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Seeking Sikhs
BY GORDON E. PIFHER, president of British Columbia Conference
Adventist Review ( journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Church )
Reaching out to neighbors to share with them the message of Jesus’ love isn’t restricted to just the person who lives next door—or to those who might look, dress, or believe as we do. The gospel commission of Jesus includes everyone, and for Adventists living in British Columbia, Canada, this means also seeking out and witnessing to the almost 200,000 Sikhs living in the region.
The British Columbia Conference has begun the process of training local church members to reach out to Sikhs. Mary Pillai, an administrative assistant in the conference’s Ministerial Department, recently organized the first Seeking Sikhs Committee. The group has so far met twice at the Surrey Adventist church, in the southwestern region of the province, which holds the most concentrated population of Sikhs in Canada.
The committee’s main focus is to develop resources to help church members grow friendships with their Sikh neighbors. Providing a link between the different cultures are Adventist Sikh families serving as members of the committee. Some of these members are from Punjab, India, and have worked in the Sikh culture for many years.
Why a Seeking Sikhs Committee in BC?
The Sikh population worldwide totals some 23 million, and it’s one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in some British Columbia communities. Many Sikhs are found to be devout spiritual people who are willing to learn more about their Creator God.
As a result of the Seeking-Sikhs initiative, committee members have come to know Sikhs as an industrious and family-oriented group. When you touch the life of a Sikh, you touch a family that extends all the way to Punjab, where 90 percent of the Sikh population still lives. Adventist Church members have found many Sikhs to be searching for spiritual non-Sikh friends to help them and their families face the tremendous challenges they experience in adapting to Canadian culture.
What Do Sikhs Believe?
PRAISING GOD: Sikhs worshiping in their temple. [Photo: iStockphoto.com]
Sikhs originated in the 1500s in Punjab, northern India. Their culture grew up in a region dominated by Hindus and Muslims.
The word “Sikh” means disciple. “Guru” means teacher. And their holy book is called the Guru Granth Sahib, which includes the teachings of their first teacher and the writings of nine special gurus.
Unlike some of their neighbors, Sikhs reject idolatry and caste. They believe in one God, who, they feel, gave them their teachings. Sikhs identify five special evils: ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust, and believe dedication to daily devotions attains salvation and a personal union with God.
Common Ground
In witnessing to Sikhs, the committee members have found that emphasizing the common beliefs and lifestyles of Adventists and Sikhs is the best approach. These include:
•Believing in one God.Adopting a healthful message—Sikhs are generally vegetarians who neither smoke nor drink.Maintaining a disciplined approach to having personal devotions at least twice each day.
•Encouraging generosity—Sikhs actively join with Adventists in programs defending fellow human beings andhelping those in need.
•Fostering spiritual devotion—for 48 continuous hours each week, Friday through Sunday, many Sikhs spend time reading the writings and singing the songs written by the gurus.
•Sikhs don’t aggressively attempt to proselytize, but they are interested in mutual understanding. They also don’t appear to feel offended when invited to join Adventists in their worship services.
Our Lord asks us to share the Advent message will all people. We may not totally understand the cultural and spiritual practices of others, but we shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to them.
So, go ahead—make a friend for God. It could change your life, as well as theirs.
source:
http://www.adventistreview.org/article/1155/archives/issue-2007-1514/adventist-news-2-feature
BY GORDON E. PIFHER, president of British Columbia Conference
Adventist Review ( journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Church )
Reaching out to neighbors to share with them the message of Jesus’ love isn’t restricted to just the person who lives next door—or to those who might look, dress, or believe as we do. The gospel commission of Jesus includes everyone, and for Adventists living in British Columbia, Canada, this means also seeking out and witnessing to the almost 200,000 Sikhs living in the region.
The British Columbia Conference has begun the process of training local church members to reach out to Sikhs. Mary Pillai, an administrative assistant in the conference’s Ministerial Department, recently organized the first Seeking Sikhs Committee. The group has so far met twice at the Surrey Adventist church, in the southwestern region of the province, which holds the most concentrated population of Sikhs in Canada.
The committee’s main focus is to develop resources to help church members grow friendships with their Sikh neighbors. Providing a link between the different cultures are Adventist Sikh families serving as members of the committee. Some of these members are from Punjab, India, and have worked in the Sikh culture for many years.
Why a Seeking Sikhs Committee in BC?
The Sikh population worldwide totals some 23 million, and it’s one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in some British Columbia communities. Many Sikhs are found to be devout spiritual people who are willing to learn more about their Creator God.
As a result of the Seeking-Sikhs initiative, committee members have come to know Sikhs as an industrious and family-oriented group. When you touch the life of a Sikh, you touch a family that extends all the way to Punjab, where 90 percent of the Sikh population still lives. Adventist Church members have found many Sikhs to be searching for spiritual non-Sikh friends to help them and their families face the tremendous challenges they experience in adapting to Canadian culture.
What Do Sikhs Believe?
PRAISING GOD: Sikhs worshiping in their temple. [Photo: iStockphoto.com]
Sikhs originated in the 1500s in Punjab, northern India. Their culture grew up in a region dominated by Hindus and Muslims.
The word “Sikh” means disciple. “Guru” means teacher. And their holy book is called the Guru Granth Sahib, which includes the teachings of their first teacher and the writings of nine special gurus.
Unlike some of their neighbors, Sikhs reject idolatry and caste. They believe in one God, who, they feel, gave them their teachings. Sikhs identify five special evils: ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust, and believe dedication to daily devotions attains salvation and a personal union with God.
Common Ground
In witnessing to Sikhs, the committee members have found that emphasizing the common beliefs and lifestyles of Adventists and Sikhs is the best approach. These include:
•Believing in one God.Adopting a healthful message—Sikhs are generally vegetarians who neither smoke nor drink.Maintaining a disciplined approach to having personal devotions at least twice each day.
•Encouraging generosity—Sikhs actively join with Adventists in programs defending fellow human beings andhelping those in need.
•Fostering spiritual devotion—for 48 continuous hours each week, Friday through Sunday, many Sikhs spend time reading the writings and singing the songs written by the gurus.
•Sikhs don’t aggressively attempt to proselytize, but they are interested in mutual understanding. They also don’t appear to feel offended when invited to join Adventists in their worship services.
Our Lord asks us to share the Advent message will all people. We may not totally understand the cultural and spiritual practices of others, but we shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to them.
So, go ahead—make a friend for God. It could change your life, as well as theirs.
source:
http://www.adventistreview.org/article/1155/archives/issue-2007-1514/adventist-news-2-feature
