the world in your own backyard
China, this side of the Atlantic

The Peoples Republic of China boasts more than 400 people groups among its 1.3 billion inhabitants. But, many Chinese, and many of them first generation, reside in North America. Nearly four percent of Americans, or 10 million people, claim Asian descent. Asians account for 5 percent of New Yorks population, 11 percent of Californias, 42 percent of Hawaiis, and ethnic Chinese alone account for 10 percent of the population of British Columbia.

So, what does this mean for followers of Christ trying to reach Asian and, specifically Chinese, unbelievers who may live the next street over? Well, it means interacting with a varied and widespread community consisting of people hailing from a mostly communistic and atheistic society. Taoism and Buddhism, focusing on transcendence rather than a higher power, are the staple religions of China, with a small segment practicing Islam or some form of Christianity.

Right now there are four main groups of Chinese people living in North America: Chinese people hailing from mainland China, people from Hong Kong, people from Taiwan and people of Chinese descent born in the United States or Canada. They speak various dialects of Chinese, but the official language is Mandarin.

So whats the key to reaching this widespread, diverse and growing population in North America?

Language. Finding community among people who dont speak your language is difficult. This is why its important for on mission Christians and churches to take action in helping the perhaps disoriented newcomers in their area find a group of Christians who speak Mandarin, Cantonese or some other Chinese dialect. So, how do you communicate with them to accomplish this? Contact your local college or university, or perhaps the local Chinese language church, and go through a translator.

Culture. Study the culture of the people group youre trying to reach. Chinese culture is collectivist, writes Rajendra Pillai in Reaching the World in Our Own Backyard. In other words, whether a Chinese person accepts Christ depends a lot on how it will affect his or her relationship with their family.

If youre serious about bridging the culture gap and reaching your Chinese neighbors for Christ, its important to do a little independent research before you set off down the street.  

For more information on reaching the Chinese families in your community contact Jaime Prieta, jprieta@ namb.net. To meet missionaries reaching Chinese people groups, see pages 20-24 of this issue of On Mission.

international missions
Helping others give to missions

Trying to raise awareness among your family and friends about international missions? This year you can give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO)  and draw attention to the needs of more than 5,500 Southern Baptist international missionaries. The International Mission Board (IMB) is providing Christmas cards, which can be sent with an inscription signifying that a donation has been made to LMCO in honor or memory of loved ones. Inserts are also available to be used with personal greeting cards.

For more information on how to help your church and community be more involved with giving through LMCO, visit ime.imb.org. To learn more about what other IMB resources are available to help you in your support of missions around the world, visit resources.imb.org or call toll free 800-999-3113.

telephone evangelism
Faith through Fiberoptics

When she puts on her wireless headset, usually Pat Zimmerman is making herself ready to answer questions about faith in Jesus. Pat is a telephone encourager for the North American Mission Board.

Ive had all types of phone calls, Pat says, many times Ill have people call for encouragement during a difficult time in their lives. Some are Christians and some are people with whom I am able to share the gospel. 

Pat logs on to the TE network several times throughout the week, and occasionally even takes calls past midnight. So far she has logged 2,241 hours, answering 2,407 calls leading to 117 salvation decisions.

I started this three years ago, and Ive been loving it ever since , says Pat, a widow. I love telling people about my Jesus.

Carl Cuhl, a retired dentist in Kentucky, has a similar story. Carl logs on several hours a week as well. During his time as a telephone encourager he has been on the phone 1,495 hours, has taken 1,814 phone calls and has led 98 people to a relationship with Christ.

No matter how many times he takes calls, Carl is humbled by the power of the Holy Spirit working in the telephone.

What Carl says doesnt make any difference, he says. What God says means everything in the world.

Carl will often log on while praying through a list of people hes spoken with on the phone. Sometimes his prayers are answered with the first phone call.

Ive had repeat callers, he says. And on more than one occasion Ive walked them down the Roman Road.

The telephone encourager program is a good way for anyone who owns a phone to be on mission and make a difference from the comfort of their own home.

To learn more about joining the ministry and journey of the telephone encouragers, visit NAMBs Evangelism Response Center at www.erconline.net or email the ERC at erc@namb.net.

interfaith missionary mobilization/missions
Christ among other gods

In the wide-open spaces of Wyoming youll find ranch after ranch built along high plains running to the horizon, snow-capped peaks in August, pristine lakes and forests and some of the heaviest concentrations of occult and cultist practitioners west of the Mississippi. In Casper, youll discover stores selling crystals, pentagrams, spell books and other Wiccan religious elements. In many parts of the state youll find large communities of Mormons. Dispersed throughout are believers in New Age and Satanism.

