Why be Multicultural?

Why be ‘Multicultural’?

Define the typical Australian
It’s not so easy any more.
There was a time when Aussies were summed up with hackneyed clichés like “mateship,” “cobbers,” and “larrikins.” You would paint a verbal picture of the bronzed lifesaver or the wandering swaggie with his cork hat and faithful Bluey.
While some of these characteristics will forever be a part of Australian life, these clichés are fast becoming more myth than reality. Few countries are as culturally diverse and cosmopolitan as modern Australia. Today, kids are just as likely to have leftover mi goreng in their lunchboxes as they would a vegemite sandwich.
With the continual influx of migrants and the increased awareness of foreign cultures through modern technology and travel, Australian life is constantly changing shape. Australia is now the most multicultural nation in the world.
Because of this, we believe that for an Australian church to be truly Australian, it must also be multicultural.

Multiculturalism is God’s idea.

After all, the Christian Church formally began as a multicultural organisation on the day of Pentecost.  No other religion can claim this.
Its founder Himself continually crossed boundaries that were tabooto the Jewish people; teaching, loving and healing Jews and non-Jews alike.  We see that even at the end of His time on earth, Jesus left His followers with the command to go and reach all nations. Through His death on the cross, Christ destroyed the dividing walls and hostilities between ethnic groups, enabling people of all races to unite (Ephesians 2:14).  He died for all mankind; one solitary human race.
In Revelation 7:9, the Bible presents a vision of heaven. A picture of the church gathered together as one.  It describes great multitudes that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples, united together in one heart, one soul and one purpose; worshipping before the throne of God.
This is God’s vision of how His church should be. And so it became ours.

Our vision

Our vision is to continue building a multicultural church in Brisbane.  We at International City Church have worked hard for over two decades to reach out and include all cultures, to love and assist the needy and disadvantaged, and to provide specialised help and support for migrants.   We intend to do this for many years to come.
We’re building a church where the miraculous power and love of God can be seen and experienced. We want to be more than a place where Christians of all cultures can worship together in love and unity. Leaders would come from all nations, while cultural differences would be celebrated. We hope that ICC can become a powerful example to a divided world. 
We spent the early years of our existence observing what God was doing in our nation.  More and more churches in Australia were being filled with people from different nations, seeking to learn the Lord’s ways. This was wonderful. But many of the minority ethnic groups streaming Down Under weren’t always feeling accepted and comfortable. 
Unless proper support is provided for people who struggle with English and have come from entirely different cultures, it will always be difficult for them to settle down and prosper.   Only a church with a Jesus-centred, multicultural vision can accommodate this diversity practically and effectively.