{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://ifesworld.org/en/area/east-asia/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "next_url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/area/east-asia/feed/json/?paged=2", "home_page_url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/area/east-asia/", "feed_url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/area/east-asia/feed/json/", "language": "en-US", "title": "East Asia Archives · IFES", "description": "A movement of students sharing and living out the good news of Jesus Christ. Locally. Nationally. Globally.", "icon": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ifeslogo.png", "items": [ { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=46537", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/a-gradual-awakening/", "title": "A Gradual Awakening", "content_html": "
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\u201cI felt an overwhelming sense of peace wash over me, as if my burdens had been lifted. In that moment, I realised that surrendering my struggles to Christ was the first step towards healing and renewal.\u201d 

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It was a powerful awakening for Srey Leak, a fourth-year student at Angkor University in Siem Reap, Cambodia. But it wasn\u2019t out of the blue. For months, staff and students at SONOKO, the IFES national movement, had been reaching out \u2013 and God had been at work.  

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A Happy Face 

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One day, Srey Leak was cleaning up on campus with three other students when Chenda, a SONOKO staff worker, approached and offered help. As they chatted, Srey Leak discovered that Chenda wasn\u2019t a student and asked why she was there.  

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\u201cI came here to pray for Angkor University,\u201d Chenda said and saw Srey Leak\u2019s face light up. 

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Chenda invited all four to the monthly SONOKO gathering, but they were too busy to attend. Before the next meeting, Chenda reached out again. Srey Leak agreed to come and encountered a friendly and caring student community \u2013 and gradually opened up to God. 

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An Open, Restless Heart 

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During the following weeks, Srey Leak sensed a spiritual connection. On one occasion, a friend looked so thin and tired that she was moved to put a hand on her shoulder and offer a prayer of encouragement. 

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But with time, Srey Leak stopped attending the SONOKO meetings. She was working, studying at night, and busy at weekends. She missed the fellowship \u2013 and she felt far from God: 

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\u201cI had many things on my mind and just wanted God to solve all my problems. I felt like I was aimless \u2013 my life seemed to be drifting. I didn\u2019t know what to live for. I felt so tired and unwell.\u201d 

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Five months later, when Srey Leak received another invitation from Chenda, she decided to return.  
 

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A Surrendered Life 

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\u201cWhile singing, I shed tears of repentance. In my heart, I knew I was in need of a Saviour and a Guide. And what made me cry most was the thought that God had not abandoned me \u2013 that he\u2019d called me back here to receive salvation, encouragement, and joy.\u201d 

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Indeed, it was no coincidence Srey Leak had come that evening. Students were invited to write prayers and pin them to a wooden cross \u2013 and so it was that she could surrender herself and all her burdens to God and be awakened to Christ\u2019s peace and renewal. 

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Pray 

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Watch students and staff (including Chenda!) share about SONOKO\u2019s ministry and vision in this reel. 

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The post A Gradual Awakening appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "\u201cI felt an overwhelming sense of peace wash over me, as if my burdens had been lifted. In that moment, I realised that surrendering my struggles to Christ was the first step towards healing and renewal.\u201d \n\n\n\nIt was a powerful awakening for Srey Leak, a fourth-year student at Angkor University in Siem Reap, Cambodia. But it wasn\u2019t out of the blue. For months, staff and students at SONOKO, the IFES national movement, had been reaching out \u2013 and God had been at work.  \n\n\n\nA Happy Face \n\n\n\nOne day, Srey Leak was cleaning up on campus with three other students when Chenda, a SONOKO staff worker, approached and offered help. As they chatted, Srey Leak discovered that Chenda wasn\u2019t a student and asked why she was there.  \n\n\n\n\u201cI came here to pray for Angkor University,\u201d Chenda said and saw Srey Leak\u2019s face light up. \n\n\n\nChenda invited all four to the monthly SONOKO gathering, but they were too busy to attend. Before the next meeting, Chenda reached out again. Srey Leak agreed to come and encountered a friendly and caring student community \u2013 and gradually opened up to God. \n\n\n\nAn Open, Restless Heart \n\n\n\nDuring the following weeks, Srey Leak sensed a spiritual connection. On one occasion, a friend looked so thin and tired that she was moved to put a hand on her shoulder and offer a prayer of encouragement. \n\n\n\nBut with time, Srey Leak stopped attending the SONOKO meetings. She was working, studying at night, and busy at weekends. She missed the fellowship \u2013 and she felt far from God: \n\n\n\n\u201cI had many things on my mind and just wanted God to solve all my problems. I felt like I was aimless \u2013 my life seemed to be drifting. I didn\u2019t know what to live for. I felt so tired and unwell.\u201d \n\n\n\nFive months later, when Srey Leak received another invitation from Chenda, she decided to return.   \n\n\n\nA Surrendered Life \n\n\n\n\u201cWhile singing, I shed tears of repentance. In my heart, I knew I was in need of a Saviour and a Guide. And what made me cry most was the thought that God had not abandoned me \u2013 that he\u2019d called me back here to receive salvation, encouragement, and joy.\u201d \n\n\n\nIndeed, it was no coincidence Srey Leak had come that evening. Students were invited to write prayers and pin them to a wooden cross \u2013 and so it was that she could surrender herself and all her burdens to God and be awakened to Christ\u2019s peace and renewal. \n\n\n\nPray \n\n\n\n\nPraise God for Srey Leak\u2019s journey and for the way he used Chenda\u2019s desire to pray on campus, her tenacious invitations to Srey Leak, and the warmth of the SONOKO student community.  \n\n\n\n\n\nPray for God\u2019s strength and wisdom for the student leaders \u2013 many, like Srey Leak, juggle studies, work, and other responsibilities, making it tricky to find common planning times and leaving them vulnerable to burnout.  \n\n\n\n\n\nIn January, SONOKO Cambodia celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. Thank God for its growth and their 3/30/300 vision \u2013 3 cities, 30 campus groups, with 300 students. With groups now operating in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, ask the Lord to open the way for pioneering ministry in Battambang.\u202f  \n\n\n\n\nWatch students and staff (including Chenda!) share about SONOKO\u2019s ministry and vision in this reel. \nThe post A Gradual Awakening appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2025-05-27T09:00:00+01:00", "date_modified": "2025-05-27T15:28:40+01:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Roja Jacob", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/roja-jacob/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/270fe6ae830fb4ad45dd518c8013666f.jpg?ver=1760274904" } ], "author": { "name": "Roja Jacob", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/roja-jacob/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/270fe6ae830fb4ad45dd518c8013666f.jpg?ver=1760274904" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PL-Cambodia-12-1.jpeg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=conexion&p=46149", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/blog/meeting-gen-z-students-worldwide/", "title": "MEETING GEN Z STUDENTS WORLDWIDE\u00a0", "content_html": "
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They are today\u2019s and tomorrow\u2019s university students: Generation Z (Gen Z). Born in the period 1997-2012, they form the world\u2019s largest single generation \u2013 around one third of its population.  

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In western societies, this distinctive demographic has been thoroughly analysed. And Christian ministries \u2013 including IFES movements like InterVarsity USA \u2013 have tailored their outreach and discipleship accordingly. Later this year, UCCF Great Britain will launch a new version of Uncover Luke that\u2019s aimed at appealing to this generation\u2019s longing for beauty and transcendence. 

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However, the vast majority of Gen Z students do not live in the west. In her talk \u201cEquipping Gen Z for Missional Living\u201d, Denise Margaret Thompson notes that a quarter of Gen Zers live in South Asia, with India’s cohort nearly three times that of all of Europe\u2019s.  

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GLOBAL TRENDS?   

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In response to this, IFES has been eagerly exploring whether trends associated with Gen Z are apparent across our global fellowship. If they are, huge potential exists for collaborative ministry and mission among Gen Z students.  

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So, last year, Peter Dray (formerly Director of Creative Evangelism at UCCF Great Britain) was commissioned to investigate. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups he\u2019s spoken to Gen Z students and staff in national movements from four IFES world regions.  

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In this blog, he reflects on his field notes and identifies four global Gen Z characteristics that are significant for life and faith. 

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1: Gen Z Students \u2013 A Digital Generation

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On my travels, it felt like smartphones were everywhere, and especially on university campuses!  

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Gen Z spends a huge amount of time online \u2013 communicating, watching videos, and handling everyday tasks on their phones \u2013 perhaps all at the same time. Some Singaporean students proudly told me how they were now experts in multi-tasking! 

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Digital immersion means that Gen Z has vast amounts of information at its fingertips \u2013 far more than previous generations did.

