LE3 .A278 2019

2019

Chuang, Tsu-Kung

Acadia University

Doctor of Ministry

D.Min.

Ministry

Acadia Divinity College

This thesis seeks to align the church that I pastor with the Lord’s desire and mission in its serving and ministering to the Overseas Chinese Students (OCS) in its neighborhood—and beyond. The missional concept was selected as a worthy paradigm to embed the undertaking and also for the church to assume. The meaning, significance, and application of the missional concept were clarified by biblical and theological examination and reflection. How the existing appreciation of the term, missional, can be fine tuned were submitted to the missional conversation. The missional axiom, “joining the Lord in the neighborhood”, was subscribed to and elaborated. Missional is found to entail the totality of the believers and the local church. Such totality is one’s total life and the church’s total life—in being obedient and willing to the will of God, in being authentic in its expression and message, in being so in a perpetual mode at all times and in all settings, wholeheartedly, and wholly (being selfless), and in mobilizing the whole church. The need, challenges of the OCS, as well as their attitude toward Christianity were investigated by survey and interviews. The experience of ministry participants who are familiar with the OCS ministry were also investigated by interviews. Data were analyzed by quantitative and qualitative methods. The experiences of the OCS were found to be affected by four main factors, which are their impact when they first arrive, their anticipation of what Canada might offer them, a lasting sense of challenge living and studying abroad, and their fear of not succeeding in Canada. The findings offer clues to the church on how it can serve and minister to them and make contributions to their journey in Canada within the missional paradigm.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3215