Parallels in mission in Norway and Sale

"I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in." (Matthew 25 v35)

Before I came to work at Bishop’s House in 2023, I was privileged to have spent a year with Operation Mobilisation in Norway. It is not most people’s obvious choice of mission destination, but I was certain that God had called me to use my skills to support the team in Kristiansand. Kristiansand has a significant population of immigrants, and amongst the weekly activities that I helped to facilitate were two language cafés, teaching new female residents to speak better Norwegian. The attendees included women from diverse nations including Syria, Eritrea, Columbia, Iran and Turkey. On a couple of occasions, I had to facilitate the cafes alone and I had to depend on a Syrian lady to translate the Norwegian into Arabic as there were two ladies from Eritrea who spoke very little English. It was a great example of team working! The ladies often brought in home baked goodies that they traditionally made in their homeland. We all learnt from one another, and friendships were made. We ended each café with a short devotional and a prayer, and it was encouraging when the ladies asked us to pray for specific issues they or their families were facing.

Since my return to the UK, I have become aware of the number of people of different nationalities who are now living amongst us. Having lived in Norway, I know what it feels like to be a stranger in a foreign land. It can be quite scary, especially when your language skills are non-existent or very basic.

Take a moment to think about going to, say, a medical appointment, in a place where they do not speak English (or your mother tongue). How do you think you would get on trying to explain what was wrong? How would you understand what the diagnosis was? I began to think about whether the language café model was something I should consider starting in my own parish.

There are already a few initiatives across the Diocese, seeking to reach out to immigrant populations. There is a small group of those who are connecting with Farsi speakers, which Diocesan staff John Hellewell and Nadene Wright are involved with. There are also language classes at St. Mary Magdalene, Sale, which I recently went to visit.

The English language classes at Sale (top photo) initially started in response to helping those escaping the war in Ukraine. Today, they regularly have around 60 people attending on a Thursday morning between 10 am and 12 noon. Each person is offered an hour-long class, depending on their ability to converse: beginners, elementary, intermediate or advanced. In addition, they can spend an hour in the conversation café, practising their everyday conversation skills. There are a large number of volunteers, some with a background in teaching, who lead the classes. There is a lot of concentration invested by the attendees, but there is also a great deal of laughter, too. I was pleased to hear from one of the volunteers that people are getting involved in church and church related activities, and some have also come to faith, because of the welcome they have experienced in the classes. Not only are the attendees improving their language skills, but the classes provide opportunities for social and networking opportunities. This is important for the health and wellbeing of each individual.

Look around your neighbourhood and your parish. Where are the strangers that Jesus would welcome in? What can you do to make them feel at home and supported?

Karen Alsop is a Reader at Christ Church, Moreton and works as Bishop’s Ministry Administrator, based at Bishop's House, Chester