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This is especially noticeable in lower-income countries, where mobile internet coverage has boomed. I was moved by interviewees who shared about their easy access to theological resources that their parents never had.

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Practically, Gen Zers can learn skills, make friends, and earn money in ways previous generations couldn’t \u2013 with many having a new sense of drive and entrepreneurialism. One student in rural Kenya shared how he’s paying for his education by selling photos (taken on his phone) to clients around the world.  

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Digital technologies seem to be encouraging greater individuality, immediacy, and spontaneity. 

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Many people I talked to hate phone calls or long texts, preferring to communicate using short messages, GIFs, and stickers. This leads Gen Zers to communicate informally, even with older people or those in authority \u2013 a sign of their preference for flatter organisational structures that can hold leaders to account.  

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Socialising habits are changing too. Gen Zers prioritise time by themselves, even in countries with a historically communitarian mindset. They find waiting difficult, leading them to spur-of-the-moment decisions with a short-term focus. One student told me he’d rather buy single sachets of hot chocolate than a whole jar. He knew it cost more overall but preferred that it was less upfront! 

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Many interviewees also talked about the dark side of constant connection and easy internet access. Online gambling is attractive to students desperate for quick cash, the use of porn is common, and plagiarism is tempting. Several interviewees shared struggles with gaming addiction. Students in lower-income countries seem especially vulnerable and in need of guidance \u2013 the sudden tech explosion has clearly caught parents and churches off guard. 

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Many also felt overwhelmed by the complexity of digital life. Being ‘always on’ takes a toll. One student, who generally appreciates digital tech, said that, for Gen Z, life requires constant effort, with little mental downtime. He said that Christians could never afford to reduce their level of vigilance \u2013 meaning not only the temptations above but also the tug towards hours of endless scrolling. 

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He summed up what many felt: that constant connection is bringing Gen Z students a unique psychological burden, leaving them feeling mentally and emotionally drained. 

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2: Gen Z Students \u2013 A More Aware Generation

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This rise in easy access to internet technologies has been accompanied by increased personal mobility and swift urbanisation, especially in Africa and Asia. Gen Z students are widely exposed to people and ideas from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

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This can create a \u2018shared vernacular\u2019 \u2013 one American staff member in the Middle East said a local student \u201ctalks just like my 18-year-old sister\u201d. It’s also causing Gen Z to dress more alike, no matter where they’re from.

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In some places, exposure to people from other cultures is prompting Gen Zers to question deep-rooted assumptions. In Kenya, for example, those who have built relationships with those beyond their tribes find that tribal identity is less important to them than it is to their parents. Many have never learned their tribal language; some only use their English names. This sense of having \u2018more in common\u2019 is driving young Kenyans to unite in political activism, most notably in the so-called \u2018Gen Z protests\u2019 against the government in July 2024. 

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In some lower-income countries, the greater awareness brought about by digital technologies has exaggerated the generational gap. \u201cOur parents knew a lot about a little,\u201d one Gen Z student told me, \u201cbut we know a little about a lot.\u201d Some expressed frustration that their parents (and churches) couldn\u2019t handle questions they had from content they\u2019d seen online. The danger of blindly accepting answers offered by search engines, AI, or influencers was apparent. 

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In Ireland, I met a Gen Z volunteer whose experience illustrates how his cultural awareness has grown due to global mobility. He grew up in a homogeneous area and had no cross-cultural training. Yet at university, he met people from a range of nations and backgrounds. On one occasion, he met waiters from Sudan, greeting them with some Arabic phrases he’d picked up. He then impressed them with facts he\u2019d learned about Sudan (including that it has more pyramids than Egypt!). This cultural awareness created an instant connection, opening doors for meaningful conversation. 

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Despite greater general awareness, it would be misleading to suggest that cross-cultural engagement is common. In many countries, students still mostly hang out with others from their own ethnic background. Students who’ve made friends beyond their ethnic group have often been challenged to do so or seen it modelled by others \u2013 very often by staff from local IFES movements.

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But the opportunity for cross-cultural friendship, personal growth, and gospel ministry \u2013 both as students and later as graduates \u2013 is bigger than ever. 

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3: Gen Z Students \u2013 The Post-Pandemic Generation

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For Generation Z, the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly significant. As lockdowns swept the globe, most Gen Zers were in their teens \u2013 a vital stage in their development.  

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People I interviewed had mixed feelings about the pandemic. Some \u2013 often feeling quite guilty about it \u2013 admitted they actually enjoyed lockdown, especially if their families weren’t financially struggling.

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Many felt relieved about school being cancelled or not having to take exams! Quite a few talked about times of deep sadness, particularly if they lost loved ones or if their family faced money problems. Others were frustrated that they were still students, especially if they had to put their education on hold during the pandemic. 

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Lockdowns magnified and sped up the cultural trends described above. Families or individuals who didn’t have smartphones obtained them for the first time, while those who already had them spent much more time online. Around the world, many Gen Zers clearly felt incredibly lonely and without purpose, with only the internet for company. Once again, this appears to have been most acutely experienced in lower-income countries, especially among those who had recently moved to the city and felt uprooted from their traditional support networks. 

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The pandemic has made Gen Z students much more aware of mental health issues. Even in countries where mental illness is still somewhat taboo, students openly discussed struggles they’d seen in themselves and others.

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In Timor-Leste, the local staff who translated my interviews were shocked to discover how central this topic was in their students’ thinking. In some cases, Gen Zers\u2019 familiarity with mental struggles and their experience of human vulnerability seems to have weakened their resilience.  

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In Singapore, local staff noted that lockdowns had impaired students\u2019 social skills, with fewer students feeling comfortable to meet or talk with an outside speaker before a meeting. Staff also noticed that students seem less confident in their own opinions \u2013 for example group leaders might send out online surveys to members to get reassurance on even small decisions. 

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Although many Christian students I talked to are actively sharing their faith, they often lack confidence. That can be related to the gospel itself (especially when faced with the new questions asked by friends) or their ability to explain it well. 

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4: Gen Z Students \u2013 A Spiritually Open Generation

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In every country, Gen Zers told me that their generation is more willing to change their beliefs than their parents were. In places where Christians have been the majority, Gen Z is now exposed to a range of new beliefs and voices. Questions about the compatibility of science and Christianity, for example, are being more widely expressed among Gen Zers in Kenya than ever before. They consider their parents\u2019 ignorance to this issue both frustrating and na\u00efve.  

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People I interviewed in every country also talked about the challenges Christians face around gender and sexuality. In many countries \u2013 including lower-income countries \u2013 new age spiritualities (like \u2018manifesting\u2019) are becoming popular. Christian Gen Zers are particularly vulnerable to new intellectual and personal doubts. 

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This openness to reconsider beliefs is also noticeable among those outside the church.  

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In Timor-Leste, Gen Z students are more likely to seek modern medical care than visit a traditional healer.

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They’re more generally willing to question the animistic and nominal Roman Catholic beliefs that have historically dominated their nation. Some Timorese Gen Zers have been drawn to evangelical churches and student groups because they had first watched evangelical worship online.\u00a0\u00a0

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In the Middle East, staff described how internet use has made Muslim students more aware and curious about Christianity than they were even just a few years ago. Some are now more open to studying the Bible or experiencing Christian friendship. 

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In my own country, the United Kingdom \u2013 and in other countries across Europe and North America \u2013 surveys indicate that Gen Z is interested in spirituality and religion. The challenge is that Gen Zers are not just open to Christianity or to Jesus \u2013 they’re open to almost everything, often exploring multiple paths at the same time.  

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To stay faithful in a world with so many competing beliefs, Gen Z needs to know that Jesus is unique and that faith in him makes real sense. 

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REACHING GEN Z STUDENTS TOGETHER 

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These four recurrent themes have shown me that similar approaches can be taken to the reaching and discipling of Gen Z students worldwide, while also allowing for local variations.

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My investigations have also caused me to reflect on how IFES movements throughout their histories have, at their best, shown an amazing ability to help students understand how the gospel connects to their cultural moment \u2013 and that this is just as needed today. 

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So, let’s explore how we can work together, seeking God’s wisdom, as we reimagine this task for a generation that\u2019s digitally immersed, globally connected, pandemic-affected, and spiritually open. 

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These field notes will be followed by a full report later in the year \u2013 stay tuned to our Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp channels for more information. 

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WHAT\u2019S YOUR VIEW? 

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Do these four features resonate with your experience and context?

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We\u2019d love to hear your observations on Gen Z from where you are. 

