Nations
The vision of the Nation’s Ministry at Eastbrook Church
is composed of different ministries that serve residents of
all nations. We believe that the church community is for all
nations (Revelation 7:9-10) and not for a particular one or
a certain group of people. We are groups of people from different
tribes, cultures and nations. Although we speak different
languages, we long to see unity between all the groups. We
believe in diversity and its beauty among the believers.
Our goals:
- To reach out to international students, immigrants, professionals,
visitors and refugees in the city of Milwaukee; to love
and serve them; to host and befriend them.
- To follow-up the internationals, match them one on one
with Christians and connect them to the Body of Christ.
- To help Christian believers understand God’s vision
for the nations around them in order to assist them reach
out cross-culturally and enrich their experience in Christ.
Below is a brief summary of the opportunities offered by
the Nations Ministries to both the internationals and to those
in the Body of Christ that have a heart for internationals.
Global Gateway
As Eastbrook Church continues to grow in size and ethnic
diversity, the Nations Ministry has prayerfully decided to
host a monthly ethnic potluck gathering for international
worship and fellowship. Every month we focus on one nation,
including a presentation about it. Global Gateway is not only
a gathering for internationals, it is an opportunity for the
everyone in the church to learn about other cultures and to
connect international friends to the gospel through the Eastbrook
community.
International Students
We help internationals learn about American culture and traditions,
as well as see and experience the love of Jesus through the
love of the Christian community. We also provide cross-cultural
coaching for host families.
Friday Night Fellowship & Hospitality
One of the purposes of the Nations Ministries is to host
and befriend international students. God has provided the
Meyers’ home near the UW-Milwaukee campus where international
students can gather weekly on Friday evenings in a relaxed,
loving atmosphere, share a meal together and build friendships.
We believe that relationships are automatically deepened when
a person is welcomed into a home. We envision this ministry
of hospitality beginning with and extending back to other
ministries and the church community.
Middle Eastern Ministry
Our vision is to reach out to Arabs, disciple them and integrate
them into the body of Christ. The Middle East covers a wide
range of cultures and countries, of which most speak Arabic.
- We desire to see a community of Arabs (believers from
Christian and Muslim backgrounds) who are worshipping the
living God with other nations at Eastbrook.
- We desire to see believers from both Arab Christian and
Muslim backgrounds joining with Americans to be trained
and equipped to fulfill ministry needs in the world.
- We desire to teach training courses like “Understanding
Islam” and “How to Reach Out To Muslims.”
- We desire to send Muslim background believers (MBB) to
conferences for training.
- We participate in Arab World Festival, and other outreach
activities to reach out to the Arabs in the region.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English as a Second Language addresses language needs. ESL
at Eastbrook is designed to teach language skills, and serve,
encourage and befriend international students, visitors and
residents of Milwaukee. We focus on sharing the love of Christ
in practical ways. We hold two ESL classes at UW-Milwaukee.
Additional classes are held Sundays on the church premises.
Hosting Internationals
The hosting program aims to provide a cross-cultural setting
for both the Eastbrook community and international guests
(students, visitors, professional, refugees and immigrants)
during the American holidays. We want to maximize the experience
of internationals while minimizing the problems. Internationals
learn about American culture and traditions while they see
and experience the love of Jesus through the love of the Christian
community. Host families also receive cross-cultural coaching.
International Women Ministries
The International Women Ministry seeks to develop relationships
with international women through social events. We use these
events to bring together women from many different cultures
to interact in a social setting, to draw their interest and
give them a wholesome social venue to develop relationships.
For example: “We have picked apples and baked American
favorites, made Christmas cookies and prepared dishes from
our various countries. We have used these opportunities to
share our testimonies, develop relationships and share Christian
principles of relationship both with one another and the necessity
for a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
La Comunidad Cristiana Hispana (LCCH)
LCCH is a bilingual fellowship that reaches out to the Spanish-speaking
community with the love of Jesus Christ. Fellowship gatherings
are held twice a month on the church campus. Gatherings consist
of worship, Bible study, prayer & fellowship times.
Hilos de Amor/ Threads of Love
Hilos de Amor is a ministry of LCCH. It is a service project
sewing ministry. We want the community to know that Christ
loves and cares for them. Together with volunteers from Iglesia
Getsemani, we make hats and scarves to be distributed at select
outreaches. We’ve also made hand-painted gift bags that
we filled with gifts and sent with Eastbrook missionaries
to be given to the children they encounter on their missions
trips. We’ve sent bags to India, Guatemala, Goma and
the Yucatan.
Contact Pastor Elie Hasbani for more information on any of
these ministries, 414-228-5220 x224
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