global welcome
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Welcome!
This group was started in 2018 and our purpose is to serve international communities in Central Wisconsin by being a welcoming and hospitable body of Christ-followers to those from different language and cultural backgrounds.
The best way to stay in the know is to subscribe to our newsletter below!
Learn More
Although we do not have the ethnic diversity of a major city, we have a number of important international communities in our area that have motivated us to be better welcomers and community partners. For example, there are 200 Hmong families in the Stevens Point Area and approximately 100 international students at UWSP. Some of our larger businesses bring international professional workers for months or years and there are seasonal migrant workers as well. In a world of increased migration, the trend is towards more diversity in our area. The latest example is, of course, the arrival of refugees to Central Wisconsin from Afghanistan and from several other countries including Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Woodlands has an official resettlement team helping a large Congolese family. And the Congolese community is growing with most of them interested in attending Woodlands Church!
At this time, our Community of Hospitality focuses on finding and sharing needs through a newsletter. We have engaged with such things as the Annual Hmong Week or helping Hmong children with their homework, being a friendship family for an international student or supporting InterVarsity’s biweekly Tea & Talk, volunteering at the Annual Portage County Cultural Festival or tutoring English learners at the Portage County Literacy Council.
One fun way to reach out to our local international communities is to find a favorite ethnic restaurant and make friends with the staff there. Check the resources section on this page for a list of local ethnic restaurants to explore and make new international friends.
Global Welcome Overview Video
Service Opportunities
Helping Resettle Refugees
Woodlands Church has a Refugee Resettlement Team which is supporting a newly arrived refugee family for their first nine months in Central Wisconsin. We met our family at the airport on June 3 rd when they arrived from their refugee camp, took them to their furnished home, helped them learn about life in their new country, transported them to appointments, helped them find jobs, enrolled them in schools, helped them learn English, and more. Most of these things are ongoing. We have welcomed them, loved them, and been their neighbor in Jesus’ name.
RESOURCES
Foreign Language Bibles
We have foreign language Bibles available for our international guests to use use during worship services. Go to the Information Center for Bibles in Spanish, White Hmong, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Swahili. For access to other Scriptures & Scripture resources in over 2,000 languages, go HERE.
Cultural Papers
Congolese Backgrounder – an overview of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their integration into US culture.
Ethnic Restaurants in Portage County
Make friends and enjoy world cuisines at these international restaurants in our neighborhood! Yummy!
See list
Bamboo House – Asian bistro, Sushi & Grill
3012 Village Park Dr., Plover
Chef Chu’s – Chinese
5720 Windy Dr. ste a, Stevens Point
China Wok – Chinese
135 Division St. N #6, Stevens Point
BroKogi – Korean
108 Division St. Stevens Point
El Mezcal – Mexican
5741 Suite E, Windy Dr., Stevens Point
El Molcajete Mexican Grill – Mexican
1160 Meridian Dr., Plover
Green Tea – Chinese & Thai
1035 Main St., Stevens Point
Mama Mai’s Noodles – Southeast Asian
2824 Stanley St. Stevens Point
Matsu Ya Sushi Bar & Grill – Japanese
5725 Windy Dr a, Stevens Point
Mi Pueblo Restaurant & Bar – Mexican
5110 Main St. Stevens Point
New Hibachi Buffet – Chinese
5509 US-10, Stevens Point
Polonia Café – Polish American
7419 County Road Z, Custer
Ranchitos Perez – Mexican
3462 Church St., Stevens Point
Rock-N-Roll Café – Mexican
2801 Stanley St., Stevens Point
Samoeun’s Happy Wok – Cambodian
1540 Plover Rd., Plover
Tokyo Steak House – Japanese
1617 Academy Ave., Stevens Point
Tulum Restaurant & Grill – Mexican
3066 Village Park Dr. Plover
Vietnamese Restaurant (& Point Market)
3511 Church St., Stevens Point
Annotated Bibliography
Start your journey into the world of immigration, refugees, international students, and other cultures and languages by reading one or more of the books linked below. Whether you’re new to this migrating world or an old-hand at working cross-culturally, these books will equip you in this ministry of hospitality.