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Share your thoughts with us at hello@ifesworld.org 

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The post MEETING GEN Z STUDENTS WORLDWIDE\u00a0 appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "They are today\u2019s and tomorrow\u2019s university students: Generation Z (Gen Z). Born in the period 1997-2012, they form the world\u2019s largest single generation \u2013 around one third of its population.  \n\n\n\nIn western societies, this distinctive demographic has been thoroughly analysed. And Christian ministries \u2013 including IFES movements like InterVarsity USA \u2013 have tailored their outreach and discipleship accordingly. Later this year, UCCF Great Britain will launch a new version of Uncover Luke that\u2019s aimed at appealing to this generation\u2019s longing for beauty and transcendence. \n\n\n\nHowever, the vast majority of Gen Z students do not live in the west. In her talk \u201cEquipping Gen Z for Missional Living\u201d, Denise Margaret Thompson notes that a quarter of Gen Zers live in South Asia, with India’s cohort nearly three times that of all of Europe\u2019s.  \n\n\n\nGLOBAL TRENDS?   \n\n\n\nIn response to this, IFES has been eagerly exploring whether trends associated with Gen Z are apparent across our global fellowship. If they are, huge potential exists for collaborative ministry and mission among Gen Z students.  \n\n\n\nSo, last year, Peter Dray (formerly Director of Creative Evangelism at UCCF Great Britain) was commissioned to investigate. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups he\u2019s spoken to Gen Z students and staff in national movements from four IFES world regions.  \n\n\n\nIn this blog, he reflects on his field notes and identifies four global Gen Z characteristics that are significant for life and faith. \n\n\n\n1: Gen Z Students \u2013 A Digital Generation\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOn my travels, it felt like smartphones were everywhere, and especially on university campuses!  \n\n\n\nGen Z spends a huge amount of time online \u2013 communicating, watching videos, and handling everyday tasks on their phones \u2013 perhaps all at the same time. Some Singaporean students proudly told me how they were now experts in multi-tasking! \n\n\n\n\nDigital immersion means that Gen Z has vast amounts of information at its fingertips \u2013 far more than previous generations did.\n\n\n\n This is especially noticeable in lower-income countries, where mobile internet coverage has boomed. I was moved by interviewees who shared about their easy access to theological resources that their parents never had. \n\n\n\nPractically, Gen Zers can learn skills, make friends, and earn money in ways previous generations couldn’t \u2013 with many having a new sense of drive and entrepreneurialism. One student in rural Kenya shared how he’s paying for his education by selling photos (taken on his phone) to clients around the world.  \n\n\n\nDigital technologies seem to be encouraging greater individuality, immediacy, and spontaneity. \n\n\n\n\nMany people I talked to hate phone calls or long texts, preferring to communicate using short messages, GIFs, and stickers. This leads Gen Zers to communicate informally, even with older people or those in authority \u2013 a sign of their preference for flatter organisational structures that can hold leaders to account.  \n\n\n\nSocialising habits are changing too. Gen Zers prioritise time by themselves, even in countries with a historically communitarian mindset. They find waiting difficult, leading them to spur-of-the-moment decisions with a short-term focus. One student told me he’d rather buy single sachets of hot chocolate than a whole jar. He knew it cost more overall but preferred that it was less upfront! \n\n\n\nMany interviewees also talked about the dark side of constant connection and easy internet access. Online gambling is attractive to students desperate for quick cash, the use of porn is common, and plagiarism is tempting. Several interviewees shared struggles with gaming addiction. Students in lower-income countries seem especially vulnerable and in need of guidance \u2013 the sudden tech explosion has clearly caught parents and churches off guard. \n\n\n\nMany also felt overwhelmed by the complexity of digital life. Being ‘always on’ takes a toll. One student, who generally appreciates digital tech, said that, for Gen Z, life requires constant effort, with little mental downtime. He said that Christians could never afford to reduce their level of vigilance \u2013 meaning not only the temptations above but also the tug towards hours of endless scrolling. \n\n\n\n\nHe summed up what many felt: that constant connection is bringing Gen Z students a unique psychological burden, leaving them feeling mentally and emotionally drained. \n\n\n\n\n2: Gen Z Students \u2013 A More Aware Generation\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis rise in easy access to internet technologies has been accompanied by increased personal mobility and swift urbanisation, especially in Africa and Asia. Gen Z students are widely exposed to people and ideas from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.\n\n\n\n This can create a \u2018shared vernacular\u2019 \u2013 one American staff member in the Middle East said a local student \u201ctalks just like my 18-year-old sister\u201d. It’s also causing Gen Z to dress more alike, no matter where they’re from.\n\n\n\n\nIn some places, exposure to people from other cultures is prompting Gen Zers to question deep-rooted assumptions. In Kenya, for example, those who have built relationships with those beyond their tribes find that tribal identity is less important to them than it is to their parents. Many have never learned their tribal language; some only use their English names. This sense of having \u2018more in common\u2019 is driving young Kenyans to unite in political activism, most notably in the so-called \u2018Gen Z protests\u2019 against the government in July 2024. \n\n\n\nIn some lower-income countries, the greater awareness brought about by digital technologies has exaggerated the generational gap. \u201cOur parents knew a lot about a little,\u201d one Gen Z student told me, \u201cbut we know a little about a lot.\u201d Some expressed frustration that their parents (and churches) couldn\u2019t handle questions they had from content they\u2019d seen online. The danger of blindly accepting answers offered by search engines, AI, or influencers was apparent. \n\n\n\nIn Ireland, I met a Gen Z volunteer whose experience illustrates how his cultural awareness has grown due to global mobility. He grew up in a homogeneous area and had no cross-cultural training. Yet at university, he met people from a range of nations and backgrounds. On one occasion, he met waiters from Sudan, greeting them with some Arabic phrases he’d picked up. He then impressed them with facts he\u2019d learned about Sudan (including that it has more pyramids than Egypt!). This cultural awareness created an instant connection, opening doors for meaningful conversation. \n\n\n\nDespite greater general awareness, it would be misleading to suggest that cross-cultural engagement is common. In many countries, students still mostly hang out with others from their own ethnic background. Students who’ve made friends beyond their ethnic group have often been challenged to do so or seen it modelled by others \u2013 very often by staff from local IFES movements.\n\n\n\n\nBut the opportunity for cross-cultural friendship, personal growth, and gospel ministry \u2013 both as students and later as graduates \u2013 is bigger than ever. \n\n\n\n\n3: Gen Z Students \u2013 The Post-Pandemic Generation\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFor Generation Z, the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly significant. As lockdowns swept the globe, most Gen Zers were in their teens \u2013 a vital stage in their development.  \n\n\n\n\nPeople I interviewed had mixed feelings about the pandemic. Some \u2013 often feeling quite guilty about it \u2013 admitted they actually enjoyed lockdown, especially if their families weren’t financially struggling. \n\n\n\nMany felt relieved about school being cancelled or not having to take exams! Quite a few talked about times of deep sadness, particularly if they lost loved ones or if their family faced money problems. Others were frustrated that they were still students, especially if they had to put their education on hold during the pandemic. \n\n\n\n\nLockdowns magnified and sped up the cultural trends described above. Families or individuals who didn’t have smartphones obtained them for the first time, while those who already had them spent much more time online. Around the world, many Gen Zers clearly felt incredibly lonely and without purpose, with only the internet for company. Once again, this appears to have been most acutely experienced in lower-income countries, especially among those who had recently moved to the city and felt uprooted from their traditional support networks. \n\n\n\n\nThe pandemic has made Gen Z students much more aware of mental health issues. Even in countries where mental illness is still somewhat taboo, students openly discussed struggles they’d seen in themselves and others.\n\n\n\n\n In Timor-Leste, the local staff who translated my interviews were shocked to discover how central this topic was in their students’ thinking. In some cases, Gen Zers\u2019 familiarity with mental struggles and their experience of human vulnerability seems to have weakened their resilience.  \n\n\n\nIn Singapore, local staff noted that lockdowns had impaired students\u2019 social skills, with fewer students feeling comfortable to meet or talk with an outside speaker before a meeting. Staff also noticed that students seem less confident in their own opinions \u2013 for example group leaders might send out online surveys to members to get reassurance on even small decisions. \n\n\n\nAlthough many Christian students I talked to are actively sharing their faith, they often lack confidence. That can be related to the gospel itself (especially when faced with the new questions asked by friends) or their ability to explain it well. \n\n\n\n4: Gen Z Students \u2013 A Spiritually Open Generation\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn every country, Gen Zers told me that their generation is more willing to change their beliefs than their parents were. In places where Christians have been the majority, Gen Z is now exposed to a range of new beliefs and voices. Questions about the compatibility of science and Christianity, for example, are being more widely expressed among Gen Zers in Kenya than ever before. They consider their parents\u2019 ignorance to this issue both frustrating and na\u00efve.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPeople I interviewed in every country also talked about the challenges Christians face around gender and sexuality. In many countries \u2013 including lower-income countries \u2013 new age spiritualities (like \u2018manifesting\u2019) are becoming popular. Christian Gen Zers are particularly vulnerable to new intellectual and personal doubts. \n\n\n\nThis openness to reconsider beliefs is also noticeable among those outside the church.  \n\n\n\n\nIn Timor-Leste, Gen Z students are more likely to seek modern medical care than visit a traditional healer. \n\n\n\nThey’re more generally willing to question the animistic and nominal Roman Catholic beliefs that have historically dominated their nation. Some Timorese Gen Zers have been drawn to evangelical churches and student groups because they had first watched evangelical worship online.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn the Middle East, staff described how internet use has made Muslim students more aware and curious about Christianity than they were even just a few years ago. Some are now more open to studying the Bible or experiencing Christian friendship. \n\n\n\nIn my own country, the United Kingdom \u2013 and in other countries across Europe and North America \u2013 surveys indicate that Gen Z is interested in spirituality and religion. The challenge is that Gen Zers are not just open to Christianity or to Jesus \u2013 they’re open to almost everything, often exploring multiple paths at the same time.  \n\n\n\n\nTo stay faithful in a world with so many competing beliefs, Gen Z needs to know that Jesus is unique and that faith in him makes real sense. \n\n\n\n\nREACHING GEN Z STUDENTS TOGETHER \n\n\n\n\nThese four recurrent themes have shown me that similar approaches can be taken to the reaching and discipling of Gen Z students worldwide, while also allowing for local variations. \n\n\n\nMy investigations have also caused me to reflect on how IFES movements throughout their histories have, at their best, shown an amazing ability to help students understand how the gospel connects to their cultural moment \u2013 and that this is just as needed today. \n\n\n\n\nSo, let’s explore how we can work together, seeking God’s wisdom, as we reimagine this task for a generation that\u2019s digitally immersed, globally connected, pandemic-affected, and spiritually open. \n\n\n\nThese field notes will be followed by a full report later in the year \u2013 stay tuned to our Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp channels for more information. \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\nWHAT\u2019S YOUR VIEW? \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDo these four features resonate with your experience and context? \n\n\n\nWe\u2019d love to hear your observations on Gen Z from where you are. \n\n\n\nShare your thoughts with us at hello@ifesworld.org \n\n\n\n\n \n \n SHARE NOW \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n IFES CONNECT \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\nThe post MEETING GEN Z STUDENTS WORLDWIDE\u00a0 appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2025-05-08T16:09:35+01:00", "date_modified": "2025-08-07T13:25:33+01:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Tim.Boland", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/tim-boland/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/2021787e4b2a866a6efcc474e3c84514.jpg?ver=1760274904" } ], "author": { "name": "Tim.Boland", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/tim-boland/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/2021787e4b2a866a6efcc474e3c84514.jpg?ver=1760274904" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/0-banner-pete-in-kenya-scaled.jpg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=43511", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/from-mango-tree-to-classroom/", "title": "From Mango Tree to Classroom", "content_html": "
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As Putri walked towards a classroom at the Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ) in Dili, Timor-Leste, she heard an unusual noise for her campus. Her heart was beating fast, for it was a familiar and precious sound to her. Worship songs. 

