Chinese restaurant evangelism taking Gospel to Europe's immigrant Chinese
|PIC1|The Chinese Christian Herald Crusade Restaurant Gospel Ministry (CCHC) is taking the Gospel to hundreds of Chinese restaurant workers across Europe this summer.
The CCHC has already hit the German city of Hamburg, where it worked in partnership with local Chinese churches. The group will head to Brussels in Belgium next month.
During the week of outreach in Hamburg in June, the CCHC missionaries took the good news of the Gospel to around 500 Chinese restaurants in and around the city under the motto of "A Flavourful Life".
The mission effort was supported by Rev Deng, senior pastor of Lord Glory Mission to Chinese, who provided a week of training prior to the outreach.
The week concluded with the establishment of the Restaurant Gospel Fellowship in Germany, marking another significant stride forward for the Restaurant Gospel Ministry in Europe.
In Brussels, the CCHC will partner with the Belgium Chinese Christian Church with the shared aim of visiting 250 Chinese restaurants in Brussels. The team of around 35 missionaries will hold seminars on restaurant gospel ministry and leadership training.
The CCHC was started in England in 1992 by the Rev David Cheung, a Chinese Christian who used to own several Chinese restaurants. When he felt the calling of the Lord, he sold all his restaurants to begin evangelising others in the Chinese restaurant industry.
Restaurant Gospel Ministries have since been established in Scotland, Ireland, Luxemburg, Norway and Sweden and in 2004 a Europe-wide alliance of Restaurant Gospel Ministries was set up.
Most Chinese immigrants to Europe work in the restaurant industry. Although Chinese immigrants are beginning to branch out into other professions, Chinese restaurants are still regarded as the 'financial pillar' of Europe's Chinese immigrant community.