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REACHING THE UNREACHED
Thomas, Ethnic Minority Partner in Berlin, introduces us to multi-cultural Berlin.
It's a quiet and hot afternoon as I walk up the steep natural stairs that lead to the old Buddhist temple in Berlin. A sign, next to the stone carved entrance, has the name and date of the founder inscribed. ‘Paul Dahlke' 1924 - physician, writer and founder of the Buddhist house ‘Berlin'. As I open the wooden door that leads to the temple, I smell the typical incense fragrance. Flowers on the floor and in vases decorate the Buddha statues and pictures in the temple. In the quietness I ask myself the question: How many people in the last 55 years have thought to find peace and answers to life's questions in this room and have not found it?
It's not the only Buddhist place of worship within Berlin. In fact some 53 places are registered that cater for up to 12 000 Buddhists. Half of them are Germans, who look for answers within the Eastern Religions that have become so fashionable in the West. The other half come from a number of South Asian countries such as Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, China, Tibet and others.
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Take for instance the Vietnamese people in Berlin, a community with about 15 -20 000 people of which half are illegal, that have only two small fellowships with not more than 50 believers. These churches are struggling to survive and with little interest to reach out to their own people. Berlin gives great opportunities to work with unreached people groups right in the heart of Europe. Many of the Vietnamese people have fled and came as ‘Boat-people' in the 1970' during the Vietnamese war. Now they are trying to settle, mostly in the eastern part of Berlin but have hardly any contact with Germans and Christians.
The biggest migrant group are the Turks. Nearly 200 000 live in several parts of the city. With their distinct identity, they have left their marks within Berlin. Whole streets and areas look like ‘little Turkey'. In the past several groups have started and work with the Turks in Berlin yet the numbers of believers is still quite small and fellowships are struggling to survive. The needs and the opportunities are big especially with the young Turks, who are at a crossroad in their identity struggle between western modernity and their parent's culture. Sports ministry, youth clubs, cultural relevant home groups are just a few ideas how they could be reached with the love of Jesus Christ.
Berlin, the capital of Germany with its 3, 5 Million people, has become a melting pot of cultures and religions. Over the last several months I have come across a number of communities that are virtually unreached by churches and mission organizations. Berlin has tremendous opportunities to work with one of the many unreached people groups as there are more than 190 different nationalities present. Who will pray for Berlin and its migrant communities and who will come and be a part of what God is doing in Berlin?
Thomas
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