By Jim Olson
In October I officiated at the wedding for the sister of our Himalayan Christian Fellowship pastor. During the reception one of the elderly members of the HiCF congregation came up to me weeping and just held on to me for a very long time. Though we were unable to speak each others‘ language, I knew what she was communicating. She had missed seeing me for quite some time. Why? Because our Himalayan Christian Fellowship congregation outgrew the building space we had available on Sunday mornings and moved out of our building six months ago. This elderly parishioner, a Buddhist convert of a few short years, deeply misses the ongoing connection we shared as congregations for several years before they moved. So do I.
This type of relationship which I have with HiCF and its congregation (comprised primarily of Buddhist and Hindu converts) has developed because of our philosophy of sharing life, not just space. At Bethel Christian Fellowship, located in St. Paul, MN, our calling is to be A House of Prayer for All Nations. Currently approximately 40% of our congregation is non-majority culture representing folks from 25+ different nations. As a House of Prayer for All Nations we have three primary strands in our DNA, Hospitality (House), Spirituality (Prayer), and Missionality (for All Nations). Our calling to inviting hospitality compels us to open our hearts, our building, and our lives to those He brings to us. Henri Nouwen defines hospitality as creating a safe place where strangers can become friends. When this happens it is no longer us and them, but rather we, and we share not only space proximity, but genuine life with one another.
Over the past five years, an expansion of that calling to inviting hospitality has emerged, our All Nations Family of Churches. The ANFC now comprises seven congregations. Two are multi-ethnic, doing their services in English, and five are ethnic congregations, made up primarily of refugees and immigrants and ranging in sizes ranging from 35-350 members, doing their services in their own heart languages (see our website). As these congregations have been developing, several have been housed at BCF St. Paul, with up to five congregations sharing life together under one roof at one point.
This philosophy of sharing life together gets worked out on a number of different levels. For example, we do not rent our space to any of our congregations. Our goal is partnership, so we therefore talk about shared ownership and responsibilities for those who share in our facilities. Each congregation, as it is able (as a portion of their budget), contributes to the upkeep of the building. Our ANFC pastors connect every other week for a time of prayer, study, and support. We collaborate together on refugee resettlement, leadership development, and cross-cultural missions. Our congregations gather together to celebrate at least a couple of times a year as well as in innumerable organic connections through bible studies, prayer, weddings, graduations, seminars, etc. Most of our youth ministries all gather together weekly with Radiate Student Ministries, and they go to camp and on retreats together. We are regularly in one anothers‘ homes and lives.
Through sharing life together I and our congregation have been immeasurably enriched. We have learned so much about faith, perseverance, and community. Perhaps too often the majority culture American church can think that we have all the answers and all the resources, when in actuality we know far less and have far less than we realize. So we need our brothers and sisters to help us have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19). That power only comes when you truly desire to not only share space, but to share life together.
Here are a few practical steps you might consider taking to expand your calling and vision in this area:
- Practice Hospitality: Romans 12:13 says, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” When we first began the journey to becoming a House of Prayer for All Nations 20 years ago, we started by sponsoring a refugee family from Haiti. Little did we know that by opening that door we were opening the door to the nations. But we were. All it took was a single act of obedience to His word.
- Practice Generosity: 2 Corinthians 8:2 says, “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” As I often remind myself and others, you can’t out-give God. As a congregation we practice generosity by giving our time, talents, and treasures. In essence, we are giving ourselves away to others in our family of churches. As we have done so through the years we have seen God’s return to us in unexpected and extravagant ways.
- Practice Humility: In 2 Chronicles 20:12, King Jehoshaphat prays, “We don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you.” I have prayed that prayer countless times through the years. What I have found is that in that posture of consistent dependence, God has given us wisdom that has enabled us to navigate through seemingly impossible circumstances and complexities.
- Practice Multiplication: In Luke 13:20-21 Jesus asks, “What will I compare the Kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” In God’s Kingdom a key principle is that of multiplication, not simply addition. I believe one key to that is cultivating a spirit of cooperation and collaboration rather than comparison and competition. In these last few years, in addition to our ANFC church planting efforts we have seen a significant number of new church plants start in close proximity to us. We have deliberately welcomed these church plants, offered space and provided support in various ways. We have many para-church partners as well who use our building free of charge. We also open up our building to a very large AA group as well as our local neighborhood association. Through that practice we have seen God multiplying our influence and His Kingdom impact in profound ways.
Dr. Jim Olson is Lead Pastor of Bethel Christian Fellowship in St. Paul, is an FCA Elder in the Upper Midwest of the USA, and leads the All Nations Family of Churches.
