Kamal is a 15 year old whose family moved to NE Philadelphia about a year ago. Since their moved to the US, neither his father nor his mother has found steady employment. They have considered moving to another part of the country, where there might be more work…but where exactly would that be, in a recession?
Every day Kamal gets up to face a day of searching for friends. He often wonders why Americans, even teenagers, don’t seem to have much time for relationships. The people who DO have time are other teenagers whose families have also immigrated from places like Albania, or China, or Puerto Rico. So he usually hangs out with them, and they try to use their basic English to connect with each other.
Kamal’s parents worry about him, that he is getting in with the wrong crowd. Is he doing drugs and getting into trouble with the law? In the Middle East they were able to keep tighter controls on him, because they knew the culture and also knew his friends. But here everything is new, and he doesn’t seem to want to bring his friends home with him. Kamal seems embarrassed by his parents with their heavily accented English and foreign ways. Kamal wants desperately to fit into American life and not stand out, so he tries to be out of the house as much as he can. But he does worry that his parents won’t be able to find work…and then he’ll have to start making friends all over again in another part of America!
This is daily reality for many immigrants in NE Philadelphia! America may be the land of opportunity…but not for them! There may be 1.5 million people in the city of Philadelphia, but many of the inhabitants of NE Philly get up every morning and go through the day without ever meeting anyone who is even willing to have a conversation with them! Many immigrants are able to get some support from agencies designed to help them adjust to the US. But where can they go for friendship, especially with native English speakers, the most valuable asset to have in a new country?!
NE Community Church, formerly New Life NE, is re-launching among this immigrant population. Their vision is ”to bring the peoples of the nations of NE Philadelphia into a living, loving, and lasting relationship with the Lord of the nations and His people through a ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.” They are offering the longed-for friendships that so many in NE Philly are starving to have, relationship with native speakers, yes, but more importantly, relationship with the Lord of the nations, who knows and understands them more intimately than they know themselves! Their word and deed ministry includes English classes 3x a week, citizenship classes, American holiday celebrations, and beginning Sept. 19th monthly worship services, one in English, one in Albanian, and one in Chinese!
We at New Life Dresher have many valuable resources with which to help our partners in ministry in the NE. We have native English speakers who can help with the teaching load of the English classes! We have families who could “adopt” an immigrant family at holiday seasons! We have Kingdom Builders who could help with building projects of this new church! We have businessmen who could help provide jobs for immigrants or even start new businesses in NE Philly!
The Lord has brought the world to us! NLD will always be sending missionaries overseas, but we have opportunities HERE to reach the world without even leaving the US! How will we respond as a church? How will YOU respond?
Filed under: Missions, NLD Vision, Theology
