Could Ethnic People Share the Gospel With Their Homeland?

Key Talking Point #7 Ethnic People can develop a Spiritual passion for their own people group if we demonstrate a passion for the lost of their nation.

Most materialistic Americans think people immigrate to America for personal greed.

Generally this is not their real motive. Their greatest motive is to provide for their family here and in their homeland. Nearly all of them come out of a survivor mentality where communal support of family and culture is necessary compared to the all too common American “me first” motive.

Did you know that a majority of immigrant people are selected and sent by friends and family which means they are “on assignment” to assist those at home? Even if not, they are willing to sacrifice when they arrive so they can assist their cultural network. They passionately do amazing things to succeed.

Four years ago this became clear to me when I read that the second largest national income in Mexico was Mexican immigrants sending money from USA.

I concluded that if ethnic people knew the joy of sins forgiven through faith in Christ, compared to the works and fear systems of a past religion, they would find a way to send or take the Gospel to the culture they came from.

To me this is a good theory but I am afraid we Americans have a problem. THE WAY YOUR DISCIPLE MAY BE THE WAY THEY DISCIPLE.

Do we American’s have enough spiritual passion to step out of our cultural comfort zone in order to reach out in love to those in our neighborhood who struggle socially and spiritually to survive in this foreign land??? Is there enough personal concern in our local churches for the lost of “every tongue, tribe and nation” to move us to be missionaries in the mission field that has come to us?

Let me know what you think. Let’s begin praying for a soul winning passion without prejudice against any ethnic group. We can be a model for how the ethnic immigrant could be a missionary to his homeland.

You Can Offer HOPE To Overcome FEAR

Key Talking Point #6 Ethnic People living here need freedom from their religion based on fear.

I saw fear as the basis of other religions in clear demonstration when I traveled to foreign countries. I saw this in contrast to Christianity, at least to authentic Biblical Christianity.

We can offer a confident HOPE; “…shall never perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) This hope is based on assurance that our sins are forgiven and from this we can enjoy PEACE and JOY. No more do I have to fear whether I worked enough to pay for my sins to satisfy God.

True, other religions have a system of WORKS to satisfy a god or hundreds of gods BUT the underlying motive is FEAR. The true salvation provided by Christ is one of assurance. I do not have to pay for my sins or work to appease an angry god. Christ paid for the sins of the whole world. This includes every language group without exception.

But think of this; many people who immigrate to America think that “Christianity is our national religion”. Even so they come with “their national religion”.

How embarrassing that they come to “Christian America” and we are not doing all we can to welcome them as a friend so they will be open to hear to the invitation “Come unto Me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Mat 11:28)

It is a wasted opportunity. We should wake up to the fact that God has moved millions of people who worship based on fear to our neighborhood. (38 million foreign born people live within our borders.) They have to make so many adjustments to a new culture that most will welcome a helpful friend.

As we help them in the midst of their fear of adjustment to a new land and then we can show them Christ to overcome the fear of judgment for sin. No one can have HOPE and JOY without Christ even though some may become content socially in our land.

Let’s talk about how to befriend these who have a religion of fear.

Do We Need New Mission Agencies To Reach the Ethnic Mission Field Here In America?

Key Talking Point #5: Churches are organized and have potential workers. We don’t need professional missionaries to begin this type of program.

I believe we have the ORGANIZATIONS already in place and that they are sleeping giants? Organized mission agencies are needed to train and oversee evangelism and church planting in most areas of the world; in America too. However, the mission field has come to us; to our neighborhood.

We have thousands of LOCAL CHURCHES already located in the midst of multi ethnic mission fields of people who need Christ. They are representative of the Nations of the world. The exciting mission potential! If churches were to share the Joy of Salvation with these lost souls they could give this message in Nations closed to Americans.

Too many American believers are satisfied to attend church, give money and pray for the professional workers to give the Gospel to the LOST. It also seems that the word MISSIONS triggers the concept that the work is to be done in some foreign land where it will not disturb our comfort zone. Don’t change the foreign missions but don’t be content thinking that everything possible is being done.

Local churches are organized. They have leadership and purpose (even though the purpose needs to be expanded). Local churches have the potential missionaries (member) who live near or even next door to the Nations; the immigrates in our neighborhoods.

From experience I believe churches need an agency that can help them capture the vision and assist them to be the LOCAL MISSION AGENCY to “disciple all nations” without leaving home.

Ethnic to Ethnic Ministries, Inc can provide: 1.vision casting for a church to be the MISSION AGENCY locally, 2. Can offer training for leadership and members, 3. Can assist with strategic planning, and 4. Can help set policies and programs to increase the success rate.

What do you think? Can mono ethnic churches become multi ethnic? Post your opinions; list the challenges and opportunities in the small envelope below.

Next week; People need Hope and Freedom from Fear.

Immigration: Problem or Opportunity from God?

# 4 Key point for E-tem. God has moved people from most of the nations and people groups of the world to the USA.

Immigration (legal and illegal) is a hot topic. When asked, I say there are two sides to this. 1, there is a national and political issue we should be attentive to. BUT, 2, there is the spiritual issue or opportunity whereby we can assist in the spreading of the Gospel worldwide and to all people groups.

The facts indicate that God is moving the world to our neighborhood; within our reach. This is an important trend to watch because everyday, the challenges for American foreign missions increase. Countries are closing or restricting American missionaries including the increasing costs. It is as if we are being forced out of traditional mission methods.

Some report that people from 190 foreign countries now live here and that 650 languages are spoken within our borders.

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES, www.cis.org/immigration, reports, “The
March CPS found 37.3 million immigrants in the country. Data collected in 2006
indicates that 613,000 immigrants live in group quarters, for a total foreign-born population of 37.9 million in March 2007”

“The figure shows that between March 1995 and March 2000, the foreign-born population grew by 5.7 million, or about 1.1 million a year. The figure also shows that between 2000 and 2007 the immigrant population grew 7.3 million, or 1.04 million a year. These two numbers are the same statistically.”

This means that one out of every eight people (1 out 8) living here were born in another country. In other words the mission field has come to us. Matt. 28 tells us we should “Disciple” in our going or as we go. This also means each one who is a “disciple of Christ” can be a “missionary” with out leaving home.

This #4 out of 13 Talking Points. In 3 weeks we will talk about the passion people have for their homeland so if they could experience the joy of salvation I believe they will find a way to send or take the Gospel to their friends.

Next week: To be part of this new opportunity we don’t have to have professional/full time missionaries . See you then. www.Ethnictoethnic.org