Be Wise

““Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col 4:5-6).
     During my time in Toronto, I’ve been drawn to the Punjabi Sikh students, one of the largest Least-Reached Peoples immigrating to Canada from Northwest India. This people group has a strong cultural heritage and wonderful pride in their community.    
    I am in need of wisdom as the Punjabi Sikhs’ historical and communal devotion to Sikhism is a barrier to gospel advancement. These people are truly “outsiders” to the gospel, the church, and the Kingdom of God. Since 2019, through Covid college lockdowns and re-openings, I’ve been prayerfully waiting and persevering to engage the 4000+ Sikh students that study at St. Clair College @Ace Acumen Academy. I’ve asked the Lord for “an open door to proclaim the gospel of Christ” (Col 4:3).
     Recently, the college administration accepted my proposal to bring volunteers to their three college campuses in the Greater Toronto Area, starting in January, to eat lunch with their students for cultural conversation. The administration allowed me to present the opportunity at new student orientation in January to over 1000 incoming Punjabi students.
     Weekly, our team will share stories of Canadian holidays, culture, and values and hear students’ cultural stories as we discuss how to apply these values to our lives. We will get to share the stories of St. Valentine’s Day, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. I’ll need to recruit as many Christian volunteers as possible for this weekly ministry, which starts on January 29. We’ll need to take special care in being “wise in the way we act toward” the administration who will oversee us and the students with whom we will interact.
     Please pray for prompt and effective communication with the administration, for the mobilization of volunteers, for wisdom and for our conversations to be “full of grace and seasoned with salt” in each conversation group. Pray for an open door for us to transition off campus for gospel proclamation in a way that doesn’t close the on-campus opportunity.”