Haven't posted anything lately because things are a bit of a mess. I'd rather not talk about it here, but you can read about it in our latest newsletter. In the meantime, this blog will probably be quiet for a little while.
I have often been told that the number of Cantonese speakers coming to Australia is decreasing, whereas Mandarin speakers are constantly on the rise. This seems to be supported by the languages spoken at home as well.
So I was a little bit surprised when I looked up the stats for this and realised that the number of Mandarin speakers coming to Australia have also started to decrease. The graph below is for the South, but the stats for NSW is similar (click on the image for a larger version):
This graph is a good reflection of the history of Chinese migration to Australia and some of the events behind it:
From the pie chart on the right, we can see that those coming from China and Hong Kong make up 80% of the Chinese population in the South. The rest are the 2nd generation Australian Born Chinese (ABCs). About 2% of these ABCs have one or both parents who were born in Australia, meaning they are 3rd generation (or more) ABCs.
What this means for gospel work is not only the need for Cantonese and Mandarin ministries, but also the need to understand the background, mindset and culture of Chinese migrants and their children (which I might write about at another time).
So I was a little bit surprised when I looked up the stats for this and realised that the number of Mandarin speakers coming to Australia have also started to decrease. The graph below is for the South, but the stats for NSW is similar (click on the image for a larger version):
This graph is a good reflection of the history of Chinese migration to Australia and some of the events behind it:
- Prior to 1973, Chinese migration was very difficult under the White Australia Policy, which came about largely as a reaction to the many Chinese who came to Victoria during the Victoria Gold Rush in the 1850s and 60s.
- Under Gough Whitlam, the White Australia Policy was abolished in 1973, followed by a series of laws and acts in the 70s and 80s which slowly opened the doors of immigration to Australia.
- I'm not sure of the reason behind the sharp increase of Chinese migrants in 1987. Perhaps it's to do with the stock market crash known as Black Monday.
- Chinese migration reached its peak in 1989 as a result of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. For the first time there were more Mandarin speakers coming to South Sydney than Cantonese speakers, partly because the Australian government under Bob Hawke granted Chinese students a four year amnesty to stay in Australia.
- Over the next few years, Chinese migration went back to pre-1987 levels (with a slight increase). But the year before the Hong Kong handover, a number of Cantonese speakers people made a last minute dash to come to Australia.
- In the meantime, migration among Mandarin speakers begins to increase dramatically from 1995 onwards. Many of these are students from China coming over to study. I found an interesting research paper done back in 2004 on the history of Chinese students studying overseas and why Australia has become such a popular choice in the last 15 years.
- I don't have the stats for 2007-2010 (yet), so it's hard to say whether the migration of Mandarin speakers is declining or whether 2006 was just a particularly bad year. This article says that Chinese people coming to study in Australian university is definitely dropping.
What this means for gospel work is not only the need for Cantonese and Mandarin ministries, but also the need to understand the background, mindset and culture of Chinese migrants and their children (which I might write about at another time).
Give thanks that the changes in immigration/migration policy in Australia that has allowed many Chinese people to come to Australia, to a place where there are more open opportunities to hear the gospel. Pray that Christians will be sensitive to their needs and know how to best reach out to them.
I survived a mammoth 70 hour week last week and have just had 2 days off to recover. Thanks to everyone who have been praying for us regarding the holiday kids club and the BHCBC camp. Let me tell you how things went.
The kids club was a blast! Over the 4 days, 132 different kids turned up, and at least a third to half of them were not from church backgrounds. The first day was a bit chaotic because there were so many things that were unknown and unpredictable. I got roped in at the last minute to lead one of the groups for kids in Year 3-6.
Each day we sang, memorised Scripture, played games, ate, heard a testimony, and made crafts. The 2 girls from my church did a fabulous job (as did all the other volunteers from other churches) and I was very impressed with them. They took the initative to do things without being told and despite the early morning start I never heard a word of complaint from them (I was the one moaning about the early mornings).
In the end, everything came together and it was a huge success (from a human point of view). It was totally exhausting, but totally worth it.
And because I had to jump in to help out at the kids club, I had less time and a lot less energy throughout the week. There were times where I was sitting in front of the computer for ages and I couldn't write a thing. My thoughts were all jumbled up and I couldn't put them together in a logical sequence. It got so bad I actually felt a sense of panic!
I worked right up to the wire and somehow managed to get it done. I'm reasonably happy with the end product, but definitely don't want to cut it so fine again.
Other than that, I had a good time at the camp. Had several good conversations with people about ministry, and hung out with the youth playing Werewolf (an advanced version of Mafia). We came back on Sunday morning and went to church as usual, then crashed afterwards.