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That day was the first time that students in their IFES movement (Sulimutuk Estudante Evanjeliku, SEE) were permitted to hold a classroom gathering. It represented an answer to nine years of prayer \u2013 what had started as a vulnerable huddle under a mango tree was now a recognised campus group.  

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From Mango Tree… 

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Although Timor-Leste is a Catholic-majority country, students participating in fellowship groups commonly face ridicule and persecution from peers as well as suspicion from university authorities. Some even face excommunication by their families. And the prevalent gang culture only adds to their fears. 

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\u201cMany students here are scared or timid when they\u2019re invited to come and learn about Christ,\u201d says Egas, a former student leader of the SEE group at UNPAZ. In the early days, they met just off campus, under the shade of a mango tree. Even there it was hard \u2013 they\u2019d only last about 30 minutes before being chased off.  

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But as the group remained faithful, they experienced God\u2019s provision: they were able to move to a small veranda outside the office of Professor Samuel, a Christian lecturer. 

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…To Classroom 

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Some months later, the veranda was sealed off for more office space. But the group wasn\u2019t disheartened \u2013 Putri and her fellow students went and knocked on the radio room door. And God moved hearts. They were given a space for Bible study sessions, and the group continued to grow.  

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But God wasn\u2019t finished.  

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When UNPAZ lecturers spotted CCTV footage of some students carrying Bibles, they started asking questions. Prof Samuel told them, \u201cThey\u2019re doing the Lord’s work. They\u2019re moved by the Holy Spirit. Don’t give them trouble.\u201d  

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Then, during an UNPAZ staff meeting, it transpired that there were in fact a few lecturers who attended evangelical churches. This led one Catholic lecturer to suggest these staff form a fellowship with the Bible-carrying students. With the door to the classroom \u2018unlocked\u2019, Prof Samuel and key SEE students initiated the first weekly meeting. 

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So it was that Putri, to the sound of worship, joyfully entered the first classroom gathering and shared the vision for student ministry with 20 students and lecturers. She concludes:  

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\u201cAs we faithfully do our part and give God our best, he is indeed faithful. Let’s give honour, praise, and thanks for how he granted us this breakthrough.\u201d   

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Pray 

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The post From Mango Tree to Classroom appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "As Putri walked towards a classroom at the Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ) in Dili, Timor-Leste, she heard an unusual noise for her campus. Her heart was beating fast, for it was a familiar and precious sound to her. Worship songs. \n\n\n\nThat day was the first time that students in their IFES movement (Sulimutuk Estudante Evanjeliku, SEE) were permitted to hold a classroom gathering. It represented an answer to nine years of prayer \u2013 what had started as a vulnerable huddle under a mango tree was now a recognised campus group.  \n\n\n\nFrom Mango Tree… \n\n\n\nAlthough Timor-Leste is a Catholic-majority country, students participating in fellowship groups commonly face ridicule and persecution from peers as well as suspicion from university authorities. Some even face excommunication by their families. And the prevalent gang culture only adds to their fears. \n\n\n\n\u201cMany students here are scared or timid when they\u2019re invited to come and learn about Christ,\u201d says Egas, a former student leader of the SEE group at UNPAZ. In the early days, they met just off campus, under the shade of a mango tree. Even there it was hard \u2013 they\u2019d only last about 30 minutes before being chased off.  \n\n\n\nBut as the group remained faithful, they experienced God\u2019s provision: they were able to move to a small veranda outside the office of Professor Samuel, a Christian lecturer. \n\n\n\n…To Classroom \n\n\n\nSome months later, the veranda was sealed off for more office space. But the group wasn\u2019t disheartened \u2013 Putri and her fellow students went and knocked on the radio room door. And God moved hearts. They were given a space for Bible study sessions, and the group continued to grow.  \n\n\n\nBut God wasn\u2019t finished.  \n\n\n\nWhen UNPAZ lecturers spotted CCTV footage of some students carrying Bibles, they started asking questions. Prof Samuel told them, \u201cThey\u2019re doing the Lord’s work. They\u2019re moved by the Holy Spirit. Don’t give them trouble.\u201d  \n\n\n\nThen, during an UNPAZ staff meeting, it transpired that there were in fact a few lecturers who attended evangelical churches. This led one Catholic lecturer to suggest these staff form a fellowship with the Bible-carrying students. With the door to the classroom \u2018unlocked\u2019, Prof Samuel and key SEE students initiated the first weekly meeting. \n\n\n\nSo it was that Putri, to the sound of worship, joyfully entered the first classroom gathering and shared the vision for student ministry with 20 students and lecturers. She concludes:  \n\n\n\n\u201cAs we faithfully do our part and give God our best, he is indeed faithful. Let’s give honour, praise, and thanks for how he granted us this breakthrough.\u201d   \n\n\n\nPray \n\n\n\n\nGive thanks for God\u2019s faithful work \u2013 enabling the SEE group at UNPAZ to be recognized by university authorities, given a classroom, and publicised on campus. Pray that the other four campus groups in Timor-Leste will experience similar breakthroughs.  \n\n\n\n\n\nAsk the Lord to build courageous faith amid the atmosphere of fear and suspicion. And pray that the official status of the group at UNPAZ will encourage apprehensive students to attend.  \n\n\n\n\n\nPray for SEE staff who aim to launch ministry to high schools in February, focusing on Dili and Same \u2013 for more open hearts and doors. \n\nThe post From Mango Tree to Classroom appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2024-11-26T08:00:00+00:00", "date_modified": "2024-11-26T14:20:29+00:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Roja Jacob", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/roja-jacob/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/270fe6ae830fb4ad45dd518c8013666f.jpg?ver=1760274904" } ], "author": { "name": "Roja Jacob", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/roja-jacob/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/270fe6ae830fb4ad45dd518c8013666f.jpg?ver=1760274904" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG-20240719-WA0014-e1732526659157.jpg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=38477", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/voice-matters/", "title": "Voice matters", "content_html": "
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Expectations are high: 

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\u201cI\u2019m very much looking forward to hearing God’s voice, praising him, sharing with others, and praying as a small group!\u201d – (Tomomi, student in KGK Japan). 

