of belonging for the purpose of relational evangelism.
In 2011, the calling for multi-ethnic ministry came to me, so I trusted these international students to the ministry team and began my seminary training. I began to spend more time with multi-ethnic exercise friends whom I met at the gym.
Relational Realism for Christian Ministry 關係論與基督教事工 