Starting
from Scratch
Consider
establishing a peer ministry program in your campus ministry to help provide
the understanding and assistance international students need.
The campus or area pastor identifies several students who are willing
to make at least a one-year commitment, and trains them to develop their
interpersonal and leadership skills, their ability to clearly articulate
their faith, and then familiarizes them with resources that are available
for dealing with specific programs and problems.
The pastor and the students become the "peer ministry
team." Peer ministers
spend four to six hours a week performing assigned duties designed to
develop and nurture a ministry with international students on campus.
Potential
peer ministers might be:
-
First-year
students (able to continue longer)
-
Students
with experience in another country or culture
-
Christian
international students (very helpful)
-
Graduate
students
-
University
faculty and staff
-
Church
families
Once
There is a Team
It
is important to grow together as a "team." This takes time—Jesus spent three years training the
disciples and involving them in an active way in His ministry. (Many campus ministries may be unable to afford a semester
scholarship for more than one "peer minister."
In this case it is important that a special committee be organized to
serve as a support group to assist with this ministry.)
Elements
of Team Growth
Bible
Study
-
Vision
for the work (goals and objectives)
-
Growth
in Christ as his disciple
-
Commitment
to and skills for the work (job description)
-
H
elps with our priorities
Prayer and Worship
-
Personally—for
yourself, and for international friends
-
As
a team—for each other, the work, and international friends
-
In
large groups (weekly committee meetings)—for new contacts, specific
countries, international friends, and your team
-
n
churches—worship services, prayer circles, church publications
A
Christian international student could share with the large group or church
about his country, what Christians in his country are doing, and prayer
requests.
It
may take prayer to overcome fear and prejudices, and to get others motivated
to befriend internationals. It
will certainly take prayer for internationals to respond to the Gospel.
Sharing
and Playing
a.
Be open to one another about needs, joys, frustrations, experiences.
Share experiences of how friendships with internationals are going.
It's important to grow in love together.
b.
Have fun together in relaxed, natural settings like weekend or day
retreats, sports events, walks, or meals together.
These are important learning experiences which carry over in contacts
with internationals as well as helping the team mature as a
"team."
Planning
a.
The campus pastor should lead the team planning meeting, helping the
team to stay on the track and keeping the time.
b.
Some questions for planning and evaluating:
-
What
have we done? What needs to be changed?
What should stay the same?
-
What
needs to be done now? When?
Where? What
materials are needed? Who
will be responsible for what?
Who can we ask to help?
What resources do we already have?
-
What
groups of internationals are we reaching?
Who are we missing? How
can we include more internationals?
Who should we focus on?
-
How
are we helping Christian internationals?
Non-Christian internationals?
Training
a.
Peer ministers will need assistance in order to:
-
Be
oneself—relax
-
Have
a Biblical base for international student work
-
Be
culturally sensitive
-
Be
friendly in first contacts with internationals
-
Know
what to say in conversations
-
Build
a real friendship with one or two internationals
-
Build
bridges to people of other faiths
-
Share
Christ in a way that's clear and understandable
-
Assist
with language difficulties and tutoring
-
Visit
university officials
-
Plan
for international student events, weekends, outings, conferences, etc
-
Display
book tables
-
Organize
a welcome campaign — housing, telephones, utilities, banking
-
Host
a city tour
-
Conduct
evangelistic Bible studies with internationals
-
Share
with churches a vision for the work
-
Assist
and strengthen new believers
-
Prepare
internationals to return home
-
Learn
the rudiments of scheduling times and places
Mission
This,
of course, is why we are a team—to accomplish the work the Lord has
entrusted to us as his faithful servants.
Suggestions
to Implement the Elements of Team Growth
-
Have
weekly meetings.
-
Have
a retreat each semester.
-
Ask
staff workers, missionaries or other experienced people to help.
-
Attend
training conferences together.
-
Use
handbooks, papers and media on international student work.
-
Discuss
books on particular themes, i.e., Islam, How to Share Your Faith,
Bible Studies, Discipleship, etc.
-
Visit
other groups which are also involved in international student
ministry.
-
Participate
in the "gatherings" for holidays and other celebrations.