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Tomomi will soon arrive in Thailand. She\u2019ll join with over 500 students and staff from 17 IFES national movements in her region (plus six from other countries). The triennial IFES East Asia Regional Conference (EARC) (3-9 July 2024) will be a time to fellowship together and seek God’s guidance for the challenges they face in their university contexts. 

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\u201cI hope to learn, be equipped, and inspired so I can serve with renewed strength in a world where I face the challenge of standing against worldly values.\u201d – (Jess, student in TCS Thailand) 

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Taking a stand, having a voice, is reflected in the theme of this year\u2019s event: \u201cVoice Matters\u201d. 

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A Variety of Voices   

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As students arrive from diverse contexts, they\u2019ll hear each other\u2019s voices: some will come from IFES national movements that are well-established (e.g. FES Singapore); some from those more recently affiliated (e.g. FCS Mongolia); and others from those operating in secret due to security concerns. 

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Grace, part of the Thai host committee for EARC 2024, explains how important the interaction across movements will be:

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\u201cStudents will gain a broader perspective of God’s work as they hear about each other\u2019s ministries and consider specific issues together.\u201d 

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That\u2019s exactly what Jefta (student in Perkantas Indonesia) is looking for:

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\u201cHopefully through EARC we can connect and build strong relationships, share our journey and experiences, give hope and strengthen each other.\u201d 

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Listening for God\u2019s Voice  

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Throughout EARC, participants will be listening for God\u2019s voice. Bible expositions from Zechariah will be led by \u201cTitus\u201d (from a sensitive movement), who clearly has a prophet\u2019s heart: 

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\u201cWhen I see the challenges we face, my heart wrestles with fear, pain, and brokenness. But the Lord also shows me signs of hope, mixed with sparkling joy, through those who faithfully and sacrificially serve in the ministry.\u201d 

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He asks us to pray that the Lord would speak through him as he opens the Scriptures so that students will dedicate themselves to be prophetic voices and faithful disciples, impacting society for good.  

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Andrea, a student in IVCF Philippines, is ready:

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\u201cAt EARC, I\u2019m looking forward to fellowship, encouragement, worship, and rest. But, above all, I\u2019m eager to hear and listen to what the Lord calls me to.\u201d  

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Learning to be God\u2019s Voice 

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To help students explore that calling, three plenary sessions and a range of workshops will facilitate reflective discussions. This includes contemporary issues (e.g., cancel culture and gender identity), ministry topics (e.g., understanding church and evangelism in the secular university), and personal development themes (e.g., emotional resilience and critical thinking). 

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Anucha, General Secretary of TCS Thailand elaborates,

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\u201cThis year\u2019s EARC will challenge students to dedicate themselves to being prophetic voices \u2013 by bearing witness, loving others, serving society, and being a voice that leads others to see the truth and hope in the gospel.\u201d 

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Pray 

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Today, we\u2019ve heard seven voices. Let\u2019s pray that these \u2013 and the voices of all attending EARC \u2013 will truly matter: 

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The post Voice matters appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "Expectations are high: \n\n\n\n\u201cI\u2019m very much looking forward to hearing God’s voice, praising him, sharing with others, and praying as a small group!\u201d – (Tomomi, student in KGK Japan). \n\n\n\nTomomi will soon arrive in Thailand. She\u2019ll join with over 500 students and staff from 17 IFES national movements in her region (plus six from other countries). The triennial IFES East Asia Regional Conference (EARC) (3-9 July 2024) will be a time to fellowship together and seek God’s guidance for the challenges they face in their university contexts. \n\n\n\n\u201cI hope to learn, be equipped, and inspired so I can serve with renewed strength in a world where I face the challenge of standing against worldly values.\u201d – (Jess, student in TCS Thailand) \n\n\n\nTaking a stand, having a voice, is reflected in the theme of this year\u2019s event: \u201cVoice Matters\u201d. \n\n\n\nA Variety of Voices   \n\n\n\nAs students arrive from diverse contexts, they\u2019ll hear each other\u2019s voices: some will come from IFES national movements that are well-established (e.g. FES Singapore); some from those more recently affiliated (e.g. FCS Mongolia); and others from those operating in secret due to security concerns. \n\n\n\nGrace, part of the Thai host committee for EARC 2024, explains how important the interaction across movements will be:\n\n\n\n \u201cStudents will gain a broader perspective of God’s work as they hear about each other\u2019s ministries and consider specific issues together.\u201d \n\n\n\nThat\u2019s exactly what Jefta (student in Perkantas Indonesia) is looking for:\n\n\n\n \u201cHopefully through EARC we can connect and build strong relationships, share our journey and experiences, give hope and strengthen each other.\u201d \n\n\n\nListening for God\u2019s Voice  \n\n\n\nThroughout EARC, participants will be listening for God\u2019s voice. Bible expositions from Zechariah will be led by \u201cTitus\u201d (from a sensitive movement), who clearly has a prophet\u2019s heart: \n\n\n\n\u201cWhen I see the challenges we face, my heart wrestles with fear, pain, and brokenness. But the Lord also shows me signs of hope, mixed with sparkling joy, through those who faithfully and sacrificially serve in the ministry.\u201d \n\n\n\nHe asks us to pray that the Lord would speak through him as he opens the Scriptures so that students will dedicate themselves to be prophetic voices and faithful disciples, impacting society for good.  \n\n\n\nAndrea, a student in IVCF Philippines, is ready: \n\n\n\n\u201cAt EARC, I\u2019m looking forward to fellowship, encouragement, worship, and rest. But, above all, I\u2019m eager to hear and listen to what the Lord calls me to.\u201d  \n\n\n\nLearning to be God\u2019s Voice \n\n\n\nTo help students explore that calling, three plenary sessions and a range of workshops will facilitate reflective discussions. This includes contemporary issues (e.g., cancel culture and gender identity), ministry topics (e.g., understanding church and evangelism in the secular university), and personal development themes (e.g., emotional resilience and critical thinking). \n\n\n\nAnucha, General Secretary of TCS Thailand elaborates, \n\n\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s EARC will challenge students to dedicate themselves to being prophetic voices \u2013 by bearing witness, loving others, serving society, and being a voice that leads others to see the truth and hope in the gospel.\u201d \n\n\n\nPray \n\n\n\nToday, we\u2019ve heard seven voices. Let\u2019s pray that these \u2013 and the voices of all attending EARC \u2013 will truly matter: \n\n\n\n\nLisman, IFES Regional Secretary for East Asia, asks, \u201cPlease pray for God’s presence, peace, and protection, and that participants will discern God’s voice and return to their respective movements as the voice of their generation for the glory of God.\u201d \n\n\n\n\n\nPray for \u201cTitus\u201d \u2013 that the Lord will speak powerfully through his ministry \u2013 and pray for all those ministering in sensitive countries, for renewed strength and courageous hope. \n\n\n\n\n\nThank the Lord for all the hard work of the Thai host committee and pray that they will know God\u2019s blessing and strength as they serve their sisters and brothers from across the region.  \n\nThe post Voice matters appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2024-06-25T04:40:00+01:00", "date_modified": "2024-07-10T15:32:11+01:00", "authors": [ { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" } ], "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TCS-Staff-Team-EARC-planning-e1719225179728.jpg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=33605", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/a-divine-connection/", "title": "A divine connection", "content_html": "
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Naru was given contact details of three international students. They\u2019d come to study on her campus in Japan and wanted to connect with the IFES movement (KGK). But Naru wondered what to do: she thought her English was too poor and she was anxious about using it to interact with others.  