Going to where weve been called is like entering another country, says Richard Seedorf, a former Mormon and now NAMB Mission Service Corps missionary establishing a Christian resource center to minister to people of other faiths in Casper, Wyoming, and surrounding communities. The spirit of oppression is everywhere around there.

If you and members of your church would like to start off the new year with a commitment to reaching these western towns, partner with Lori and Richard as they begin to reach out to the lost people of these communities. For more information, contact NAMBs Interfaith Evangelism team at 770-410-6322 or email Interfaith, interfaith@namb.net. To contact Lori and Richard Seedorf email no2lds@hotmail.com.

evangelization
On the Road Again

Dave Thomas was a gambling truck driver. He spent weekends at the horsetracks in Kentucky. During the week he frequent-ed casinos in Mississippi and played the Powerball lottery in Virginia. And for a gambler, he said, his life was getting even better. He was about to lose his family and gain some extra time to roll the dice.

I could spend the night in my truck, he says. Gamble all day Friday. Spend Saturday at the racetracks. I would have had it made.

His daughter told him never to come back home, and his wife removed his name from the checking account. Despite his best efforts to vest himself fully in the gambling life, God was not going to let go of him. He shocked his wife when he came home one day as she was leaving for church.

I told her I wanted to go, Dave says. Of course, I wasnt looking for a good sermon. The night that started out as a scheme to take one of his wifes signed checks ended with Gods plan to cash out Daves old life of lies for a new, unusual life of evangelism.

I knelt and prayed If you can change me, then do it, Dave says. I knew I was changed when I got up.

Dave hasnt gambled since. Now, instead of looking for a card game or a race track, he uses his spare time and time on the road between truck loads to search out people who are lost in the type of life he gave up two years ago.

In addition to casual conversation with other truck drivers and anyone else he meets, Dave makes regular visits to truck stops and rest areas where he shares the gospel with travelers and restaurant workers. His primary ministry is to people with addictions, especially gambling addictions. He speaks at churches, on the radio and has even produced Tired of Losing? a gospel tract directed toward gamblers.

Looking back I wish I had never gotten caught up in that life, Dave says. I was a compulsive gambler and a compulsive liar. But now, through my experience, I can give those people the hope of getting out of it and into the life of truth.

If he didnt see his experience as a tool, Dave may never have shared Christ with the woman he met at a Mississippi truck stop. He stopped there for the clean restrooms and the good sweet tea, but was able to share his experience, his testimony and God used him to change a life.

Dave is hard at work now printing a thousand more gamblers tracts, and the truck drivers, who told him he would be gambling again in two weeks, are still waiting.

missionary mobilization
Summer mission opportunities

Meet Sarah Bradley. Three summers ago she signed up for a summer as a North American Mission Board Sojourner, an opportunity for high schoolers, in Houston, Texas. Three summers later and in college, shes a NAMB Summer Missionary walking the streets of Hawaii, inviting strangers to a vacation Bible school. Now in her third year at Union University majoring in Social Work and looking toward a possible career in mission work after she graduates, Sarah says her comfort zone has been expanded for a lifetime.

In Houston I was going to work in a Hispanic community, and I didnt speak a word of Spanish, she says. I was very uncomfortable, and I guess thats what I was looking for. I was really challenged there to find my comfort and strength in Christ.

Just like Sarah, hundreds of high school students and college students are taking advantage of these opportunities for young people who want to take the next step with their on mission lifestyle.

Sojourners and Summer Missionaries work alongside local churches, campus ministries or NAMB missionaries to assist them in evangelization and other ministries.

For those who want to penetrate the culture of the marketplace, NAMBs Innovators program gives students the opportunity to take Christ to their workplace while working with a mentor. 

If you or someone you know is interested in a different kind of summer for the year coming up, find more information at www.namb.net/answerthecall or call 800-462-8657 ext 6458.

Penetrating the culture
Help your doctor be on mission

by terri pilcher

The doctors office is a great opportunity for on mission Christians to encourage medical professionals to share their faith.

Do you view your time at the doctors office as routine, monotonous, frustrating or wasteful? Working as a physicians assistant in occupational health, I examined as many as 50 patients a day, and I realized sometimes how much encouragement doctors and other healthcare providers need to be open about their faith.

