Multilingual Church: Strategies for Making Disciples in All Languages
Ebook
Your community is multilingual. What about your church?
In a world where communities thrive with diverse languages, why should our churches lag behind? As migration increases and technology, like livestreaming, becomes commonplace, the need for multilingual churches is more pressing than ever. Still, many churches and mission organizations struggle with one-size-fits-all language solutions, while others desperately seek guidance to embrace multilingualism.
This is why we need Jonathan Downie’s pioneering work Multilingual Church. It dives into forty years of studies on interpreting, theological wisdom, and practical insights from multiethnic churches. Why settle for one language when the gospel speaks to all? Downie masterfully illustrates the motivation and method for creating a truly multilingual church. From recognizing this urgent need, to uncovering our biblical mandate and choosing the right tools, he provides a comprehensive roadmap for the journey.
Multilingual Church is more than a guide; it's a groundbreaking invitation to reflect Christ's universal love. Downie equips church leaders with the resources they need to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing, multilingual landscape. Are you ready to transform your congregation? The path starts here, united in faith across languages.
Introduction: When Church Can Reach Anyone
Part I: The Basics
Chapter 1: Why Multilingual Church Matters
Chapter 2: Multilingual Church Is Biblical
Part II: Common Ways to Do Multilingual Church
Chapter 3: They’ll All Learn Our Language Anyway
Chapter 4: Add in Some Services in Difference Languages
Chapter 5: Different Languages, One Service
Chapter 6: Artificial Intelligence to the Rescue?
Chapter 7: Interpreting in the Corner
Chapter 8: We Have a Vision for Languages. One Day We’ll Need Them
Chapter 9: Languages Are Who We Are
Part III: Vision, Strategy, and Implementation
Chapter 10: A Vision for Languages
Chapter 11: Strategy: the When and Where
Chapter 12: Implementation: the Who and How
Chapter 13: Maintenance: the Future
Part IV: Sunday Is Just the Start
Chapter 14: Excluding the Locals?
Chapter 15: Sunday Is Just the Start
Chapter 16: Getting Help
Multilingual Church by Jonathan Downie is an answer to prayer! It is a well-founded theological and biblical workbook for all of us serving in multicultural, multilingual contexts. As Jonathan so eloquently explains in this book, a multilingual church is more than a strategy to reach other people, it is a revelation, a vision from God. If the ultimate goal is to bring every nation, culture, and language in unity in front of the eternal throne of grace, shouldn’t we make every effort today to bring multiple cultures and languages together to worship God? Downie’s book answers this question by affirming that multicultural church necessarily needs to reflect the multilingual reality of its people. The clear vision, thorough analysis and clear step by step approach Jonathan adopts in this book is a great help for every pastor and church leadership team who wants to become an inclusive multilingual church. Furthermore this book is a great tool for church planters in North America and Europe where a diversity of languages and cultures are intermingling in our cities and nations. As the Lead Pastor of a multilingual church in America, I encourage my fellow co-workers in the kingdom to read and take to heart the vision presented in this book. After all, we are called as the church of the living Christ to celebrate, include and bring to the table in a dignified manner every culture and language represented in our context.
Fikri Youssef, DMin
Senior Pastor, La Casa Church, Nashville, TN
Many of us have experienced being in a situation where another language is being spoken. This can be an exciting adventure, but also hard work! Through his book, Jonathan leads us to reflect on the importance of languages used in church. He encourages us to see that a vision for a multilingual church is founded in biblical principles. He recognizes the challenges this presents and takes his reader on a journey through different options a church might use, the pros and cons, and questions to reflect on. Jonathan writes in an engaging and accessible way, helping us to see how we might ensure our churches reflect our local communities in the fullest sense, in a way that honors God and all his people.
Emma Billington
Head of National Development, Welcome Churches
Have you ever dreamed of being part of an intercultural church where everyone feels welcomed, needed and known? If so, then you’ll have found yourself wondering how can we be a healthy church family when we speak different languages? In Multilingual Church, Jonathan Downie doesn’t sugar-coat the challenges, but, as an expert guide, he shows the paths you could follow and warns of the potential pitfalls. More than that, he presents a compelling, biblically grounded vision of how multilingual churches are a powerful witness to the power of the Gospel in our divided and diverse communities. I heartily commend this much needed book!’
Adam Martin
National Director, Intercultural Churches UK
Jonathan Downie has written an honest easy-to-read guide for churches and Christian communities who desire to become a place of belonging, where people of all backgrounds feel welcome. Jonathan acknowledges that every church has different challenges to becoming multilingual and rather than being prescriptive he provides research-based tools and suggestions. I appreciate that Jonathan’s approach is not just to church leadership but to individuals wanting to apply this approach in their everyday life.
While this book is about the power of being welcome and belonging, it also presents a challenge and an invitation. I appreciate Jonathan’s anecdotal writing style backed by serious research. You will be able to read it swiftly but the questions it raises will linger. Are we willing to be those who truly serve those who we say we want to reach? After reading this book you’ll be ready to roll up your proverbial sleeves and respond "yes" as you think through how to make the church look more like our multiethnic communities and most importantly like Heaven!
Rev. Teresa Parish, PhD
Founder KITE Ministries
At Pentecost, we’re told the people heard about the mighty power of the Holy Spirit in their native language. In Revelation, every tribe and language will stand before the Lamb. It’s here, in the in between, Jonathan Downie speaks a prophetic word to the Church—a calling to create spaces where a diverse group can gather together as a multicultural tapestry and find our full identity in Christ. We’re at a unique time in history to do this, and do it well.
Traci Rhoades
Author, Shaky Ground: What to Do After the Bottom Drops Out
- Title: Multilingual Church: Strategies for Making Disciples in All Languages
- Author: Jonathan Downie
- Publisher: William Carey Publishing
- Print Publication Date: 2024
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781645085386, 1645085384
- Resource ID: LLS:9781645085386
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-12-17T01:51:09Z
Jonathan Downie is a consultant church interpreter and interpreting researcher, with experience in interpreting in-person and remotely at a range of church services and Christian events. As well as co-presenting The Church Interpreting Podcast with Lauryn Albizu, he edits ChurchInterpreting.com and the Bibliography of Interpreting in Christian Settings. Jonathan also runs the Inside Interpreting Youtube channel. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife and six children.