The Importance of Immigrant Churches in the United States • The vitality of an ethnic heritage church will be affected by the spiritual standing of the people coming in, the preailing christian climate around them, and the strength of other churches in the area.
Speaker 1
And in boston is really interesting because the city bossom does make a big emphasis on trying to be welcoming to immigrants. But backing up, i would just say, am an ethnic heritage church, which, like i said, is all of em. A really has to figure out what it’s going to do in the future. And it’s affected by a variety of factors. A, let me list them out for you in turns of the way i think the vitality of that church’s health will be, it has to do with what is the spiritual standing of the people that are coming in, you Know, how deeply mature is the faith in that culture before they come to the united states of america. Then when they get to this country, what is the a preailing christian climate aroundis, are there strong christian churches in that culture, in that country, or are they kind of waning Or culturally so an immigrant church here in the united states, where there’s a lot of flourishing churches, might be very different than other countries, say, in parts of europe, Where there’s really not many other strong churches in the area known for that, you know, maybe because. And therefore, that affects things like, there’s not necessaly a network of leaders. There’s not necessarily a continuing development of culture, in the best sense, a suban evangelical sub culture, o like writing art, music, even things like getting speakers for Your churches or your youth like, if it’s not there.The Transformation of a Neighborhood in Boston • The neighborhood has changed a lot since the speaker moved there. • The church has played a role in the neighborhood’s development. • The neighborhood is now a very diverse and vibrant place.
Speaker 1
So no one wanted to be there. A typical friday night youth group for me was making sure that there were no street walkers walking around. You know, if they were, were suposd to caled the police a make sure. There would often be conums and needles on the ground outside justside of church. Im, yes. So that was back then. So when i told people in l a, i’m moving to boston, from the south to the north, from sunny california to whatever new england weather, and then into urban inner city stuff, one of the poorest Neighborhoods, it’s just just where god called us. It’s just focusing on a boston and south end. Man, it’s come a long way. It was no man’s land. Then no one wanted to buy anything. Now no one can buy anything ecause it’s so expensive. We are surrounded by subsidized housing for lowencom folks and brand new luxury apartments and condos. So it’s fascinating place to be in turns of but that’s urban, urban centres as well. So that’s one of the big pieces of that a just from the economic and physical evelopment of the neighborhood, where do you see god moving in the church? That’s like someone, that’s like having six kids and someone asking you, how are your kids? I cant get along by any of them because each of them is so unique. All the congregations, yeso. If iad to pick a sample, am i think in a day where much of theThe Importance of Biblical Diversity • Diversity is not just about race, but includes different cultures and religions. • White and black evangelical Christians need to develop a better understanding of biblical diversity.
Speaker 1
So that’s a piece too. You know, the moto minority myth has, i believe i get it, because, you know, like, i can be in a space and i don’t think i personally make white people uncomfortable, and i could totally Be totally conversant in that style and culture. But then i can also maybe bring out spaces how non whites might see it. So there’s that piece. Another piece that maybe you’ve heard me say, i think is really further reflection on what we mean by diversity. I think a lot of people will think of diversity from an american, united states of america, standpoint. Current thing, therefore, diversity is mainly race. But i think the’s church planning. Friend, good friend to this day, we are having lunch, an he’s like, well, you know, your church reaches chinese people. Myohrh, my church reaches everybody. And he wasn’t saying it in a sort of flexing way. He’s just going on because he’s like, well, you know, your church has the word chinese in its name. Ah, and presumably only chinese people go, but his church reaches everybody. And so i think that raises the question of, what do you mean by everybody? And what does diversity because i think by and large, especially white and black christian american evangelicals, have a, i think have an underdeveloped sense of biblical diversity. That is to say, i think when they look at my church, which is predominantly ethnically chinese people, they will thnk it’s monolithicand actually, the immigrant churches, say, here In new england, say, the cre inherites churches, a lot of them mostly, are probably underd a hundred undred, 50 people.The Geographic Parishes in American Evangelical Churches • American evangelicals tend to focus on parish churches, which are often geographically based and reflect the social, economic, and political affinities of their congregants. • This can lead to a lack of biblical diversity in churches, as they are largely monosocial, mono-economic, and mono-political.
