This is part 2 of the Reaching Internationals series.
If we are going to reach those who live among us who are not from our culture, we need to have a clear mentality about how to interact with them in ways that are both truthful as well as loving. Here are three tips you can use to put yourself in the right mindset to reach internationals:
#1 Build Trust
Building trust isn’t something that happens overnight. If you want to build real trust with internationals, take these pieces of advice to heart.
Be honest. Don’t pull bait-and-switches, telling them to come to an event that is about “community” or “just having a meal” when the real point is direct evangelism. This doesn’t mean you can’t invite them to church, but be up-front with them if you are investing in their lives.
Be generous. Many internationals come from cultures where there is great generosity of time, money, and resources. It’s often a shock when internationals get to North America only to find that many of us are not nearly as generous as people in their home countries. We have to rediscover the lost art of hospitality.
Hebrews 13:2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
Remember their name. It sounds simple, but when people come from around the world, their names can be difficult to remember for us since they are difficult to pronounce. If you want to be “salt and light,” work on it. Write down their name. Practice pronouncing it or look it up online to check the correct pronunciation.
#2 Listen
“Hi, how are you?” is a common saying in the US. Usually, we ask how someone is, but it’s just a way of saying “hello.” People from other parts of the world are often confused by this. Why would we ask how someone is if we don’t actually care to know?
If we’re going to connect with internationals, we need to actually listen to them and show real interest in who they are. We can’t be like those who pass them on the street and ask how they are without really meaning it or caring.
James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
A practical way to “listen” is to help with language skills. While many internationals can speak basic conversational English, a lot of the nuances or unique phrases of English might confuse them. This is a geat opportunity to fulfill a practical need as well as to develop a real friendship.
Another practical way to help is to invite internationals to celebrate holidays with us and to explain the meaning of the holidays. These can be great open doors to share Jesus (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving) especially since the meanings of the holidays are new or unique to our international friends.
At the same time, we can show interest in our international friends’ culture. We can eat their food with them and take part in their holidays and festivals. This is great because we can get to know them, learn about their culture, plus try some new food!
#3 Show Empathy
Honestly caring about internationals’ lives and needs is crucial. Many of them experience culture shock on coming to North America. They don’t understand our society, our holidays, the way we speak, or why people do what they do. At these times more than ever, they could use an empathetic friend from our culture to walk alongside them.
If you want to have the right mindset in reaching internationals, refugees, and others, you must be willing to build trust, to listen, and to be sensitive and empathetic to the challenges they face in their lives so far away from home.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What are some ways you can build trust with internationals, refugees, and others in your sphere of influence? Give a practical example.
- Read Hebrews 13:2. Why is it important to be hospitable in reaching internationals in particular?
- Read James 1:19. What are some ways we can be “quick to listen and slow to speak” when it comes to engaging with internationals?
- Have you ever experienced culture shock? Explain.
- What do you think are some things in your culture that would cause culture shock in an international?
- What are some practical ways you can show empathy toward internationals?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
This content is adapted from Without a Passport: Reaching the Global Community Living in Our Community by D.H. Bud Fuchs. Written content for this topic by Daniel Martin.
