Welcome to Ethnic Harvest!
"America is made up of everywhere."
- Scott Simon, National Public Radio
The 2010 US Census reported that 12.9 percent of the USA population is "foreign-born." A quick look around your local supermarket is likely to confirm that your community is alive with peoples and languages from around the world.
The volunteers of Ethnic Harvest pray that Christian people will reach out in friendship to their foreign-born neighbors. Get to know them. If they ask about your faith, this site can help you find resources to share with them about the One who is your hope. Be a friend, with no other agenda, and God's love will shine through.
In many cases, your foreign-born neighbors may already be Christians. If they are, ask about their faith journey! There is much we can learn from our new neighbors, many of whom have remarkable testimonies about how God sustained them through poverty or persecution. God is so big, and He has revealed Himself in many ways to other cultures - it is a joy to learn more about Him through their lives. Perhaps your church can partner with their new church, sharing youth activities, exchanging pastors occasionally, etc. You will be much richer for the experience!
When we look at the church at Pentecost - the one church that God Himself instituted as a model for His people - we remember its rich variety of cultures and languages. The Bible tells us that people were there from every country in the known world. We rejoice when we see the same diversity in Christian churches today.
"Diversity is in the very DNA of the Church!"
- Dr. T.V. Thomas, Director of the Centre for Evangelism & World Mission
"Not all the pioneer missionary work which must be done today will take place in foreign countries.
Like a master chess player, God has moved representatives from unreached people groups far from their homelands all over the world and has plunked them down in the midst of traditionally Christian populations, essentially saying, 'You have not gone to them, so I have brought them to you. Now tell them!'"
- Roberta H. Winter, U.S. Center for World Missions
We hope that this site will help inspire and equip you and your church for cross-cultural ministry. The Sitemap is the best way to navigate through the many articles, Bible resources and ministry ideas available.