By Allan Pole
I felt the Lord lead me in 2016 to revisit Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4. While the disciples wanted to eat something and get out of “inhospitable” Samaria as quickly as possible, Jesus saw an opportunity to reach someone outside their ethnic group and comfort zone. His food, after all, was to do the will of the Father. As a result of this interaction, this woman and many others from her town believed in the Messiah.
Jesus calls His disciples to look beyond themselves in John 4:35-38:
Do you not say, “Four months more and then the harvest”? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying “One sows and another reaps” is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labour.”
John 4:35-38 (NIV)
I realized the nations were coming to us, providing new opportunities for sowing and reaping. With this in mind, I began to look around Calgary for people reaching out to new Canadians. Madeline Johnson, the founder and president of Cooperative ESL Ministries (CESLM, http://eslcooperative.ca), introduced herself to me through our mutual friend, Laura Swart. I am a pastor without formal TESOL training, but Madeline invited me to get involved with CESLM. I joined the team in 2017.
Over the last six years, I have seen and heard the impact that followers of Jesus and churches can have on immigrants and refugees who are adjusting to life in a new country. While many established Canadians have a negative view of the church, we can make a lasting first impression on those just arriving. I decided to get involved and use my gifts, skills, experiences and interests to start the North Calgary English Conversation Group in June 2021. My friend, Jennifer Tong, encouraged me to connect with people on Meetup (https://www.meetup.com), so I purchased a six-month subscription and invited others to meet with me on Zoom for some English conversation.
I tried to meet in our local library in the fall of 2021, but our bookings were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, we continued to meet on Zoom and started to meet in the library in June of 2022. Since then, we have alternated between meeting in person and on Zoom on Thursday evenings. Some people who meet on Zoom live in Calgary, while most live in other parts of Canada and other countries.
Our format typically includes introductions, a short Bible reading with some comments related to the evening’s topic, prayer for requests and discussion on the evening’s topic in groups of three or four people. Topics for discussion have included jobs, pets, healthy habits, goals and others. I ask participants for tips on developing their English skills and topic ideas for future discussion. Recently, my friend Shelley McLean (who teaches ESL full-time) started to share a five-minute English lesson with our Zoom participants, and I show the video to our group in the library. Shelley has led several Zoom meetings to help share the load and step in when I am unavailable. A few new immigrant friends have led our group in the library.
I continue to be amazed at the diversity of participants, with as many as 16 nations represented in one meeting! People come and go, but there is a core emerging who sees the value of the developing community and helping other newer immigrants adjust to life here in Canada. The people who find us through Meetup at https://www.meetup.com/north-calgary-english-as-a-second-language-meetup-group or Google ads and our church’s web page at https://www.nbccalgary.com/pages/north-calgary-english-conversation-group are not raw beginners, but many of them thrive with encouragement and new friends.
I invite Canadians who speak English as their first language to come alongside our group participants. We have formed a WhatsApp group for those who live in Calgary, providing connections between meetings. We have enjoyed special events in the community centre where our church meets and at our house where we play games, eat together, take a brief look at the Bible, and pray for requests. We look forward to more of these fun and meaningful times together.
Our numbers have gone up and down since June 2021, but year-round consistency and engagement are essential, and people are responding. I am honoured and excited to meet diverse and interesting men and women from all around the globe!