9 thoughts on “Start Here: Expanding your Heart for the Nations Where You’re At

  1. Rebecca says:

    Love this! Great ideas to start that cultural learning process now. You made reference to it above but definitely visiting a congregation of another culture and language can be an eye opening experience.

  2. Matt says:

    I’m absolutely for anything that encourages people to engage the nations locally, however, this article kind of takes the perspective that local international work is practice for the “real thing.” Maybe, just maybe, God is calling his church to go into all ethne here. This shouldn’t be about which is better or what is practice for what, but just being sensitive to the Spirit for God to lead you to the people he wants to love through you. Perhaps a missionaries whole career overseas was practice for their call back home. God is big. My guess is that it’s more complex than we would think.

    So yes, do these things but be ready to hear the call to KEEP doing them.

    • Janel says:

      Matt, I love this perspective, and it speaks loudly to me as a returning missionary. My husband has pointed out that in some ways, the African nation we left is more “reached” than my home country right now. Thanks so much for offering this point of view and these challenging words.

  3. Denise Rhoades says:

    These are great ideas. All followers of Christ should engage with those right in our own cities, no matter who they are or where they are from. Yes, it is a great training for preparing for overseas work but it is also what the local followers of Christ are called to do. PERIOD! I love working with refugees in my city. I have learned so much from them and found a deep love for them knowing that we are all God’s created children. I would suggest this link to locate refugee organizations in your city to engage with. They can tell you of other organizations that are faith-based usually as well: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/state-programs-annual-overview

    Another opportunity is to attend worship in another language (as the writer says she did for a senior class). You don’t have to know the language at all to feel the sense of God’s love for all His children. I know in my city there are at least 15-20 churches holding services in other languages on any given weekend.

    • Janel says:

      Denise, I love your passion for the people in your city. (I’ve loved working with refugees as well!) Thanks for the great link and the ideas of continuing to immerse ourselves in other cultures among us. Great stuff.

  4. Samuel A Anyu says:

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