LMT Network Digest - June 2023

One of the beautiful opportunities that the LMT Network has is to encourage the church in Canada to reach across barriers to love Muslims who are our neighbours.

In Luke 10:25-37, we read that when Jesus was quizzed by an expert in the law as to how to secure eternal life, Jesus replied that he must love God and love neighbour. When quizzed by the expert as to who was his neighbour, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. Implicit in the call by Jesus to love neighbour is the call to overcome barriers of cultural difference and prejudice.

Recently LMT has entered into a partnership with CCCOWE (Chinese Coordination Centre for World Evangelization—a network established in 1976 as a fruit of the first Lausanne Congress). The vision and purpose of the partnership is to work together to encourage Chinese churches in Canada that are part of the CCCOWE network (500 + of them!) to do just as Jesus taught—to love our neighbour, specifically our Muslim neighbours.

Many diaspora churches in Canada have a primary focus of reaching people of their own culture and language—this is right and good! But just as for English language churches, if mission vision remains only with same-culture ministry, then least reached groups will remain untouched by the powerful message of the gospel, and the powerful maturing that cross-cultural ministry brings to follower of Jesus Christ will be missed. Rejoice with us that the leaders of CCCOWE are boldly initiating cross-cultural equipping for their churches!

Our first gathering was an introductory event on the Night of Power during Ramadan. About 60 people from both CCCOWE and LMT networks joined together for some introductions and then prayer together. Translation was provided for participants into Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

Our second event happened last month when we heard from Rev. Matthew Chiu, retired Senior Pastor of Scarborough Chinese Alliance Church who has led that church to connect, engage and care for their South Asian Muslim friends for the past 14 years. 

Stay tuned for our upcoming event! It'll happen on June 27, 2023. The event information and registration link will be posted on our Events page https://lovingmuslimstogether.outreach.ca/events

We encourage you to pray for this partnership relationship—that many Chinese churches and Chinese believers would be encouraged, equipped and motivated to reach out and love their Muslim neighbours.

Lorna Johnston, 

LMT National Chairman