COVID-19 and outreach in Windsor

by Javed Khan

WINDSOR, Ont. – Windsor Essex County Lutheran Outreach (WECLO) has continued its important intercultural ministry, albeit in different forms, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Javed Khan, lay missionary for WECLO, reports a number of changes the ministry has undertaken to maintain contact with friends and family. The ministry organized shopping groups (following health protocols) to ensure people were still able to get their daily necessities during the pandemic. These trips also allowed Khan to inquire about people’s health, welfare, and needs.

Bible studies had to be suspended, due to the difficulty of coordinating translators for online studies. Instead, ministry of the Word continues through weekly emails in both English and Chinese with Scripture and meditations on hope, prayer, family, strength, and other subjects. Much of the ministry to those of an Indian background has carried on via telephone.

Other recent occasions for ministry have included helping a South Indian Christian family navigate funeral arrangements following the death of the father in the middle of the pandemic; the provision of cooking classes online; and coaching golf following the reopening of golf courses. The Khan family hopes to restart hospitality ministry as coronavirus restrictions begin to be lifted, while still following all relevant health guidelines.

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Javed Khan is a lay missionary for Windsor Essex County Lutheran Outreach (WECLO).

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