Speaker 1
But often, because our i think american evangelicals also fail to distinguish, when they say a parish, they don’t actually mean a parish. They really mean a geographic parish. There’s a hidden adjective there. It’s a geographic parish. And geography, as we know in the states now, usually follows social, economic affinity, and that usually follows political affinity. So yes, a church can plant in a community and meet a lot of people, but unless it’s like an urban, dense neighborhood, it’s generally speaking, going to be mono social, ethic, economic, Mono political for the most part, or at least majority and monolingual. So that little, creen haireded church of like 80 peopl to me, has more biblical diversity to overcome by the grace and spirit of god. Then, to quote tim keller when we heard him give a talk at gordon conwell years ago, he says, redeemer monolithic. His word’s not mine. I don’t know if he degr that. Ah. And he meant what. Some one even said, how can you say that? There’re so many races there. He said this, they’re al manhatnits. They’re all yuppies, 30 something. You know, he’s dating himself when we sy yuppies, but 30 somethings that eat the same food, wear the same clothes, have the same kinds of jobs and listen the same kind of music. I suppose to someone, i can find someone who’s a crean american, o nt imi’s american here, that i would have wey more in common with than someone from my ancestral home in china. So therefore i’ve set on record, and i’l say t here.The Lab and the Vineyard: How the Theology of Church Can Respond to the Diversity of the World • Enoch Graeber believes that every church should have the opportunity to discern its unique calling in the vineyard of the Lord. • Enoch Graeber believes that every church should be multiethnic and immigrant-friendly.
Speaker 2
Let’s gra enoch, let’s stroll down on that a little bit. Because you’ve been in that environment for 20 years. B c c, of this pretty massive kind of diversity. What have you seen has made that work? But this question of relating in christ to people who are different from us is a fundamental question for following jesus. So what have you learned in the laboratory that is? B c c, about how we can do that well? And then perhaps on the flip side, how we can really mess that up?
Speaker 1
So so i guess i would almost say, especially fo yourtalking about churches that i’m not sure that’s the first question. So for example, to day in our country, a lot of people ask, should every church be multa ethnic? And if you decide that, then you’re going to go for that. Or should every immigrant church eventually fully assimilatein things like that? I guess for me, on our theoan eccleseology, when it comes to the theology of church, i would say, obviously there’s thngs we all agree on in the bible, right? You know, wereall suposed to make disciples. But i believe that every church, just like every individual or family, does have the invitation to discern its unique calling in that space in the vineyard of the lord.The Importance of Relationship Building • Relationships are important in business and organizations. • It is important to build relationships with people from different backgrounds. • It can be difficult to be sensitive when you are the majority culture.
Speaker 1
Ah, there are definitely places in businesses or organizations or churches where i thought, oh man, if these two leaders had been at the company at the same time, i think it migh have Turned out differently, representing or coming from different perspectives. But because they didn’t overlap, you know, they never sort of were able to bring those leaders, those different cultures together at the same time. So i think it’s just relationship building. Um, and within there, all the things talked about everywhere else, listening, trying to understand trying to be a learner um and trying to be honest. Ask me the questions that, ah, i want to ask, but if i do, i’ll seem ignorant or offend you. But actually really wont ask this question. Bcause it’s an honestygot question that i don’t know what people say, and i’ve got a response to what i think people will say. But i don’t have a friendship with someone of that group close enough where i could even do that, because i feel i could be so offensive, and i definitly dona’t offend. And if i’m a i i’m the majority culture now, or the dominant group, and i’m trying to walk sensitively, i it’s really tough. So, but to come back to it, i think it’s just relationship building. At our church, a pastor steve chin, served as an american born chinese person. A, b c, under pastor jacob phone, an overseas born chinese person. O, b c, and i would say, what, in my mind, what makes passor steve really unusual, is he was willing to wait and wait and wait to get things, for example, starting an english ministry.Building Relationships: A Practical Guide • Building relationships is a challenge, due to the scarcity of time. • It is important to find out your life calling and gifts, so that you can prioritize relationships. • It is also important to avoid morally failing and dying, as relationships will eventually fall apart.
