We live and labor in a society that is increasingly divided into smaller and smaller notions of “us vs. them.” Sadly, this mindset not only exists outside of the church but inside the church as well.
To be the sort of church that welcomes international students well—both for evangelism or as fellow members in Christ—we have to tear down that mindset, returning to the biblical vision of the church as a place of multiethnic, multicultural, multinational, and even multilingual community of worship (Revelation 7:9).
What does it look like to have that sort of church now? This will require intentionality and a plan. Here are just a few critical components of such a plan.
1. Plain Preaching
As we consider how to make our churches more accommodating to biblical diversity, a visit to 1 Corinthians 14 is instructive, which tells us that the language employed in the gathering should be generally understandable to all who are present.
Whether or not Paul had foreign languages or a spiritual language of sorts in mind, the fact of the matter is that the apostle was laying down a principle for this church when gathered together. A church speaking in a way that was not intelligible or understandable to others in the church would make it a place that was not edifying for members and would isolate them from the rest of the body.
Whether we are service leading, praying, or preaching, we can ask: Could the language that I am using be easily understood by men and women of various educational, cultural, national, social, or lingual backgrounds? Is our preaching plain? Not boring, but comprehensible.
Please, pastors, let your content be rich. I am not saying to dumb down the Bible. Speak God’s Word fully and faithfully. Rightly divide the Word of truth. Proclaim the whole counsel of God. Only do it in such a way, with careful words, that make the full and robust meaning of the text as clear as possible so that whoever might come into your church doesn’t need to bring a dictionary along to understand what is being said.
2. A Friendly Feel
“Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you” is one of Paul’s conclusions to one of his greatest epistles (Romans 15:7). The gospel ought to transform our welcome. After all, the gospel itself is welcome. Our gospel welcome is first and foremost for the church, and yet this generous hospitality should overflow to everyone who enters our church, whether we know them to be part of the family of God or not.
We should have an air of ‘I’m glad you’re here’ permeating our church.
Think back to the first time that you went to a new church. Maybe you had moved cities and were looking for a church home. Maybe you were just visiting a church while on vacation. Maybe you were an unbeliever at the time and you were invited by a friend. Regardless, before you became comfortable, known, and at home in church, you were probably very nervous, shy, unsure, and insecure. Imagine now that on top of all of that, you were in a new culture, a new country, with a new language, and this was a new God that you were hearing about. How overwhelming and terrifying! And yet, how many of those feelings can melt away with a simple greeting from the person next to you, inviting you to sit with them, explain how the service flows, introduce you to a few new friends, or even go out to dinner together later? We should have an air of “I’m glad you’re here” permeating our church.
3. Prepared People
Having such a hospitable culture in your church towards international students means that people in your church are prepared to do exactly that. While it is everyone’s job to have the gospel welcome in their hearts, if you want your church to be truly welcoming to international students, it is of great help if there are specific people who own this ministry in your church.
Perhaps this means your church dedicates an international ministry team of some sort. A church will never truly be a welcoming place for international students—and never truly grow in real diversity—unless there are people in the church intentionally seeking to be welcoming to them.
Pastors and church leaders, do you have these sorts of people at your church, with eyes to see the international students all around your church, the unreached nations on the college campus near you, inviting them not only to your church, but also into their lives, and homes, and dinner tables?
By God’s grace, most weeks there are international students— both believing and unbelieving—in our church gathering. They are never alone, but someone in our church who knows and loves them is sitting with them. Not only that, but they are following up with them after the service over dinner, or later in the week in their home over coffee or tea, both investing in the relationship, giving them a home away from their home, and sharing Jesus with them as they have been equipped to do.
What would it look like for similar discipleship to happen in your church? Having these people in your church is key to being a church that welcomes international students well.
Hunter Jewett is the International Minister at Iron City Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