The next time you find yourself at the other end of the stethoscope, try reaching out to the heart of the person listening to yours with some of these questions:

Do you believe in prayer?
Most doctors will respond with a yes. They may cite scientific studies or their own personal experiences. If the doctor seems interested in the topic, probe further and find out whether he or she is a Christian.

Will you pray for me?
Feel free to ask this question if you know your doctor is a Christian. If he or she is not used to doing anything spiritual in the office, then there may be hesitation. Even if they refuse now, they may agree another time. Because of your boldness, God will encourage the physician to include Him in the healing process.

Did you know that God helped me through this?
There is no better way for a patient to share Christ with a doctor than through a testimony. You may also mention the support you received from your church family. Offer to allow your doctor to share your testimony with other doctors and patients. This may provide opportunities for you to speak with others struggling with the same ailments.

May I pray for you?
This question should be saved until you develop a relationship with your doctor and know where he or she stands spiritually. When you ask, expect surprise. As a PA, no patient ever asked me this question. Although welcome, I would have stood in several seconds of stunned silence before answering Of course!

May I leave Christian literature in your waiting room?
Only ask this question if you know your physician is a Christian. Never leave Christian material without asking. If you leave something your doctor does not approve of, it could hurt your relationship with him or her. If the doctor takes you up on your offer, join with several church families interested in sharing the cost. It often takes a steady supply to keep up with the demand of patients. So, replenish regularly, and make sure you use short materials in large type to provide quick, relaxed reading. If you plan to include your churchs contact information on the literature, make sure your physician approves this as well.

More Christian doctors will talk to their patients about God when they realize that their patients want spiritual treatment as well as medical prescriptions. By using these simple questions, you will encourage them to provide a therapy that is more effective than pills or surgerythe love of Christ.

Pray...

• That the practice would help heal the brokenhearted

• That your doctor would obey God

• That the office would be a spiritually restful place, a place of truth and a blessing to others

• That the personnel would be attuned to the leading of the Spirit of God as they give words of encouragement and hope

Terri Pilcher is a physicians assistant, professor and writer living in Bel Air, Maryland.

urban evangelism
inner-city Evangelism training
Inner-city Evangelism (ICE) teams from NAMB visited Shreveport and New Orleans in April and May of this year, a visit that led to nearly 300 decisions for Christ in less than a week. ICE is a strategy that helps churches and Southern Baptist associations train and involve Christians in reaching their communities for Christ. To learn more about Inner-City Evangelism and how to get your church active in sharing the gospel, visit www.namb.net/evangelism or email Victor Benavides at vbenavides@namb.net.

Reaching families
Telling His story in a time of grief...on mission funerals
The death of a Christian loved one can provide a natural opportunity for sharing your faith with unsaved family members and friends. Consider:

The prospects of eternity will be on the minds of many who attend the funeral or who provide food and care to family members.

Your grief is real and appropriate. So is your comfort at knowing your loved one has gone to heaven to be with the Lord. Sharing this reality with people who observe your reactions at this vulnerable time will make a huge difference in how they view the Christian walk.

Written communication often follows the death and funeralobituaries, letters to out-of-town family and friends, thank-you notes to people who send flowers or memorial gifts, Christmas letters summarizing the last year in your familys life. These are times to honor your Christian loved one by telling about the greatest decision he or she ever made. We will miss Tom every day but know he is in heaven, because he trusted Christ as his Savior.  For many recipients, this may be their first  and perhaps most powerful exposure to the lasting comfort a Christian family experiences along with their grief.

Obituary.  Pictures often draw peoples attention to the memorial. You are free to write anything you wish. Jane left this life to be with her Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ

Viewing.  You may wish to create a board with pictures of your loved one along with special Bible verses, songs of faith, meaningful quotes. Most funeral homes will allow you to play music of your choice during the viewing. You may wish to play their favorite hymns/praise choruses. Their personal Bible could also be opened. The funeral home will print cards for those visiting. You will be able to choose scripture that reflects your loved ones faith. Although the funeral home will offer many choices, you are always free to do something on your own that will honor their memory and faith.  At one funeral, the words to the song I Can Only Imagine rested on an easel next to the casket.

Service. While many pastors offer a standard funeral service, feel free to change things to reflect the individuals faith and personality. If their testimony had been taped, the service would be a wonderful time to share this audio or video tape. You may have to request that the gospel be presented clearly during the eulogy. Be aware of follow-up opportunities with friends or family who may not know the Lord.

