You Don't Have to Learn French

Mike Brue • Elder
October 8, 2026

2 Minute Read

The most common misconception about ESL is that you have to know a foreign language.

What most people forget is, to an immigrant, you already speak a foreign language. You already know what we Americans say, think, and do. ESL is a way to help new people know how to navigate their way through a foreign place. Yes, I know Kroger doesn’t seem foreign. To someone who comes from Africa, Latin America, or Asia our grocery stores can be intimidating.

The easiest way to show the love of Jesus is to be a friend. You don’t have to be a great theologian. You just have to look and sound like Jesus. And you don’t have to know all the objections to the Gospel. People hunger for simple friendly talk can bridge into someone’s life who needs a friend. By being a friend you can open the door later to introducing Jesus in a natural, easy way. Try it out.

If you keep meeting someone, use that as your opportunity to show Jesus’ service to them. Keep it simple. You can ask, “Is it a good day?” Or you can say, “I like to _____. What do you like to do?” Practical questions like, “How long have you been in America?” are simple and non-threatening. We’ll be sharing more about how you can talk with someone from a different culture.

Our ESL classes have begun. Our classes meet on Monday at 6:30 PM at the Lawson House. If you know someone who could benefit from learning English, they can text Mike Brue at 740-398-7835.

We have 2 levels of English classes, Beginner and More Advanced. We use a conversation style way of teaching. That helps our students learn English for their jobs, shopping at stores, and getting around Columbus.

We have upcoming missions events on October 17-18? Watch for them. It’s a fun way to learn about others in an easy way.

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From this Collection: Live To Serve
October 22, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
What Our Students Learn
English As A Second Language (ESL) classes are more than just boring grammar and spelling. These past few weeks, two of our teachers, Lauren and Donna, helped our students recognize different vowel sounds. Those different sounds lets them recognize different words and say those words correctly. Many English words can sound like each other, especially to a new English learner. “That” and “Hat” can be difficult to understand when we Americans slur our words. Plus, we talked about words that sound alike but mean very different things. Think about the words to, two, and too. Try “ate” and “eight.” The list goes on. We also have to help our students understand different dialects. Columbus residents come from all over the nation and the world. There are many different ways you can hear a sentence. For example, “Fish in the creek,” can become “Feesh in the crick.” It’s all where you come from. It took me (Mike) years to stop saying “worsh” instead of wash. Miguelina helps our students with their questions. She is a good encourager. Last Monday she helped our students understand luck, lucky, and some business terms. She helps them make their questions. Our other staff can then answer the right question. And our students bring questions about what they hear at work or in the store. How would you describe what “pretty good” means and “The boss wants me to keep him in the loop.” We have 2 levels of English classes, Beginner and More Advanced. We use a conversation style way of teaching. That helps our students learn English for their jobs, shopping at stores, and getting around Columbus. In Part 2 next week, we’ll share what this can mean for all of us. Our classes meet on Monday at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Lawson House. If you know someone who could benefit from learning English, they can text Mike Brue at 740-398-7835.

Mike Brue

Elder

Currently Reading
October 8, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
You Don't Have to Learn French
The most common misconception about ESL is that you have to know a foreign language. What most people forget is, to an immigrant, you already speak a foreign language. You already know what we Americans say, think, and do. ESL is a way to help new people know how to navigate their way through a foreign place. Yes, I know Kroger doesn’t seem foreign. To someone who comes from Africa, Latin America, or Asia our grocery stores can be intimidating. The easiest way to show the love of Jesus is to be a friend. You don’t have to be a great theologian. You just have to look and sound like Jesus. And you don’t have to know all the objections to the Gospel. People hunger for simple friendly talk can bridge into someone’s life who needs a friend. By being a friend you can open the door later to introducing Jesus in a natural, easy way. Try it out. If you keep meeting someone, use that as your opportunity to show Jesus’ service to them. Keep it simple. You can ask, “Is it a good day?” Or you can say, “I like to _____. What do you like to do?” Practical questions like, “How long have you been in America?” are simple and non-threatening. We’ll be sharing more about how you can talk with someone from a different culture. Our ESL classes have begun. Our classes meet on Monday at 6:30 PM at the Lawson House. If you know someone who could benefit from learning English, they can text Mike Brue at 740-398-7835. We have 2 levels of English classes, Beginner and More Advanced. We use a conversation style way of teaching. That helps our students learn English for their jobs, shopping at stores, and getting around Columbus. We have upcoming missions events on October 17-18? Watch for them. It’s a fun way to learn about others in an easy way.

Mike Brue

Elder

October 2, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
A Way To Talk With Your Neighbor
As more people pour into our communities as immigrants, we see more people who don’t look or talk like us. It can be difficult to do more than just smile and say a brief “hello.” ESL can be a bridge into someone’s life who might appreciate a friend. If you keep meeting someone, use that as your opportunity to show Jesus’ love to them. Keep it simple. You can ask, “Is it a good day?” Or you can say, “I like to _____. What do you like to do?” Practical questions like, “How long have you been in America?” are simple and non-threatening. If you think it’s OK, you can say, “ I know people who help adults learn English.” We’ll be sharing more about how you can talk with someone from a different culture. You can use the FORM technique: F: Family and Friends; O: Occupation; R: Recreation; M: Motivation, that is their dreams or goals. Our ESL classes have begun. Our classes meet on Monday at 6:30 PM at the Lawson House (737 Rosehill Road, Reynoldsburg, OH) . If you know someone who could benefit from learning English, they can text Mike Brue at 740-398-7835. We have 2 levels of English classes, Beginner and More Advanced. We use a conversation style way of teaching. That helps our students learn English for their jobs, shopping at stores, and getting around Columbus. Also, did you catch the announcements about our upcoming missions events on October 17-18? Watch for them. It’s a fun way to learn about others in an easy way.

Mike Brue

Elder

September 30, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
World of Wonders Serve opportunity
World of Wonders Event Oct. 22 🗺️ Our annual event with Rose Hill Elementary is happening soon, and you can be part of the action! You can host a trunk/booth, serve at food station, or serve an event station.Sign Up Here This special event is designed to mirror a Trunk-or-Treat, but is more inclusive for neighbors and community members that don’t celebrate Halloween. Each booth/trunk is decorated to represent a different country or culture from around the world, and attendees will take passports to each station as they engage and learn each. We’ll also serve food and snacks, and host activities/games like bounce houses and soccer. Help us serve our neighbors and Rose Hill Elementary!

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Associate Pastor

September 18, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
ESL @ CWC
English As A Second Language (ESL) classes have begun. Our classes meet on Monday at 6:30 PM at the Lawson House. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help teach, text Mike Brue We have 2 levels of English classes, Beginner and More Advanced. We use a conversation style way of teaching. That helps our students learn English for their jobs, shopping at stores, and getting around Columbus. ESL is an easy way to reach out to immigrants. It’s one way we can share Christ’s love for people from different cultures. It’s simple and non-threatening. Last week we started with 5 students. We have room for more. 🌍P.S. Pay attention to announcements about our upcoming missions events. You don’t want to miss them.

Mike Brue

Elder