Who are your Indonesian listeners?
Indonesia has a large Christian minority, Protestant and Catholic, and people bring that faith with them when they move. In Britain and Ireland they are mostly postgraduate students and researchers, nurses, people married to Britons and staff of Indonesian firms. Indonesian fellowships meet in London and some university cities, often in a borrowed hall, but many Indonesians simply join the nearest church and stay for years.
Students in particular come with families who visit, and many arrive with good academic English that does not yet stretch to a fast sermon full of British idioms. Captions in Indonesian, with the English alongside, help them keep up while their English grows.
Seafarers in port
A different group passes through ports. Indonesian seafarers crew merchant ships, cruise ships and fishing boats in European waters, and churches and seafarers' missions near the docks meet them for a few hours, a few days, or longer when a ship is held in port. A QR code on a card is an easy way to offer a service or a short prayer in their language, with no app to install. They need an internet connection, so the mission's Wi-Fi helps.
Indonesian churches in the Netherlands and beyond
Because of the shared history, the Netherlands has a large Indonesian community and Indonesian-speaking congregations, and there are others in Germany and elsewhere. English-speaking international churches in those countries meet Indonesian students and families too. ChurchTranslate works in both directions: into Indonesian for newcomers, and from Indonesian into English or Dutch when an Indonesian congregation wants its children and local friends to follow.
Indonesian, Malay, Javanese and Sundanese
Many Indonesians speak a regional language at home, such as Javanese or Sundanese, but Bahasa Indonesia is the language of school, the Bible and most church services. Javanese and Sundanese are available with a Beta label, so test them first. Malay is available as its own language for visitors from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. For most Indonesian listeners, Bahasa Indonesia is the right choice.
How listeners use it
- 01Scan
From the screen, a card or the group chat. The page opens in the browser on any smartphone.
- 02Choose Bahasa Indonesia
No account and no download. There is also an iOS app.
- 03Listen or read
The Indonesian voice follows the preacher a few seconds behind, with captions on screen. The original text can be shown alongside.
What to expect
The translation is into standard Indonesian and follows the line of a sermon well. Bible names and church terms are the hardest part; Indonesian Protestant and Catholic traditions do not always use the same words. ChurchTranslate keeps a terminology list per language to correct known terms in the captions. See Bible names and terms.
Cost
A 90-minute service into Indonesian uses 90 credits, however many people listen. For a seafarers' mission with occasional services, a credit pack that never expires (300 credits for €50) is often the best fit. See the pricing.