Headstone. You may wish to include a Bible verse directing those who drive through the cemetery toward Jesus. Many cemeteries will allow you to leave gospel booklets in a small weather-proof box next to the burial site.

Thanks. When thanking people for flowers or memorial gifts, you can add a sentence conveying the Hope of your loved ones life.  Its been such a peace for us that John knew 100% that he would be in heaven with Jesus. Be intentional about the funeral you are planning and also in considering how you may want your funeral to be. Its never too late to make notes about what is important in this area of your life.

Acts 1:8 missions

Ends of the Earth can be at your fingertips
Ever spoken with someone from the Anuta or Arosi people groups of the Solomon Islands, the Abenaki people of Canada or A Che people group of China? While the names of these groups and their distinct cultures may not make the front page news very often, they are still peoples in great need of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A surprisingly large number of such populations are comprised of fewer than 10 percent Christians, and many more, such as the A Che people, are well below two percent. These staggering numbers should give any on mission Christian pause as they consider their role in the Great Commission.  An Acts 1:8 lifestyle accepts the challenge of the Great Commission by taking the gospel to your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. If youre interested in learning more about the people groups who need your prayer and possibly your presence as an ambassador for Christ, log on to www.peoplegroups.org and discover important information about population, religion and language. To learn even more about people groups, whos reaching them and how you and your church can get involved with taking the gospel there, visit www.peopleteams.org or www.imb.org.

interfaith evangelism
Reaching Muslims
During childhood, Ergun Caner weighed the actions and thoughts of each day before drifting off to sleep. In addition to heeding the five daily calls to prayer, Ergun and his siblings would determine whether their good deeds for the day outweighed the bad. A Muslim, he says, must do good in the eyes of Allah 51 percent of the time. This is the salvation of Islam.

While Muslims believe in the man called Jesus Christ, they only see him as a great prophet who performed miracles. They do not see him as the Son of God and as the redemption for sin.

Instead, Muslims are haunted by the daily burden of their own salvation as they bend under the wrath of their god whom they call Allah.

Ergun Caner

Ergun Caner has co-authored, with his brother Emir Caner, the recently released books More than a Prophet and Voices Behind the Veil. A former devout Muslim, Ergun offers insight on how to reach his people with the gospel of Christ. In a recent interview with On Mission magazine, Ergun gives on mission Christians the insider information on reaching the diverse disciples of Mohammed. 

Earn a hearing. The most important thing to realize and remember when trying to reach Muslims is that they believe Christians dislike them at best and have declared themselves enemies at worst. So, to gain the opportunity to share the gospel with a Muslim you have to help them get past the stereotypes by showing a true desire to be a friend. This may mean not cranking out the plan of salvation in every conversation. Learn about them as a person, take interest in their lives, and your personal relationship with Christ will naturally interest them.

Dont back down. Visit the streets of a Middle Eastern city and youll soon realize how important it is to stand up for what you say you believe. Confrontation and conviction are not offensive to a Muslim, because showing conviction means you actually believe what you are saying.

So, when you are in a conversation with a Muslim, stick to what you believe is true but be sure to do it in a loving way that shows true concern for their spiritual condition and not dislike for them as a person.

Focus on the gospel and the finished work of Christ. In Islam, you live according to a scale of right and wrong. This means your good has to outweigh your bad if you are to enter into Paradise. Therefore, its important for the Muslim to realize that Jesus is more than a great prophet. Muslims must understand that Jesus paid the sin debt for all humanity, and there is no good work we can do to have eternal fellowship with God. Through His blood shed on the cross, Christ became the final sacrifice for all sinners.

For a Muslim, who believes that his own works will give him a chance at salvation, this is extremely important.

Be persistent.  It took me two years after hearing the gospel to come to Christ, and the reason it only took two (the average for a Muslim is seven), was because a Royal Ambassador from a local church in Columbus, Ohio, would not stop inviting me and sharing the gospel with me.

penetrating the culture
The HOPE
Looking for a way to introduce the seeker in your life to the God who made him? Even if your unsaved friend has never cracked open the Bible, you can help him or her navigate the waters of our faith and salvation by using a VCR or DVD player. From Creation to the Fall to the Redemption of man, The HOPE resource takes seekers on a visual journey through history revealing their need for a Savior. Through 36 biblical events broken down into 12 chapters, viewers will learn about the origin of the Holy Bible, the story of salvation and their own place in the history of Gods relation-ship with mankind. To order this resource for you and your church, visit www.namb.net/catalog or call 866-407-NAMB.