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Tea parties - for men!
28/09/2007 9:00 am <>
One of the big challenges of doing working class ministry has been how to reach men. They often work long hours, and many of their free time activities (like singing karaoke) are not conducive to engaging in quality conversation. But there is one activity that is both viewed as manly and promotes conversation: drinking tea. Western readers may find it hard to believe that a “tea party” is a manly thing, but in Taiwan it really is!
Our team in Chia-yi came to the realization that Taiwanese men will sit around the teapot and chat for hours on end. The topics are not fixed, and there is feeling that any one sitting around the teapot can contribute or comment. There is a sense of security and comfort for them in sitting around the teapot.
The idea of security around a teapot was solidified for me when I went to an outreach event in Taichung. My co-worker Robb Branch was planning his first family outreach event to working class men. He invited us to come help with the event. Aside from this being a first time experience for the men, I was aware that they didn’t all know one other. So I told Robb, “You have to buy a tea set.” It was not a surprise when every single guy was surrounding the tiny table that held the tea set. Because it was familiar and comfortable, that was where they went.
More importantly, men feel safe to talk and dialogue there. We found that guys who do not engage in spiritual discussions in other places do so around the teapot. In our group we started with simple Bible stories and parables, which we told throughout the evening. As their familiarity with and interest in these stories grew, we began to look at portions of written text, either in the mini-Bibles or on pages printed in characters. Since we started this about two years ago, we have seen men become familiar with the Creator God, His Son, and His plan for history. Not only are men coming to Christ, they are showing an ability to reason from the Word of God.
Tim McCraken - Chiayi
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