NNNetwork
From A (Ahmadiyya Musl*ms) to Z (Zoroastrians), peoples from the ends of the earth have and continue more and more to make Canada their new home.
And this is GOOD NEWS for both newcomers to Canada and for the Church in Canada!
You don't need a passport to be a missionary. Missions isn't about physical distance or crossing national borders; it's about the cultural distance between you and me and the person we're sharing the gospel with.
We need to recognize and embrace more than ever before that Canada is a mission field. And that means we need cross-cultural workers here in Canada, too.
Neighbours & Newcomers Network (also referred to as NNNetwork) is part of our cross-cultural focus within Mission Canada for workers who are ministering to peoples and religious groups in Canada where the term or concept of being a "missionary" may not initially be welcomed or accepted. It also provides a layer of protection similar to that of the PAOC's RAN Network and its workers who minister outside of our Canadian context.
It is love, faith and eager anticipation of sharing the gospel with newcomers to Canada, not fear or undue concern that could limit our outreach, that mobilizes new workers into mission fields across Canada through NNNetwork.
NNNetwork workers have the advantage of being based in Canada and are readily available to help PAOC churches to better branch out into cross-cultural ministry locally. By 2025, it is estimated that Canada could receive over half a million newcomers every year. And that doesn't even include other categories of newcomers such as international students, refugees, etc. While our local churches are doing well at living out the gospel in their communities, there are growing numbers of peoples who are not seeking out the local church at all. We have to go if they're not coming. This is another reason Jesus gave clear instructions to His followers: "Go into all the world..." (Mark 16:15), and "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem (where you live, among people culturally familiar to you), and in all Judea and Samaria (people near you - yet 'Samaritans' are those who are culturally not like you), and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). NNNetwork is about reaching our neighbours who are 'Samaritans'!
- Are you called to reach cross-culturally here in Canada?
- Does God's love burn in your heart in a way that leads you to newcomers around you?
- Is God calling you to be His worker among newcomers to Canada?
We're here to help you discern and fulfill God's call upon your life to be His witness cross-culturally right here in Canada.
Check out the opportunities we've already profiled in Canada on our Ministry Opportunities page. Or, if God is calling you to a different location in Canada, go to the Engage Today page to share your dream for us to explore together. And you can always email us directly at missioncanada@paoc.org.