Field Report - October 2008
Dear friends,
We are off and running….or should I say “SPRINTING” with another school year of reaching students for Christ on college campuses around Seattle. WINNING students to Christ, BUILDING them in their faith, SENDING them to reach others, back on their campuses, into the market place, and around the world. There are literally believers in many nations for the world today who were either reached as students while here in Seattle, or as a result of our students going from Seattle to their campuses overseas!
Student Leadership Retreat
In mid-September over thirty student leaders from campuses around the Seattle area gathered for two days of planning and praying as they prepared to lead the ministries back on their campuses. All of our full-time staff are highly encouraged by the commitment level we see in our student leaders. We really believe the Lord is going to use them to build movements on their campuses that will reach many college students with the gospel.
In light of eternity, the most significant thing that happens on a college
campus on any given day, is the sharing of the gospel and
students deciding what they will do with Jesus!
Meeting The Freshmen Class
One part of our strategy of seeking to give every student an opportunity to hear the message of Christ involves reaching the incoming freshman class. If we reach a freshman student, we potentially have the next four years to help them grow in their faith (2 yrs, for a community college). Recent research indicates this year’s incoming freshman class is one of the most un-churched, un-religious groups of students to set foot on to college and university campuses. While they may not have much depth in terms of their spiritual lives, we do believe that they are still searching for purpose and meaning to life. We want to be there for them with the message of Jesus!
In the photos, freshmen students gather out one of our tables on a college campus to fill out a spiritual interest questionnaire in exchange for a free water bottle. The questionnaire not only asks questions about their religious background, but it also asks things like “If you could talk with someone about how to know God in a personal way, would you be interested?” These cards help us know who is open to talking. As a result several students are currently close to making decisions for Christ and I just heard that a UW student named Michael gave his life to the Lord yesterday after one of my staff shared the gospel with him! Please pray that this year we see hundreds of students come to faith in Jesus. We believe it can happen!
Quotes from Students we recently shared the gospel with:
“I get it!!” [Student after hearing the message of the gospel for the first time.]
[When asked “If you could ask God one question, what would it be?”]
“I just want to know,) … Am I going to heaven?”
International Students on Our Campuses – The World is Coming to Us!
Just last week, I attended the Campus Crusade student meeting at a local community college and was amazed at the number of international students who showed up to the meeting. At that gathering, besides American students, there were students from Japan, Korea, Honduras, Peru, Columbia and Africa. The Lord definitely had my attention that day as I realized we have a unique opportunity to reach international students for Christ and equip them to reach others for Christ when they return home.
Our Oldest Daughter (Jessica) Leaves for Chile!
Last year our oldest daughter Jessica shared with us that she felt the Lord was leading her to go to the mission field in Chile. She has been there on two previous occasions for two week mission trips through our church, but this time she is leaving for the remainder of the school year (till May). She is going as an intern with IberoAmerican Ministries and will be involved in teaching kids, sharing the gospel, and serving churches in a community just outside of Santiago.
We are so proud of her and her decision to follow the Lord in serving Him. Right after she broke the news to us I was talking to a close friend in Alaska and said to him “What is happening! My kids are leaving one by one and moving to foreign countries!” To which he replied “Oh quit your whining! It’s your own fault. You and Leslie talk about reaching the world for Christ, and live it out with your own life….what else did you think they would do!” Thanks for your bleeding-heart compassion Bruce! Though I must admit…. He is right!
I am reminded of a quote I heard when I first became a Christian as a college student. It said “Only one life, will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last!” Please pray for Jessica. She leaves on Wed. Oct 29th. It will be a long seven months for us and this will be our first holiday season with two of our kids gone!
Thank you for the vital role you play of praying and giving so that we can devote our time to reaching college and university students, and ultimately the world for Christ!
Lives are being changed!
Brian