Transforming Evangelism with Immigrant Communities No Longer Strangers is both a timely and an important book—particularly for the North American and Western church. As most know, the topic of immigrants and refugees is all over the airwaves and even emanates from pulpits these days. While this work is incredibly complex, nuanced, and challenging, we are encouraged that more and more Christians and churches are seeking to respond, including through evangelism. The editors of this volume and the contributors believe wholeheartedly that evangelism is a necessary and beautiful part of our discipleship. However, while the book affirms the important commitment of evangelism, we highlight the dangers when North American Christians, in particular, underestimate how their education, race, language mastery, and other factors impact their ability to love and express the gospel (in word and deed) to refugees and immigrants coming from backgrounds that include trauma, oppression, colonialism, persecution, and more. We are in the midst of the largest mass migration in human history. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are 70.8 million forcibly displaced people in the world. To put this into perspective, this means we currently live in a world where nearly one person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution. If we believe in the authority of the Bible and the sovereignty of a God who moves the families of the earth, the questions, for the believer, are: What is God up to? How can I be a part of it? How can I equip myself to respond in godly and faithful ways to suffering and displaced people? This book is about helping us, together, to pray and consider some of the related issues in these questions. Meet the Contributors Andrew F. Bush Rev. Andrew F. Bush and his wife, Karen, have served internationally, for almost thirty-five years, in the Philippines, the Palestinian Territories, and Israel. Presently, he is the director of the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice in Bethlehem in the Palestinian Territories, as well as pastor of the East Jerusalem International Church. Previously, he was the chair of the Department of Global Service and Mission at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania. His books include Learning from the Least: Reflections on a Journey in Mission with Palestinian Christians and Millennials and The Mission of God: A Prophetic Dialogue. He holds post-graduate degrees from the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem and Princeton Theological Seminary. Issam Smeir Dr. Issam Smeir is a licensed clinical professional counselor who specializes in trauma treatment for refugees and severely abused and neglected children. He holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Wheaton College, a doctorate in counseling and clinical supervision from Northern Illinois University, and a postdoctoral training certificate in global trauma with refugees from Harvard University. Issam, a former national clinical consultant for World Relief, currently is the founder and executive director of Shifaa for All, a non-profit organization that works with persecuted Christians around the world. Issam is a co-author of Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis. Laurie Beshore Rev. Laurie Beshore served, for almost thirty years, as the founding pastor of Outreach Ministries at Mariners Church in Irvine, California. Its mission is to mobilize world changers who are courageously shaping culture while meeting real needs. Laurie lives in Southern California and has been married for many years to Kenton Beshore, her childhood sweetheart and senior pastor of Mariners Church for decades, until 2019. She is also the author of Love without Walls: Learning to Be a Church in the World for the World. Sandra Maria van Opstal Sandra Maria van Opstal, a second-generation Latina, pastors at Grace and Peace Community on the west side of Chicago. She is a preacher, liturgist, and activist reimagining the intersection of worship and justice. In her fifteen years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Sandra mobilized thousands of missions-oriented college students. Sandra served as Urbana Missions Conference Worship Director, Chicago Urban Program Director, a member of the Latino National Leadership Team (LaFe), and Northwestern University Team Leader (for multiethnic fellowship). In addition to her ministry experience, Sandra holds a master of divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois. Jenny Yang Jenny Yang provides oversight for all advocacy initiatives and policy positions at World Relief. She has worked in the resettlement section of World Relief as the Senior Case Manager and East Asia Program Officer, where she focused on advocacy for refugees in the East Asia region and managed the entire refugee caseload for World Relief. Prior to World Relief, she worked at a Maryland-based political fundraising firm, managing fund-raising and campaigning for local politicians. She is coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion, and Truth in the Immigration Debate and serves as Chair of the Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) Africa Work Group. Torli H. Krua Torli H. Krua came to the United States as a refugee after the 1989 civil war in Liberia that forced a million people to flee their homeland. Choosing to leave a successful career in business, Torli serves today as an activist and missionary to refugee communities in Boston and beyond through Universal Human Rights International, an organization he founded to promote peace and democracy in Africa and refugee rights in the United States. At Emmanuel Gospel Center, he codirects the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry. Rev. Krua is the pastor of Ziah Mission Church in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Torli and his wife, Saawile, have one son. K.J. Hill K. J. Hill is the Pastor for Community Development and Outreach at the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, and cofounder and board chairman of the ReCity Network. He has an MA in religious studies with a concentration in marriage and family therapy from the University of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama, as well as a BA in psychology from Houghton College in New York. K. J. has been married to Liz, who is a Durham Public Schools teacher, for over twenty-five years, and together they have four daughters: Ana, Mary, Phoebe, and Kate. Ann Voskamp Ann Voskamp is the wife of a farmer, mama to seven, and an author. Ann knows unspoken brokenness and big country skies and an intimacy with God that touches wounded places. Having traveled to numerous places around the world to see the plight with her own eyes, Ann has committed her life to advocate for the most vulnerable around the world. She is also the cofounder of We Welcome Refugees and had the opportunity to share this vision through her talk entitled “Hospitality to Refugees.” About the Editors Rev. Eugene Cho is the President/CEO of Bread for the World. He is also the founder/visionary of One Day's Wages, founder and former senior pastor of Quest Church, and the author of Overrated: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World Than Actually Changing the World? and Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics. Rev. Dr. Samira Izadi Page is the founder of Gateway of Grace Ministries, an outreach ministry to refugees. She is a Muslim-background believer from Iran and a sought-after speaker, workshop leader, and church mobilizer. She has a doctorate in missiology and is the author of Who Is My Neighbor?
✔ Author(s): Eugene Cho,Samira Izadi Page,Ann Voskamp
✔ Title: No Longer Strangers: Transforming Evangelism with Immigrant Communities
✔ Rating : 4.6 out of 5 base on (41 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 0802878652
✔ ISBN-13: 9780802878656
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about No Longer Strangers by Eugene Cho
Elaine Leonard
I loved the powerful messages hidden within the story. The book tackled important social issues and made me ponder the world we live in. It's a must-read for everyone.
Sydney Richardson
This book is a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom. The insights offered by the characters and their experiences have left a lasting impression on me.
Tasha Cobbett
The plot was so well-paced that I lost track of time while reading. I was completely immersed in the story, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the next twist.
