Most of my days are pretty international, but especially so today:
- I solved a cryptic crossword clue – “The place of my marine service in South Australia” before leaving for work. Answer: Smyrna.
- Coincidentally on the train to work I was reading “The History of Christianity” by Vivian Green and re-read the story of Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna early in the first century. Some Turkish Delight to start the day!
- On the way to work I was rung by our Brazilian church planter about immigration issues, with more discussion about this when I got to work.
- Once I got to the office I was immediately immersed in matters concerning Cook Island and Samoan congregations, which involved ringing Queensland.
- Then there was the matter of finding somewhere for a Ghanaian community to meet on an ongoing basis.
- Then I was arranging to meet with an Indonesian to discuss ministry opportunities.
- A mainland Chinese dropped into to see me and we discussed a mutual friend who came to know Christ through the International Bible Study group I lead – FIG (Friday International Group). This girl is now back in China and we were concerned to make sure she had ongoing support and help in her Christian life.
- There was email communication with the FIG co-leader, my friend Allan Mao, from mainland China, about matters concerning FIG plus a couple from mainland China who are getting baptised next Sunday. They have been prepared for this in the group Allan leads on Friday night.
- I had to come up with a title for a seminar I’m taking at a conference in September and hit on this one: “Breaking Barriers Barring Buddhists Believing.”
- I contacted people who will be attending a training session preparing us to communicate the gospel to Muslims.
- An Egyptian friend sent me an email with two attachments, one being an excellent categorisation of Al-Bukhari\’s mult-volumed hadith – I enjoyed browsing through that!
- I had a long chat with a friend who is part of the Korean Liaison Committee I established last year and which will be visiting a Korean church on Sunday, to encourage and strengthen ministry there.
- In the course of conversation we talked about a Korean friend and his desire to step up his involvement in ministry to the indigenous people of Australia.
- I also received the draft of a flyer for a training program I’m running in May – the MACH (Ministry Across Cultural Horizons) Program that runs for 3 consecutive Saturdays and exposes people to especially Islamic and Buddhist cultures, plus various strategies for multicultural ministry, incorporating trips to a mosque and a temple, with great food that fits the occasion! A Korean church has generously provided its facilities for this purpose.
- I unsuccessfully tried to ring a senior Chinese pastor in LA whom we have invited to be our keynote speaker at a 2G (2nd Generation) Conference I am hoping to run this August. The Cross-Cultural Ministry Council with which I meet (the other 7 are all NESB [non-English speaking background] pastors) identified second generation ministry as the next big issue we need to address to improve the effectiveness of multicultural ministry.
- My youngest daughter texted me to tell me she was thinking of going with a Brazilian friend to a Brazilian Bible study group in Manly, where a unit will be packed out with young unconverted Brazilians full of questions.
- Now I am just about to leave with my wife to attend the PTC (Presbyterian Theological Centre, where I lecture on Multicultural Ministry and Old Testament) graduation service. For me one of the big highlights will be seeing Allan Mao graduate.
Posted March 12, 2008
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