There was a time when we had to travel to other countries to meet people from different cultures. Not so anymore. In God’s sovereign plan, He has brought the nations to our neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. Cross-cultural ministry no longer requires crossing an ocean—often, it simply requires crossing the street.

Below are five ways every church member can take part in loving and reaching internationals in your community.
 

1. Pray for internationals: Pray regularly for the nations represented in your city, and ask God to open doors for relationships. Let prayer stir your heart with compassion. You might highlight one unreached people group each week in your small group, pray for international neighbors by name, or gather a few friends to pray for newcomers in your area. Be intentional—prayer is God’s way of preparing us for mission.
 

2. Notice the internationals around you: Take time to look around your community with fresh eyes. Who lives in your apartment building, works in your grocery store, or walks their kids to the same school? Pay attention to international restaurants, markets, and shops—these are often hubs of community life. We tend to find what we look for, so look with purpose.
 

3. Connect through simple hospitality and practical help: Once you notice internationals, take a step toward them. Visit their businesses, ask genuine questions, and show interest in their culture. One of the simplest and most powerful ways to love someone is through hospitality—invite a neighbor for coffee or a meal, especially around holidays like Christmas or Easter, which naturally open doors to share the story of Jesus.
 

Many internationals also need help navigating everyday life—doctor visits, utilities, the DMV, public transit, paying bills, understanding mail, or interacting with landlords. These things feel ordinary to us but can be overwhelming to someone new to North America. A church that meets these practical needs models the love of Christ in tangible ways.
 

4. Build friendships that include real listening: Friendship builds trust, and trust opens the door for gospel conversations. Learn someone’s story—where they’re from, what they miss, who they love, and what brought them here. Listening honors the person as an image-bearer of God, and it helps us see how much we share in common. Over time, these friendships create natural opportunities to share the hope that is good news for all peoples.
 

5. Let the ministry of the church shape your mission: Pay attention to how your church teaches God's big redemptive story—from creation to the cross to the nations gathered in worship around the throne (Revelation 7:9–10). When reaching internationals is celebrated, emphasized, and modeled in the church, the whole congregation begins to see it as normal Christian living. We’re all called to participate in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20), and God has brought many of the nations right to our doorsteps.
 

A Final Charge for You and Your Church

As you pray, notice, connect, and build friendships, consider how your local church can take a next step together. One of the most effective and relational ways to love internationals is by offering English conversation or ESL classes. These ministries open doors for friendships, hospitality, discipleship, and gospel witness in ways few other ministries can.
 

Perhaps your next step is simple: Ask your pastor or ministry leader how your church could begin hosting an ESL ministry—and be ready to take part. God has brought the nations to us. By His grace, let’s welcome them in Jesus’ name.