ODBM: Witnessing God in a Multicultural Workplace
Did you know that the workplace, besides home, is where we spend the most time? Apart from our family members, our colleagues are the people we interact with the most. In today’s multicultural society, workplace colleagues are likely to come from different regions, races and beliefs.
For Christians, this means that the workplace is an important “mission field”, providing opportunities to engage with people from all walks of life. It’s where we can live as good witnesses for the Lord, build positive relationships, and practise the Great Commission.
Did you know that Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM) is a multicultural workplace too? We are an inter-denominational non-profit Christian organisation. Since 1938, our resources have been translated into 58 languages and distributed in 150 countries, with offices in 34 locations worldwide.
Many of our colleagues and volunteers come from different racial and cultural backgrounds. Whether through books, films, apps, or websites, we work together in unity to bring God’s word to every corner of the world, helping people build a deeper relationship with God.
It is God’s design that we work with people from diverse backgrounds. So how can we live in a loving relationship with everyone? Let’s hear what ODBM colleagues across Asia Pacific have to say about serving in a diverse workplace!
Love eliminates language barriers
“In serving ODBM, language is one of the challenges I face. I am not proficient in English and Malay, so when I am with colleagues of different races, I am always cautious, sometimes choosing to remain silent to avoid embarrassment.
However, colleagues are willing to accommodate and accept me, even patiently helping me learn to express myself better. In some meetings and discussions, I can choose to share and pray in my native language. This made me realise that in the kingdom and ministry of our Heavenly Father, differences are not a problem, language is not a barrier, and the love of the Lord can eliminate all barriers. I’m thankful to God and to my colleagues!”
– Ng Miaw Yee, Malaysia office
God equips us with necessary skills to collaborate
“I joined ODBM in 2016 and I’m now in my seventh year of serving here. Every year, my spiritual life and professional abilities improve. Reflecting on my journey, I believe that when God called me to serve with ODB, He would provide everything I needed. All I had to do was obey and give my best effort.
As I continue to work here, I have developed my communication skills, language proficiency, and collaborative skills, allowing me to work with hundreds of volunteers and colleagues worldwide in this multicultural workplace. Praise the Lord for that!”
– Aryanto Wijaya, Indonesia office
Humility allows us to work better with one another
“Serving in YMI, a sub-company of ODBM, has given me the opportunity to work with talented young people from around the world. In working with others I’ve realised that I can’t just build relationships according to what I was familiar with or what I thought was right. I had to understand their culture and preferences.
For example, in Singapore, we tend to be task-oriented when discussing work with teammates. We don’t usually stop for small talk during work discussions. One day, an Indonesian colleague said that when our messages did not include emojis, smiley faces, or “hahaha,” he felt like we were “angry.” This surprised me!
As a result, I began to reflect on our interactions, realising that I often forget how challenging it can be for colleagues whose mother tongue is not English to engage in our conversations or understand what we are saying. But they make an effort to improve their English proficiency to better interact with us.
In contrast, we did not think about how to make it easier for our colleagues to participate in our conversations! This taught me true humility and showed me the beauty and challenges of serving in a multicultural gospel organisation—not just about doing things for God or doing our jobs well, but about learning to love each other.”
– Rebecca Lim, Singapore office
Be a part of the ODBM family
Our volunteer team has always been a strong support for ODBM. If you are inspired and want to work with us, assisting in tasks such as packaging spiritual resources, translating, writing, editing, graphic design or video editing, you are welcomed to join us! Find job vacancies
Support Us
The funds for ODBM come from the love offerings of readers, churches and brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no funding or support from any organisation. Every penny is a blessing, allowing the word of God to be widely spread. We sincerely invite you to participate in this meaningful work, fulfilling the mission entrusted by the Lord! Click here to donate
Praying in Unity
Prayer knows no boundaries. Each prayer brings the heavenly help of God, and we hope you’ll continue to pray with us in unity, asking God to bless and use our ministry to bring His hopeful and encouraging word to more people. View prayer items
(Edited by ODBM editors)
This article was first published on Our Daily Bread Malaysia’s Simplified Chinese website. Read the original article here.
To read other Spotlight Malaysia articles, click below.
