Susan An, a local trainer and evangelist, and Amanda Mason
In many ways in Sydney, mission has come to us. Nations all around the world have come to our doorstep providing us with an abundance of opportunities to share our faith with them. There is a joy in knowing that we are all one people in Christ Jesus. But ministries focussed on a specific culture or people group can also be highly beneficial and effective. I myself became a Christian through going to an ethnicity-based church. When you are reminded every day that you stand out from the crowd, being with others who stand out with you can be a strong drawcard in building a community.
At Moore, we benefit from the wisdom and experience of people who continue on this work of evangelising a specific people group. Their insight, knowledge and research are generously shared with us to grow the next generation of gospel workers reaching the nations. I look forward to gathering before the throne of the Lamb with every nation, tribe, people and language (Rev 7:9) and singing his praises with these, and many other, people groups.
Rev Susan An
Dean of Women, MTC
Getting to Know the People Groups of Sydney
Hindus in South West Sydney
By local trainer and evangelist (name withheld for privacy)
“I work as a trainer and evangelist with Evangelism and New Churches to reach people from South Asian backgrounds, and Hindus in particular. I work with 5 partner churches across Sydney to run training on Hinduism, cross-cultural evangelism and storytelling, and support their efforts to connect and share Jesus in their local communities.”
This year I was involved in the Moore Mission in areas of Sydney with large numbers of migrants from South Asia, in particular Toongabbie and Wentworthville. As part of their training about Hinduism, I took students to visit a Hindu temple and experience the food and culture of these suburbs.
It’s encouraging to see how churches are working together and trying novel approaches to take the gospel to Hindus. For example, we tried an outreach “Prayer night” event with candles, chai and a meal. This leans on the Hindu values of community and relationship. By sharing a Bible story and offering prayer to the Father in Jesus’ name, we gave visitors an experience of the intimate relationship followers of Jesus experience with God and with each other.
Hindus and South Asians are generous and hospitable and I think they have lots to teach us about community. As they see all of life as spiritual, I love that they are often happy to talk about spiritual things. South Asians love to celebrate special occasions with colour, joy and food, and who doesn’t love a delicious curry!
One big challenge in reaching out to Hindus is there’s not just one set of beliefs but a diversity of ideas and practices that have come about over thousands of years. It’s important to get to know each individual and love them rather than make assumptions. In general, although Hindus are willing to have spiritual conversations and have a respect for Jesus, it’s very hard for them to accept Jesus as the only way to salvation. In addition, because they may believe God is within each of us, they are challenged by the concept of sin as an affront to a personal God. It takes patience, time and love to share Jesus with Hindus, so they can see his holiness, their own sin, and their need for Jesus as the only Saviour.
Prayer
- Give thanks for the creativity of the churches as they reach out to Hindu people groups
- Pray for patience, resources and love as God’s people in this area share Jesus
- Pray that Hindus may be struck by their sinfulness and consequent need for a merciful God
Theravada Buddhists in Metro Sydney
by Amanda Mason
Teacher in World Religions and the Gospel at MTC and a part-time worker in the public mental health system focusing on the provision of culturally responsive treatment to people from different languages and cultures.
I help Australian Christian communities engage with diaspora—that is people who are living away from their place of origin and are from different languages and cultures.
In particular, I dedicate time to observing, participating in, and studying patterns in ministry to people from Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhist backgrounds. Theravada Buddhism is the type of Buddhism followed by most of the population in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and the Bamar people of Myanmar (and Sri Lanka, beyond Southeast Asia).
Opportunities exist to grow a mutual understanding between Australian Christian communities and these diaspora communities. I seek to facilitate that understanding by working closely with Christian communities in Sydney where Southeast Asian communities live, work and play and where opportunities to build relationships are close to hand for local churches.
There is an exciting opportunity for Australian Christian communities to recognise and respond to the many migrants from Buddhist majority countries. It is a challenge that is still ahead of us for Christian communities to fully reflect a unity that transcends cultural boundaries and echoes Paul’s call for us to act as we are truly made—one body in Christ (1 Cor 12).
A challenge is helping churches respond to the diversity on our doorstep with diversity. It is tempting to think that the learning practises of one cultural group are mirrored in other cultures. For example, unlike the expectation in many Australian Christian communities that literacy is required for Bible teaching, Buddha’s teachings were taught orally in local languages, and consequently, literacy is not as high a priority among Buddhist-majority cultures as it is in Western Protestant cultures.
These differences continue to challenge Australian Christians as they recognise how God has scattered and is regathering his people in a globalised context and their role as God’s people in that new missiological context.
Prayer
- Give thanks that we can engage with the values and perspectives from both the Western world and Chinese-Thai diaspora worlds.
- For a deeper understanding of the Asian Theravada Buddhist culture in churches so that the gospel would spread.
- Pray for growing engagement between Australian Christian communities and the Diaspora communities.
