The Columbus Church Serving Their Nepali Neighbors

Many churches talk about reaching the nations overseas. But what happens when the nations move into your neighborhood? 

East Side Grace of Columbus, Ohio is discovering that cross-cultural missions can take place much closer to home than they ever expected. The church is embedded in such a large Nepali community that their pastor, Beau Stanley, plans to take Nepali language courses just so he can better communicate with the community. 

Like many churches, missions has always mattered to them, and they’ve been supporting global workers for quite some time now. But recently, Pastor Beau sensed a growing conviction that the church needed a revitalized focus on missions. With so many people from a different country living right beside them, he started brainstorming about how the church could pursue cross-cultural evangelism to the Nepali people living right next to them. 

What they did not expect was how God would begin leading. 

Without launching a massive new ministry or creating an elaborate strategy, the church simply allowed themselves to be available. Before Beau became the church’s pastor, the church started a food pantry inside the church building, and Nepali people constituted a majority of the customers. And recently, a Nepali church approached East Side Grace about using their building for worship services. Relationships started forming that only God could orchestrate. 

Not only were they able to start partnering with the Nepali church for ministry, but it also became a learning opportunity. The Nepali congregation is teaching them more about this culture and is helping bridge communication gaps with the Nepali-speaking families visiting the pantry. 

The church is still in the early stages of this new focus on missions. There is no polished system or “well-oiled machine” yet. But the relationships they're forming are invaluable. Pastor Beau says, “What happened to us accidentally gave us access to this culture.” And that access is opening the door to cross-cultural missions right in their own backyard. 

When asked about the advice he’d give to other churches, here’s what Pastor Beau said: 

Missions doesn't always mean buying a plane ticket. Sometimes it just means living with open hands and a willing heart to pursue whatever opportunities God has already provided. If you find yourself in a similar spot as East Side Grace, you can reach out to Pastor Beau to learn more.