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Then she remembered the International Student Ministry (ISM) training she\u2019d received as KGK staff earlier in the year. She\u2019d been encouraged to take small steps. So, having made initial contact with the students \u2013 one from a secure country and two from Indonesia \u2013 she resolved to at least try and form an ISM group with the help of a translation app. And, just as God gave trembling Moses an eloquent Aaron (Exodus 4), so he also provided for her \u2013 beyond her expectations.  

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As lead staff in the rural Hokuriku region (affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami), Naru first had another issue to address: the future of the Japanese Bible study group. It was small, with just one Christian and one non-Christian. When she met with them to discuss plans, the Christian student was unsure about continuing due to a busy schedule; it seemed like the group might fade away. But when Naru mentioned the international students, the non-Christian expressed interest in meeting them.  

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As they were still talking, the new student from a sensitive country came along and joined the conversation. The Japanese non-Christian, confident in English, stepped forward to translate. Before long, the topic had somehow jumped from group logistics to the importance of Bible study and their need to learn directly from God as the foundation and beginning of everything. 

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The next day, they gathered again and were joined by one of the students from Indonesia. They decided to have a weekly Bible study \u2013 all together. In this way, a group that was about to cease turned into a regular meeting with the presence of Christian international students. Yuya Shimada, KGK Global Mission Coordinator and Lead Staff for ISM is delighted: \u201cThis was beyond Naru\u2019s expectations. Her desire to offer hospitality led to a revival of the local KGK group. This is a powerful testimony of partnership between local and international students.\u201d  

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This kind of fellowship is vital in Japan, says Yuya, since Japanese Christians often feel foreign in their own culture. He explains: \u201cChristian international students are by nature foreign and stand out, so the partnership between locals and internationals strengthens and encourages them both and makes them powerful witnesses among Japan\u2019s 2.6 million students.\u201d     

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Let\u2019s pray for local and international students in Japan: 

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The post A divine connection appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "Naru was given contact details of three international students. They\u2019d come to study on her campus in Japan and wanted to connect with the IFES movement (KGK). But Naru wondered what to do: she thought her English was too poor and she was anxious about using it to interact with others.  \n\n\n\nThen she remembered the International Student Ministry (ISM) training she\u2019d received as KGK staff earlier in the year. She\u2019d been encouraged to take small steps. So, having made initial contact with the students \u2013 one from a secure country and two from Indonesia \u2013 she resolved to at least try and form an ISM group with the help of a translation app. And, just as God gave trembling Moses an eloquent Aaron (Exodus 4), so he also provided for her \u2013 beyond her expectations.  \n\n\n\nAs lead staff in the rural Hokuriku region (affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami), Naru first had another issue to address: the future of the Japanese Bible study group. It was small, with just one Christian and one non-Christian. When she met with them to discuss plans, the Christian student was unsure about continuing due to a busy schedule; it seemed like the group might fade away. But when Naru mentioned the international students, the non-Christian expressed interest in meeting them.  \n\n\n\nAs they were still talking, the new student from a sensitive country came along and joined the conversation. The Japanese non-Christian, confident in English, stepped forward to translate. Before long, the topic had somehow jumped from group logistics to the importance of Bible study and their need to learn directly from God as the foundation and beginning of everything. \n\n\n\nThe next day, they gathered again and were joined by one of the students from Indonesia. They decided to have a weekly Bible study \u2013 all together. In this way, a group that was about to cease turned into a regular meeting with the presence of Christian international students. Yuya Shimada, KGK Global Mission Coordinator and Lead Staff for ISM is delighted: \u201cThis was beyond Naru\u2019s expectations. Her desire to offer hospitality led to a revival of the local KGK group. This is a powerful testimony of partnership between local and international students.\u201d  \n\n\n\nThis kind of fellowship is vital in Japan, says Yuya, since Japanese Christians often feel foreign in their own culture. He explains: \u201cChristian international students are by nature foreign and stand out, so the partnership between locals and internationals strengthens and encourages them both and makes them powerful witnesses among Japan\u2019s 2.6 million students.\u201d     \n\n\n\nLet\u2019s pray for local and international students in Japan: \n\n\n\n\nGive thanks for KGK lead staff Naru, her desire to serve international students in Japan, and the way that God provided. Pray for her and the small group \u2013 that they would be mutually encouraged in their witness as they engage with Scripture together. \n\n\n\nPray for the 200,000+ international students in Japan and the ISM of KGK Japan, including dedicated groups in Kanto and Kansai. Give thanks that ISM has been growing over the last 10 years, and pray that all student groups and staff will see and seize opportunities. \n\n\n\nPray for the KGK national training conference, 26 February \u2013 2 March, and a one-day conference in October to coincide with World Student Day. Ask that both will inspire and equip students in global mission.  \n\nThe post A divine connection appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2024-02-06T05:55:00+00:00", "date_modified": "2025-01-15T10:58:53+00:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Bryn Rickards", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/bryn-rickards/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/8672abde7ce0c7ed71f1b1cc3ec261a2.jpg?ver=1760274006" } ], "author": { "name": "Bryn Rickards", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/bryn-rickards/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/8672abde7ce0c7ed71f1b1cc3ec261a2.jpg?ver=1760274006" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ISM-in-KGK.jpg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=28210", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/perseverance-in-troubled-times/", "title": "Perseverance in troubled times", "content_html": "
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Like most students involved in ministry in Hong Kong, Speech and Hearing Sciences student Grace juggles several ministry roles alongside her heavy study schedule. One of them is as student representative on the board of the Hong Kong Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES).

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Just a few short years ago, universities here were the scene of violent clashes between student activists and political authorities. The ensuing security crackdown resulted in many thousands of young people leaving the island city, leaving others deeply demoralised. Grace tells us that a recent FES Bible camp focused on this ongoing wave of emigration, and provided a space where students could seek from God the courage to persevere. Reflecting on how the disciples must have felt at Jesus\u2019s last supper, the young people were encouraged to rethink their position within the suffering community.\u202f\u202f\u202f

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Thanks to the generosity of those who gave to World Assembly scholarships, Grace will join 900 students, national ministry workers and IFES staff this week in Jakarta. This opportunity for our global community to unite in worship, study, learning, and fellowship has historically had a profound impact on both individuals and organisations.

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Grace is excited to tell the worldwide IFES community how God is working: 

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\u201cGod is preparing groups of student leaders who are willing to take up the responsibilities in their respective fellowships. Through their actions they have been witnessing to God\u2019s grace and commending themselves to others\u2026 [At] World Assembly, I would like to see how God is making all things new in other countries. I look forward to experiencing more [of] God\u2019s work both [in] me and [in] the board of students. Thank you!\u201d

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Please join us in praying for Grace and other student witnesses at World Assembly:

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The post Perseverance in troubled times appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "Like most students involved in ministry in Hong Kong, Speech and Hearing Sciences student Grace juggles several ministry roles alongside her heavy study schedule. One of them is as student representative on the board of the Hong Kong Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES).\n\n\n\nJust a few short years ago, universities here were the scene of violent clashes between student activists and political authorities. The ensuing security crackdown resulted in many thousands of young people leaving the island city, leaving others deeply demoralised. Grace tells us that a recent FES Bible camp focused on this ongoing wave of emigration, and provided a space where students could seek from God the courage to persevere. Reflecting on how the disciples must have felt at Jesus\u2019s last supper, the young people were encouraged to rethink their position within the suffering community.\u202f\u202f\u202f\n\n\n\nThanks to the generosity of those who gave to World Assembly scholarships, Grace will join 900 students, national ministry workers and IFES staff this week in Jakarta. This opportunity for our global community to unite in worship, study, learning, and fellowship has historically had a profound impact on both individuals and organisations.\n\n\n\nGrace is excited to tell the worldwide IFES community how God is working: \n\n\n\n\u201cGod is preparing groups of student leaders who are willing to take up the responsibilities in their respective fellowships. Through their actions they have been witnessing to God\u2019s grace and commending themselves to others\u2026 [At] World Assembly, I would like to see how God is making all things new in other countries. I look forward to experiencing more [of] God\u2019s work both [in] me and [in] the board of students. Thank you!\u201d\n\n\n\nPlease join us in praying for Grace and other student witnesses at World Assembly:\n\n\n\n\nPray that they will be encouraged, refreshed and strengthened by this unique and precious opportunity.\n\n\n\nPray that Grace, and others witnessing in difficult contexts, will discover practical ways to help their fellow students to grow in perseverance on their return. \n\n\n\nPray that all those working in student ministry in Hong Kong would know God\u2019s presence and peace.\n\n\n\nPray that the Holy Spirit will inspire hope and trust in all working in student ministry in situations that seem bleak in human terms.\n\nThe post Perseverance in troubled times appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2023-08-01T07:57:00+01:00", "date_modified": "2023-07-26T16:05:43+01:00", "authors": [ { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" } ], "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ryan-mac-kCABKZBt4Gk-unsplash-1.jpg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=23889", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/wake-up-calls-and-new-perspectives/", "title": "Wake-up calls and new perspectives", "content_html": "
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Now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted and borders re-opened, students in Singapore have spent the last few months strengthening their faith through in-person camps and retreats.