Speaker 2
The great challenge, with what you’ve said, and i love what you’ve said, enoch, about building relationships, it’s just so one o one, which is great, and that in the best, in the best Sense, im. The great challenge, of course, is time. And i know that time is scarce for everyone in the city. So how do we, how do we deal with the scarcity of our time and the desire to build relationships?
Speaker 1
Ye, no, that’s a great question. I think most people would agree, like, ya, we should do this more, right? Ah, but like you said, thats sort of like, you know, relationships one to one. This is probably going to fall down to like, sort of, like personal calling and life management. One o one. I think it depends on your season, right? You know, for you, mark, as a new senior minister here, i would imagine a lot of your time is spent getting to know your flock, and that’s appropriately so. And then some people, that’s a longer season. So i think a couple of practical things is, it’s kind of figung out your life calling, your mission in the church and your gifts. Youno. So it’s kind o one, o, one again. But here’s the other thing i would say, it’s a if we again, god can do anything, but if you stick around long enough, relationships get built, even without making them a priority. Ah, hereis my secret to net working, especially among asiaand american christians, especially mong chinese american christians. Don’t morally fail nd be disqualified. Don’t quit. Nr two and num three, don’t die. And honestly, you know, everyone it some point.Strategic Allure of Neighborhoods • When giving money to homeless people, it is important to think about the reasons why they are homeless and whether they are likely to use the money to buy drugs. • It is also important to think about the proximity of the person you are giving the money to, as this can affect how likely they are to use the money.
Speaker 1
When when you’re walking on the street and you see some one who’s asking for money, a lot of the agencies that i know say better to not give tha money to that person. Better to give it to a worthy cause, um, because then you’ll know the money’s being stewarded that way. Not every transient or homeless person is going to go out and buy drugs. Ah, let me be clear, but to a group that’s attested. The thing that hasalways struck me about that is, well, that only works if i’m actually giving money to those organizations. I think in the same way, it comes with acts of love to those around us, a we can organize and systematize and accelerate and strategize about, like pooling our resources to love our neighbors. Ah, but i also think there is a proximity tomension of just who you come across. And so i i want to encourage some people, because unless you live in the neighbourod of your church, you have, you’r very that’s very commin thist country. Most people in this country, especially when you get to the suburbs, even in cities like new york, you don’t work in the same place you live in new york citylkyou, you probly can’t afford It. So you’ve got your where you live, that neighborhood, geographic community, which, in man places in new england is just your bedroom community, right where you go at the end of the day From work, although your work in remote is different. Then there’s your work community. And the location. And then there’s the other one, would be like your social your friends, if you had lyke college friends in the area, or your families in the area. So this whole idea f like you work, play, live in one neighborhood, because that’s like sortof of the good old american days. There’s so very powerful allure to that. A, i get the value in strategic allure of that. I don’t know that we have an imperative to seek that though.The Importance of Witnessing to Our Community • Churches should be focused on witnessing to their community, and not just at church. • Different churches have different missions, and it is important for churches to be aware of what their mission is.
Speaker 1
And so i will encourage our people to think about, can we see, at some point in your life a place to love your your neighbors? And the common way for families is, once the kids get into the school system ad they have friends in the school, that that’s a very common season. They seem to pull out of ministry, just because you’re tired and busy as parents, especially of younger children. And so you see that seasonality. And so even though my kids are not small or young or cute any more, i still think they’ kup. But probly most people wouldn’t. A i’m still friends with people that they’re not friends with their parents. Like kids kids, you know, they have friends. They have different friends in elmech school than they do in middle schol or high school because their interests an changed. But wat honestly, some of my kids friends who were their friends of elementry, i’m friends with their parents still, even though our kids never talk to each other. So there’s that. And that’s a part of being together. And being in medford long enough can, i’m kind of really grateful that i’ve been in the city long enough where i can recognize people, and we can ask each other about our kids that haven’t Seen each other for years. So i think the gospel imparative of this is, where does that show up? I think a lot of times, in chinese heritage churches, it only shows up at church, and never at your workplace and never at where you live. The idea of loving people so but in other cases, it only shows up where you live, but never in the surrounding church. So i guess for me, what i want to say is that we have to be managing our witness energy. W can’t be all things all people. But as a church, i want to witness to our community.
