今年五月至六月期間，筆者在北美開辦的「看聖經學英語傳福音」訓練課程受到當地華人教會的熱列歡迎，令我喜出望外。在英國，針對外國留學生的英文口語班只在西人教會流行，而在加拿大，連不少華人教會也在開辦針對中國移民的英語班，這是我意料不及的。你也許會問，既然當地華人教會已經有開辦英語班的經驗，何須再接受培訓呢？多倫多短宣中心總幹事彭偉賢牧師解釋說，這是因為當地華人教會一直在尋找一種可以與信仰結合的教學方法。他們開辦英語班的對象為新移民，以實用英語教學為主。由於參與者只是為了提高英語水準而來，因而學習結束後很少會留在教會，因此這些教會特別想找到一種能傳福音的教學法。
上述教會的經歷並不令人意外，因為其他宣教士也有類似經歷。即：當英文班完結後，與同學的關係也隨之結束。這种現象一直令教會和宣教士非常無奈。通過聖經學英語傳福音(ACE course)課程正好解決了這個難題，這讓教會和傳教士都覺得很振奮。
過去新到美國、加拿大的技術移民迫切需要學習實用英語以儘快融入社區。但自2008年加拿大緊縮移民類別，提高對申請人英語語言要求的新移民政策實施以來，登陸加拿大的移民對英語課程的需求發生了很大改變。據加拿大移民局的一項統計表明，每年有超過兩萬名的內地留學生到加拿大進修，另外有更多的學者來到美國、加拿大進行為期半年至一年的訪學學習。這些人擁有較高學歷，往往具有較強的求知欲，他們來到信仰自由的國度，顯示出對基督教的極大興趣。透過聖經學習英語、瞭解西方文化對他們來說是一條最為有效的融入當地社會、文化的途徑。這一趨勢在2001年中國人民大學的一項調查中得到了證實。其統計顯示有一半的訪問學者承認透过语言学习、西方文化藝術及哲學认识了基督教。
筆者在這次北美之行的重要發現，就是當地華人學生的福音工作亟待開展。在英國，當地一些基督教學生福音機構，如Friends International在英國各個大城市都建立了接觸外國留學生的據點。這些教會儘管知道留學生最後能留在教會的佔少數，卻一直在大力開展有關的福音工作。而在我所探訪的城市，如波士頓，華人教會開展內地留學生福音工作才剛剛起步，校園宣教士多為西人教會的英語為母語的人士，關顧的對象也多以英語為母語的學生為主。如果這一現象在這些美加城市具有代表性，那麼我們就更應當為北美華人教會學生事工工作來禱告。
波士頓佈道團受訓人數(6 June 2012): 17
多倫多短宣中心受訓人數(3 June, 4 June, 7 June, 8 June, 9 June 2012): 約40
Faith Based English Learning:
the Way Forward for Evangelizing Overseas Mainland Students Jenny Wong
When I was in North America conducting training on "Teaching English through Bible" in 2012 May and June, I was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response to this teaching methodology among Chinese churches. While in the United Kingdom, most English conversation classes are offered in local, English speaking churches, a lot of Chinese churches in Canada are readily offering these ESL programs. When there are so many churches offering similar programs, why the need for training, you may ask? A pastor in Toronto explained the situation: for years, churches have been struggling to find a way to integrate elements of faith in these church-based English classes, because they found that those who attended English classes for practical reasons, mostly new immigrants, seldom stay in churches afterwards. The question is: how can we make them stay in churches?
Their experience is hardly surprising, which was resonated by other missionaries using non-faith based English programs or English training centers. They admitted that, once the classes ended, the relationship with students was gone. Their frustration with existing English for specific purpose programs indeed paved the way for the positive reception of ACE course (Learn Arts, Culture and English expressions through Bible). When participants learnt of a new Bible-based English curriculum developed by us, they nearly screamed: this is the thing that we are looking for! Reportedly, over 20,000 Mainland students came to Canada for further studies each year, not to mention visiting scholars who came for a brief period of several months to a year.
In the past, Mainland Chinese came to North America mostly as new immigrants whose needs are practical English to help them integrate into the community. However, as immigration restrictions of skilled workers have been tightened in Canada, skills that were designated as priorities for immigration are not on the new priority list under the new Federal Skilled Workers Program in 2008. Stricter language requirements were also introduced in 2008. According to the latest statistics, over 20,000 Mainland students came to Canada each year for further studies. Nowadays, as more and more Mainland Chinese in North America have a scholastic background, their thirst for knowledge prompted them to look for more advanced courses. This is substantiated by a survey published in 2001 by Renmin University, where the majority of respondents (50%) admitted that they knew Christianity through their thirst for Western culture and philosophical issues. All these data point to a necessary shift of evangelistic strategies – from those oriented towards immigrants to ways that fit the scholastic background of Mainland scholars.
Another important observation from this North American training tour is that campus ministry is underdeveloped among Chinese students. This is in stark contrast with Britain where Christian campus organizations such as Friends International are very active in every major British city in reaching out to university students, including a majority of Mainland students, through pre-evangelistic activities (i.e. hiking, dancing etc). Churches in the UK are very supportive outreach programs even only a minority of international students stays in the church after their studies. In the cities that I visited, especially Boston, some Chinese churches are just beginning to consider developing ministries to outreach these students. In Boston, campus ministries on Chinese students are far and few. Campus missionaries are mostly native speakers and their attention are given mostly to English speaking students. The mode of cooperation commonly seen in the UK – where English churches are happy to refer Chinese believers to Chinese churches for more in depth spiritual growth – are relatively unheard of in the cities I visited. If these cities are representative of the whole picture in general, we should especially pray for more workers in expanding the student ministry among Chinese in North America.
王忻：英國格拉斯哥大學文學及神學博士候選人，聖經英語文學促進會義務總幹事，前北京師範大學－香港浸會大學聯合國際學院助理教授，曾任教香港中文大學及公開大學翻譯課程，擁有多年企業傳訊、商務及新聞翻譯及語言教學經驗。最近譯作為《耶穌的另一面》（2011）、《愛的神學》(暫名，2013年出版)