Outreach.
Adventist women are building friendships with non-Christian women
"Tea with Friends" helps neighbors become acquainted with church members.
[10-40 Window] Seventh-day Adventist women living in one country of the 10-40 Window begin their plans to invite non-Christian friends to tea. This will be a social event blended with discussion of women’s issues and garnished with a bit of inspiration. Everyone is asked to contribute a plate of finger food for refreshments. At the end of the relaxed afternoon, they will declare their favorite dish, and two women with the most votes will receive a door prize.
Eight guests accept the invitation and join fourteen Adventist women. With gracious hospitality church members welcome their friends and make them feel comfortable. Today’s focus is women’s health. Aliyah begins talking about the importance of maintaining a balanced life, physically and mentally. She stresses the importance of what enters through the windows of our body—our eyes, ears, and mouth. Mei Ling talks about the importance of oral hygiene. Khushi, a nurse, talks about the importance of breast care and regular self-examination. She comments that the month of October is breast cancer awareness month and mentions the trend of wearing pink ribbons and pink clothing.
Jiya wants to give the ladies an inspirational message to take home. Earlier she chose a selection of quotations and illustrations from the Women’s Ministries Steps to Christ adult coloring book. She cleverly prepares a tableaux of paper takeaway items—quotes and line drawings photocopied from the coloring book. Now she suggests that the guests pick quotes to hang in a convenient place at home so that the quotes can be read whenever encouragement is needed. But the fun of the coloring book line drawings, she reminds them, is creating personalized illustrations using colored pencils or paint.
The event concludes with new friends, conversation, an invitation for guests to take home the teacup they have been using as a memento, and an opportunity to visit the “massage room” where the magical hands of Noor, a language teacher, is ready to provide a relaxing massage. All participants look forward to the next time they gather for Tea with Friends.
The 10/40 Window is a term coined by a Christian missionary and is used to refer to an area of the globe located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator, a general region that seems to have the least access to the Christian message and Christian resources..
Contributed by excited Adventist women who are making friends with their neighbors.
Published in Mosaic newsletter, Summer 2018