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In late December, students from five universities across Singapore travelled to neighbouring Malaysia for SWAT, which stands for Studying the Word All Together. This Bible camp was jointly organised by students from the National University of Singapore Varsity Christian Fellowship (NUS VCF) and Nanyang Technological University Christian Fellowship (NTU CF). After two years of online camp, students were excited to come together in person and be challenged by this year\u2019s theme: Preparing for the King’s Return, taken from 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13.

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\u201cThe theme talks were a good reminder – and wake-up call – of whether I\u2019m ready for Jesus\u2019 second coming, and if I have been intentional in engaging in the Christian communities God has placed me in,\u201d shared Tricia Khaw Jing Xuan, a first-year business administration student.

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Tricia was one of 128 students who attended the six-day camp, during which participants heard from an expert speaker who unpacked 1 Thessalonians. But the highlight for many students was the richness of delving into the Scriptures with their small groups.

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\u201cWhat impacted me the most,\u201d reflected Tricia, \u201cwas hearing my group sharing about the topics covered like rapture and grief, preparing for Jesus\u2019 return, and the salience of the Christian community in today\u2019s world. I was able to see Scripture come to life in other students\u2019 experiences, and that level of vulnerability throughout the camp made us much closer.\u201d

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For Nathanael Lim Yeong Sng, a third-year international trade student, a workshop on lament left him with a new perspective on how faith relates to our emotions.

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\u201cWe explored the story of Job in a new light, and looked at how Job\u2019s feelings of anger, sorrow, and questioning of God were part of having a genuine relationship with Him,\u201d said Nathanael. \u201cThis retelling of Job shifted my perspective on my relationship with God.\u201d

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\u201cSociety generally tells us to sweep our pain and grief under the rug and to be positive all the time. But I learned that it\u2019s okay to air our feelings out and care for the soul. Lament shouldn\u2019t be seen as something negative to get over but as a great expression of hope where we can trust that God listens to us in times of brokenness.\u201d

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Please pray with us for FES Singapore:

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Read more recent news from FES Singapore in the movement\u2019s Impetus newsletter.

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The post Wake-up calls and new perspectives appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "Now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted and borders re-opened, students in Singapore have spent the last few months strengthening their faith through in-person camps and retreats.\n\n\n\nIn late December, students from five universities across Singapore travelled to neighbouring Malaysia for SWAT, which stands for Studying the Word All Together. This Bible camp was jointly organised by students from the National University of Singapore Varsity Christian Fellowship (NUS VCF) and Nanyang Technological University Christian Fellowship (NTU CF). After two years of online camp, students were excited to come together in person and be challenged by this year\u2019s theme: Preparing for the King’s Return, taken from 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe theme talks were a good reminder – and wake-up call – of whether I\u2019m ready for Jesus\u2019 second coming, and if I have been intentional in engaging in the Christian communities God has placed me in,\u201d shared Tricia Khaw Jing Xuan, a first-year business administration student.\n\n\n\nTricia was one of 128 students who attended the six-day camp, during which participants heard from an expert speaker who unpacked 1 Thessalonians. But the highlight for many students was the richness of delving into the Scriptures with their small groups.\n\n\n\n\u201cWhat impacted me the most,\u201d reflected Tricia, \u201cwas hearing my group sharing about the topics covered like rapture and grief, preparing for Jesus\u2019 return, and the salience of the Christian community in today\u2019s world. I was able to see Scripture come to life in other students\u2019 experiences, and that level of vulnerability throughout the camp made us much closer.\u201d\n\n\n\nFor Nathanael Lim Yeong Sng, a third-year international trade student, a workshop on lament left him with a new perspective on how faith relates to our emotions.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe explored the story of Job in a new light, and looked at how Job\u2019s feelings of anger, sorrow, and questioning of God were part of having a genuine relationship with Him,\u201d said Nathanael. \u201cThis retelling of Job shifted my perspective on my relationship with God.\u201d\n\n\n\n\u201cSociety generally tells us to sweep our pain and grief under the rug and to be positive all the time. But I learned that it\u2019s okay to air our feelings out and care for the soul. Lament shouldn\u2019t be seen as something negative to get over but as a great expression of hope where we can trust that God listens to us in times of brokenness.\u201d\n\n\n\nPlease pray with us for FES Singapore:\n\n\n\nAs students return from camps to the busyness and burnout of their second semester, pray that they would continue to be filled with courage and commitment to make the choices that matter for the Lord.Pray for student leaders that they would be equipped with the heart and skills to engage their campuses and make a lasting impact, particularly during this time when campuses are changing in the aftermath of the pandemic.Pray for staff, especially as the movement\u2019s Staff Conference approaches on 17-20 April. Pray for wisdom, insight, and courage as the movement focuses on equipping staff to meet new demands and issues in a post-pandemic world. \n\n\n\nRead more recent news from FES Singapore in the movement\u2019s Impetus newsletter.\nThe post Wake-up calls and new perspectives appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2023-03-21T05:16:00+00:00", "date_modified": "2023-03-17T17:51:53+00:00", "authors": [ { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" } ], "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SWAT-whole-group-pic.jpeg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=conexion&p=20949", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/blog/does-student-ministry-really-make-a-difference/", "title": "Does student ministry really make a difference?", "content_html": "
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Students may not remain students for very long. Sometimes the opportunity to shape a student\u2019s life can feel too brief. A week at camp or on mission, an hour each week in Bible study together \u2013 does that actually add up to much? Students come and go, and it\u2019s easy to feel like the impact of ministry is lost.

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But God uses the smallest of circumstances. We never know how one conference, one conversation, or one book recommendation might change a life. However that change comes, graduates can go on to make a difference in many ways. Sometimes their impact is very quiet, very ordinary, and not noticed by many people\u2014and sometimes it can\u2019t be ignored.

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Our vision is to see students impacting the university, the church, and society for the glory of Christ, during and after their years in school. In this blog we meet three people\u2014from the Netherlands, Malaysia, and the USA\u2014who reflect on how their experience in a student group shaped them to make an impact after graduation.

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Bart Bierling: fighting injustice in healthcare

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How could God work through your studies?

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Bart Bierling was brought up Christian, but his faith never felt like his own. During his time in IFES Nederland, the student movement in the Netherlands, however, that changed. As Bart understood what Jesus meant for him personally, he “got the urge to really make a difference in this world\u201d.

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During his studies, Bart researched ways to reduce the negative impact of monitoring sensors on premature babies. These findings led him to develop a type of sensor that provided non-obtrusive monitoring of vital functions. It wasn\u2019t long before the importance of this new method was recognised by Bart\u2019s colleagues and the broader medical community. In developing countries, limited access to equipment challenges the ability of health workers to provide new sensors for each new patient. It is equally difficult for understaffed healthcare teams to monitor the data from these sensors regularly and easily.

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Bart\u2019s innovation addresses both concerns. Through various collaborative efforts, Bart and his team are helping bring relief to strained medical systems and more effective care to the most vulnerable patients. Currently, Bart is in Malawi, studying clinical data and interviewing healthcare professionals.

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\u201cGod really brought the right people into my path\u201d, he says. \u201cWe’re not yet where we hope to go, but the rest is in God\u2019s hands. There\u2019s so much injustice in the world when it comes to healthcare. I want to improve that.\u201d

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You can find out more about Bart\u2019s project on his website https://goal3.org/nl/

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Chuah Ee Chia: an agent of change in her country

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At the 2005 national conference of FES, the student movement in Malaysia, fresh graduate Ee Chia made a commitment to God.

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\u201cMake me an agent of change in my country\u201d.  

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Years later, during a diving vacation, Ee Chia encountered the stateless Bajau Laut community, who live on boats and stilt houses off the shores of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. She never forgot them and in 2015, during her master\u2019s degree, Ee Chia returned to Omadal Island to co-founded Iskul Sama DiLaut Omadal.

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Initially, the school provided Bajau Laut children an opportunity to learn how to read, as taught to them on weekends by local Malaysian children. Today, Iksul includes a community water project and healthcare clinic, as well as a food aid delivery initiative started in response to the pandemic. The school continues teaching children to read and write; however, Bajau Laut youths are now assisting their younger relatives and friends in literacy. With this simple objective, Ee Chia\u2019s project has contributed to the process of healing divisions between communities in Malaysia.

