My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. (Isaiah 32:18)

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2)

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23:6)

The Bible mentions “home” or “house” in many places. God, who doesn’t need a limited place or space, made humans long for “home”. There are so many people in NZ who left their homes and moved here short or long term. You don’t need to know the exact number of migrants in NZ, just look around. It’s easy to see different people and hear different languages. What do they want here? They want to feel at home here and feel a sense of belonging.

Rodem House Ministry was started by a Korean missionary in Christchurch in 2000 in an old big house by a river. For many people who left their families, it became a home away from their homes.

Fellowship & belonging

Let me share a story with you about a Korean man who didn’t like Japanese because of historical reasons. When he moved to Christchurch in NZ, he was very poor. Guess who helped him when he was in need? Japanese. He was touched by them and opened his heart towards them. He started a fellowship meeting each week and invited Japanese. He asked a Japanese guy to lead worship even though he wasn’t a Christian. The Japanese guy started to feel belonging there, opened his heart towards God and decided to follow Jesus. The Korean guy bought a house in 2000 and called it “Rodem House” and started a bigger meeting. He moved to Thailand around 2005 for another ministry there, and other leaders of Rodem continued to lead the ministry in Christchurch.

We still host an International gathering called “Rodem Fellowship.” These days, we meet at City Church Christchurch. We welcome internationals who visit Christchurch for travelling, studying, or as migrants. About 580 people from 36 different nations attended last year; some came once or twice, while others came regularly. Many of them don’t know who Jesus is and we encourage them to have fellowship with God through our fellowship.

Food

Jesus felt compassion for people in the desert because they were hungry and he performed a miracle to feed them. The resurrected Jesus was waiting by the beach for his friends who gave up following His way and back to their previous lives. Jesus wasn’t going to ask them to repent or suggest a prayer meeting. He just cooked for them and had a meal together. The Psalmist was aware that God likes to prepare a table before us even in the presence of enemies. How many times in the Gospel is it recorded that Jesus ate with people, even with sinners? Jesus’ community is like a dining table community.

This is how the Japanese Christian Fellowship started in Christchurch. An elderly couple invited Japanese people to their home and had a meal with them. We always have a meal at Rodem Fellowship and it’s free. A free meal is not a hook. Meal time is important for our ministry because fellowship happens in the dining.

Family

What do you see from home and eating together? It’s family. All of us, whether Christians or not, are His children, because God made all of us. However, they forgot who they are and where they came from. We all are supposed to be brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s going to make a big difference to how we treat them: foreigners or family. They are not just foreigners but our family who went away from God. We are not just teaching them English, feeding with free meals and hosting gatherings. We actually remind them that God is our heavenly Father and we are His precious children. It doesn’t just happen through events, but through our fellowship.

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1John 1:3)” The fellowship will grow into a family.

Early churches didn’t have church buildings. They met at their homes. How was the church able to grow? They invited people who didn't know about the Good news and had a meal together. At their dining table, they shared how they were changed by the Gospel. Guests were touched by their testimony and their generosity and kindness. Then, they opened their hearts to Jesus. They became their brothers and sisters. Visitors became family of God. This is what we want to see in our lives. We can start. Why don’t you invite migrants to your home and have a meal together? Jesus is going to be there in the midst of your dining table. The family of God (Kingdom of God) will continue to expand.