Pastor Samuel Boateng of Redeemer City Church has underscored the urgent need for Ghanaian churches to create welcoming and gospel-centered communities that fully integrate expatriates—not merely as visitors, but as family in Christ.
Delivering a thought-provoking presentation on the topic “From Strangers to Family: Effective Integration Strategies for Expatriates” at the ongoing Home and Urban Missions (HUM) Conference 2025, Pastor Boateng offered deep theological insights and practical strategies to help churches reach and retain expatriates with love, relevance, and intentionality.
The three-day HUM Conference, which began on July 10 and ends on July 12, 2025, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, has brought together missional leaders, pastors, and practitioners from across Ghana and beyond. It seeks to deepen commitment to reaching marginalised and unreached people groups in urban and peri-urban centres, in line with The Church of Pentecost’s broader mission.
In his session, Pastor Boateng stressed the importance of nurturing churches that are authentically biblical, gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered, and culturally aware.
Referencing the need for contextualisation, he defined it as the practice of answering the real questions people are asking in their specific time and place—using language and forms that resonate with them, even if they don’t yet agree.
“The gospels themselves are contextualized. We must communicate the unchanging message in ways that are understandable, relevant, and compelling to those from different cultures,” he stated.
Pastor Boateng challenged churches, particularly Pentecost International Worship Centres (PIWCs), to recognise that their pastoral and missional focus must extend beyond Ghanaians.
“Don’t forget that you are reaching and pastoring not only Ghanaians. Every city church must intentionally identify the expatriate groups around them and plan to reach them,” he advised.
Drawing from the “Theological Vision” model popularised by City to City Africa, Pastor Boateng explained how doctrinal foundations (hardware), theological vision (middleware), and ministry expressions (software) must work together to design ministries that reflect both timeless truth and cultural relevance.
He urged churches to rethink Sunday services by using a sermon style that is topical, expository, gospel-centered, and evangelistic, assuming non-Christians are present; and selecting music that blends Pentecostal zeal with rhythms and lyrics familiar to expatriates, possibly borrowing from their cultures.
“We must carefully consider who stands at the door to welcome people and who leads various parts of the service, as representation matters,” he further added.
Pastor Boateng also stated that expatriates often desire not only to find spiritual family but also to make a meaningful impact in their host city. “Help them see how the Church enables them to serve others. Give them a mission beyond themselves,” he said.
He advocated for forming small groups within Sunday gatherings to promote deeper community and biblical growth, noting that many expatriates are searching for safe, trusting relationships. He also advised forming intentional core teams made up of both locals and expatriates, trained to be the Church’s “evangelists” to targeted communities.
In addressing perceptions of the church among expatriates—such as suspicion of exploitation or financial motives—he called for gospel-centered leadership, hospitality, and cultural humility. “Invite them into your homes and lives so they see Christianity beyond Sunday,” he urged.
Pastor Boateng further encouraged churches to use existing resources—such as multilingual members who can bridge language gaps—and to train and release them for focused mission work. “Language is God’s powerful tool to reach us. Let’s use it to reach others of different cultures in our cities.”
He affirmed that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church can indeed live up to her calling—reaching and embracing expatriates, not as outsiders, but as fellow citizens of God’s household.
“With a Christ-like heart, we can hold out the Kingdom of God to expatriates. With a humble heart, we can enter their cultures and proclaim the unchanging word of God to a changing world,” he concluded.
PENT NEWS.
About The Author