The kids club was a blast! Over the 4 days, 132 different kids turned up, and at least a third to half of them were not from church backgrounds. The first day was a bit chaotic because there were so many things that were unknown and unpredictable. I got roped in at the last minute to lead one of the groups for kids in Year 3-6.
 Some of the boys in my group |  Crazy game with pool noodles |
|---|---|
 Drama |  Craft time |
In the end, everything came together and it was a huge success (from a human point of view). It was totally exhausting, but totally worth it.
Praise God for the many kids and parents who we had contact with last week. Give thanks also for all the leaders and volunteers who put so much effort into organising this kids club. Pray that some of those unchurched families will end up in a church where they can be followed up.My preparation for the camp talks, however, did not go so smoothly. Being a topical series, I had a hard time deciding which passages and which aspects of evangelism I wanted to speak on. Even though I had chosen my main points several weeks ago, my thoughts kept drifting to other points as I write.
And because I had to jump in to help out at the kids club, I had less time and a lot less energy throughout the week. There were times where I was sitting in front of the computer for ages and I couldn't write a thing. My thoughts were all jumbled up and I couldn't put them together in a logical sequence. It got so bad I actually felt a sense of panic!
I worked right up to the wire and somehow managed to get it done. I'm reasonably happy with the end product, but definitely don't want to cut it so fine again.
Other than that, I had a good time at the camp. Had several good conversations with people about ministry, and hung out with the youth playing Werewolf (an advanced version of Mafia). We came back on Sunday morning and went to church as usual, then crashed afterwards.
Thank God for getting me through a long week and finishing the talks. Pray that the brothers and sisters at BHCBC were challenged about their evangelism efforts despite my imperfections and weaknesses.
The next 9 days will be chaotic!
Only 4 more days until the Holiday Kids Club begins. We have just under 100 kids coming at the moment, and likely more with those who just turn up on the day without pre-registration.
That afternoon on the same day, I am having a Masterchef-themed social with my girls.
Then right after the Holiday Kids Club finishes, I will be off to Kiah Ridge Conference Centre in the Southern Highlands to speak at the camp for Beverly Hills Chinese Baptist Church. The theme is Mission: Possible (as in evangelism in general, not overseas missions). I will be giving 2 talks plus a workshop.
It’s my first time speaking at a camp, and I’m not very confident as a preacher. So I’m working extra hard to put together some biblical, applicable and engaging sermons.
Only 4 more days until the Holiday Kids Club begins. We have just under 100 kids coming at the moment, and likely more with those who just turn up on the day without pre-registration.
That afternoon on the same day, I am having a Masterchef-themed social with my girls.
Then right after the Holiday Kids Club finishes, I will be off to Kiah Ridge Conference Centre in the Southern Highlands to speak at the camp for Beverly Hills Chinese Baptist Church. The theme is Mission: Possible (as in evangelism in general, not overseas missions). I will be giving 2 talks plus a workshop.
It’s my first time speaking at a camp, and I’m not very confident as a preacher. So I’m working extra hard to put together some biblical, applicable and engaging sermons.
Pray that God will use me to challenge the saints at this camp to be passionate and active in preaching the good news. Pray also that I will be able to prepare well especially since I will be busy with the kids club beforehand.
My recent post on the Holiday Kid's Club got me thinking about the proportion of Chinese people in all different age groups. But first, I thought I'd have a look at the different ethnic groups that make up the area. In the chart below, I have indicated in brackets the 2 largest nationalities in each ethnic group (click on the image for a larger version):
As I've mentioned before, 15% of the South population are Chinese (in Hurstville that percentage is ridiculously lopsided!). Other significant groups are the Europeans, the Arabs, and of course the Anglo-Saxons.
Break that down into age groups and we get (note the age groups are not all the same size):
A few observations and speculations, plus some information about their religion:
From the census data, it would seem that there are lots of Christians in the area. But this report back in 2001 shows that only 5% of Anglicans and 15% of Catholics actually go to church (no info on Eastern Orthodox churches). And this report shows that church attendance in Anglican and Catholic churches have dropped by 7% and 13% respectively in the 10 years between 1991 and 2001. Admittedly, all this information is very dated and one would hope that the trend is changing. But this gives us a rough idea of the religious landscape in the South.
This obviously has implications for ministry across all the age groups, which I won't go into. But I'll simply say that for those seeking to create a multi-ethnic church which reflects the community, expect it to still be a predominately white church. The challenge will be to make sure that the culture and style of the church will not be one that only attracts white people whilst excluding the other ethnic groups.
As I've mentioned before, 15% of the South population are Chinese (in Hurstville that percentage is ridiculously lopsided!). Other significant groups are the Europeans, the Arabs, and of course the Anglo-Saxons.
Break that down into age groups and we get (note the age groups are not all the same size):
A few observations and speculations, plus some information about their religion:
- The Chinese population (red) is fairly evenly spread out amongst all the age groups under 60, hovering around 15% or so with a slightly higher percentage in the 18-29 and 40-49 brackets. But in the 60+ age group, it drops significantly, showing the relatively recent migration from the late 1980s.
- The British (orange) are weighted more heavily in the 40+ age group, and moreso the further along to the right you go. This perhaps reflect the history of early Australian settlement. The main religions in this group are Anglican (35%), Catholic (24%) and "No Religion" (13%).
- The Australians (yellow) are weighted more heavily in the under 18s, which might mean that Australian families have more children. The main religions in this group are Catholic (31%), Anglican (28%) and "No Religion" (12%).
- The South Eastern Europeans have a slight peak in the 30-39 and 60-69 age groups, possibly reflecting their earlier migration in the 1950s. The main religion in this group is Eastern Orthodox (85%).
From the census data, it would seem that there are lots of Christians in the area. But this report back in 2001 shows that only 5% of Anglicans and 15% of Catholics actually go to church (no info on Eastern Orthodox churches). And this report shows that church attendance in Anglican and Catholic churches have dropped by 7% and 13% respectively in the 10 years between 1991 and 2001. Admittedly, all this information is very dated and one would hope that the trend is changing. But this gives us a rough idea of the religious landscape in the South.
This obviously has implications for ministry across all the age groups, which I won't go into. But I'll simply say that for those seeking to create a multi-ethnic church which reflects the community, expect it to still be a predominately white church. The challenge will be to make sure that the culture and style of the church will not be one that only attracts white people whilst excluding the other ethnic groups.
Pray for the many nominal Christians who are under the false assumption that they are right with God that God may wake them up to their dilemma. Pray also for the churches in the South that are seeking to reach non-Chinese people that they may know how to best evangelise and disciple these people.
Two weeks ago, I preached on Joshua 22. The 2½ tribes of Israel on the East side of the Jordan had built an altar near the Jordan river. Fearing that they had turned away from God, all of the Western tribes took up arms and went to confront them.
This may seem like a rather dramatic (over)reaction. But it shows how concerned they were for holiness among the people of God. They kept each other accountable and were willing to deal with sin by confronting people directly.
If you want to find out what happened next, you'll have to go and read the passage. But the reason I mention this is because yesterday I had to put my money where my mouth is. I had on good authority that one of my girls was indulging in sinful behaviour. I dreaded having to say something, but after preaching on this passage, I knew couldn't ignore it. I fretted over it for the next few days and couldn't think of a 'good' way to do it except to 'go to war' - i.e. speak to her directly and say it like it is.
So that's what I did yesterday before church started. I expected it to go badly - she might palm it off, or get angry, or side step the issue, or...
She denied it.
What should I do? I had no first hand knowledge to confront her with. I could ask my source to come with me, but that would back her into a corner with no way out...and that could get messy. Was there another way?
I couldn't think of a solution, but God had one planned already. After church she came and spoke to me. She admitted that there was a problem in the past but in recent months have tried to deal with it. She still struggles with temptation and asked for my prayer and support.
Later that night, she also sent me a email revealing some slightly deeper issues. I was pleasantly surprised by this and grateful that she was willing to talk about it. It would be great if there was a female leader who could follow her up, but for now I will have to do.
This may seem like a rather dramatic (over)reaction. But it shows how concerned they were for holiness among the people of God. They kept each other accountable and were willing to deal with sin by confronting people directly.
If you want to find out what happened next, you'll have to go and read the passage. But the reason I mention this is because yesterday I had to put my money where my mouth is. I had on good authority that one of my girls was indulging in sinful behaviour. I dreaded having to say something, but after preaching on this passage, I knew couldn't ignore it. I fretted over it for the next few days and couldn't think of a 'good' way to do it except to 'go to war' - i.e. speak to her directly and say it like it is.
So that's what I did yesterday before church started. I expected it to go badly - she might palm it off, or get angry, or side step the issue, or...
She denied it.
What should I do? I had no first hand knowledge to confront her with. I could ask my source to come with me, but that would back her into a corner with no way out...and that could get messy. Was there another way?
I couldn't think of a solution, but God had one planned already. After church she came and spoke to me. She admitted that there was a problem in the past but in recent months have tried to deal with it. She still struggles with temptation and asked for my prayer and support.
Later that night, she also sent me a email revealing some slightly deeper issues. I was pleasantly surprised by this and grateful that she was willing to talk about it. It would be great if there was a female leader who could follow her up, but for now I will have to do.
Give thanks that she has been willing to open up and talk about some of the issues. Pray for me that I will have wisdom to know how to help her in this time and that the Holy Spirit will bring transformation in her life. Pray also that God will teach me to be more courageous when I have to have difficult conversations in the future.
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