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\u201cOf all of the activism God has guided me through, the seed was planted in my undergraduate studies with FES\u201d, Ee Chia says. \u201cOur faith is demonstrated in action.\u201d

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You can find out more about Iskul from their new YouTube channel, with videos created directly by Bajau Laut youths: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpc-k9cCFr5DTEUVZ5Gtn8Q…

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Almita Miranda: at the forefront of struggle

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\u201cImmigration was always part of my life\u201d, says Almita, whose parents came to the US from Mexico in the 1970s. But it was only at university that Almita discovered how to weave together her life story, her faith in Jesus, and her research skills: God was calling her to be an advocate for undocumented immigrants and their families.

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During her studies, Almita found community in the Latino Fellowship group, part of InterVarsity, the student movement in the USA. There, she explored how her identity and faith intersected. \u201cReading Esther at the 2004 LaFe national conference helped me realize that being a Christian means I embrace my ethnic identity,\u201d she says. \u201cIt informs my unique experience, which God can use for his purposes.\u201d

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This helped Almita uncover her academic passions and transform her career path. Today, Dr Almita Miranda is an Assistant Professor of Geography and Chican@ and Latin@ Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the ways Mexican mixed-status families navigate legal and social constraints.

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\u201cThe families I work with teach me more about faith and la lucha (the fight) for social justice than I could ever give back,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I try to use my position as an academic to contextualize their struggles, within a history of Mexico-U.S. migration and unjust immigration laws that maintain families in legal limbo, threatening many with deportation and family separation.

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\u201cGod loves all people. He is a God of justice, who promises to defend and protect the most vulnerable. As people of faith, we should be at the forefront of these struggles for social justice.\u201d

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Do you have a story about how your student group impacted you or someone you know? We would love to hear it. Tell us your story at hello@ifesworld.org. Let\u2019s be encouraged that God is working in the world\u2019s universities, giving students solid foundations to impact the church, the university, and the world for the glory of Christ.

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The post Does student ministry really make a difference? appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "Students may not remain students for very long. Sometimes the opportunity to shape a student\u2019s life can feel too brief. A week at camp or on mission, an hour each week in Bible study together \u2013 does that actually add up to much? Students come and go, and it\u2019s easy to feel like the impact of ministry is lost.\n\n\n\nBut God uses the smallest of circumstances. We never know how one conference, one conversation, or one book recommendation might change a life. However that change comes, graduates can go on to make a difference in many ways. Sometimes their impact is very quiet, very ordinary, and not noticed by many people\u2014and sometimes it can\u2019t be ignored.\n\n\n\nOur vision is to see students impacting the university, the church, and society for the glory of Christ, during and after their years in school. In this blog we meet three people\u2014from the Netherlands, Malaysia, and the USA\u2014who reflect on how their experience in a student group shaped them to make an impact after graduation.\n\n\n\nBart Bierling: fighting injustice in healthcare\n\n\n\nHow could God work through your studies?\n\n\n\nBart Bierling was brought up Christian, but his faith never felt like his own. During his time in IFES Nederland, the student movement in the Netherlands, however, that changed. As Bart understood what Jesus meant for him personally, he “got the urge to really make a difference in this world\u201d.\n\n\n\nDuring his studies, Bart researched ways to reduce the negative impact of monitoring sensors on premature babies. These findings led him to develop a type of sensor that provided non-obtrusive monitoring of vital functions. It wasn\u2019t long before the importance of this new method was recognised by Bart\u2019s colleagues and the broader medical community. In developing countries, limited access to equipment challenges the ability of health workers to provide new sensors for each new patient. It is equally difficult for understaffed healthcare teams to monitor the data from these sensors regularly and easily.\n\n\n\nBart\u2019s innovation addresses both concerns. Through various collaborative efforts, Bart and his team are helping bring relief to strained medical systems and more effective care to the most vulnerable patients. Currently, Bart is in Malawi, studying clinical data and interviewing healthcare professionals.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u201cGod really brought the right people into my path\u201d, he says. \u201cWe’re not yet where we hope to go, but the rest is in God\u2019s hands. There\u2019s so much injustice in the world when it comes to healthcare. I want to improve that.\u201d\n\n\n\nYou can find out more about Bart\u2019s project on his website https://goal3.org/nl/\n\n\n\nChuah Ee Chia: an agent of change in her country\n\n\n\nAt the 2005 national conference of FES, the student movement in Malaysia, fresh graduate Ee Chia made a commitment to God.\n\n\n\n\u201cMake me an agent of change in my country\u201d.  \n\n\n\nYears later, during a diving vacation, Ee Chia encountered the stateless Bajau Laut community, who live on boats and stilt houses off the shores of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. She never forgot them and in 2015, during her master\u2019s degree, Ee Chia returned to Omadal Island to co-founded Iskul Sama DiLaut Omadal.\n\n\n\nInitially, the school provided Bajau Laut children an opportunity to learn how to read, as taught to them on weekends by local Malaysian children. Today, Iksul includes a community water project and healthcare clinic, as well as a food aid delivery initiative started in response to the pandemic. The school continues teaching children to read and write; however, Bajau Laut youths are now assisting their younger relatives and friends in literacy. With this simple objective, Ee Chia\u2019s project has contributed to the process of healing divisions between communities in Malaysia.\n\n\n\n\u201cOf all of the activism God has guided me through, the seed was planted in my undergraduate studies with FES\u201d, Ee Chia says. \u201cOur faith is demonstrated in action.\u201d\n\n\n\nYou can find out more about Iskul from their new YouTube channel, with videos created directly by Bajau Laut youths: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpc-k9cCFr5DTEUVZ5Gtn8Q…\n\n\n\nAlmita Miranda: at the forefront of struggle\n\n\n\n\u201cImmigration was always part of my life\u201d, says Almita, whose parents came to the US from Mexico in the 1970s. But it was only at university that Almita discovered how to weave together her life story, her faith in Jesus, and her research skills: God was calling her to be an advocate for undocumented immigrants and their families.\n\n\n\nDuring her studies, Almita found community in the Latino Fellowship group, part of InterVarsity, the student movement in the USA. There, she explored how her identity and faith intersected. \u201cReading Esther at the 2004 LaFe national conference helped me realize that being a Christian means I embrace my ethnic identity,\u201d she says. \u201cIt informs my unique experience, which God can use for his purposes.\u201d\n\n\n\nThis helped Almita uncover her academic passions and transform her career path. Today, Dr Almita Miranda is an Assistant Professor of Geography and Chican@ and Latin@ Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the ways Mexican mixed-status families navigate legal and social constraints.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe families I work with teach me more about faith and la lucha (the fight) for social justice than I could ever give back,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I try to use my position as an academic to contextualize their struggles, within a history of Mexico-U.S. migration and unjust immigration laws that maintain families in legal limbo, threatening many with deportation and family separation.\n\n\n\n\u201cGod loves all people. He is a God of justice, who promises to defend and protect the most vulnerable. As people of faith, we should be at the forefront of these struggles for social justice.\u201d\n\n\n\nDo you have a story about how your student group impacted you or someone you know? We would love to hear it. Tell us your story at hello@ifesworld.org. Let\u2019s be encouraged that God is working in the world\u2019s universities, giving students solid foundations to impact the church, the university, and the world for the glory of Christ.\nThe post Does student ministry really make a difference? appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2023-02-02T06:26:00+00:00", "date_modified": "2023-04-05T16:03:56+01:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Tim.Boland", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/tim-boland/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/2021787e4b2a866a6efcc474e3c84514.jpg?ver=1760274904" } ], "author": { "name": "Tim.Boland", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/tim-boland/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/2021787e4b2a866a6efcc474e3c84514.jpg?ver=1760274904" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Kathleen-3.jpg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=19641", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/secrets-that-i-kept-from-god/", "title": "Secrets that I kept from God", "content_html": "
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Are there things in your life that you never tell anybody? Would you ever tell God? 

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Students from CEF, the student movement in Taiwan, may have had all kinds of expectations when they came to camp. This one\u2014with a theme of \u201cSecrets that I Kept from God\u201d\u2014was a bit different. Each day, in keeping with the theme, the students would hear real life stories. They were encouraged to consider and even discuss the things they don\u2019t tell anyone, spending time in prayer, worship, and Bible study. The staff workers wanted students to confront hard things in their lives, bringing their shortcomings, sins, and secrets to God. In Christ, they could come before the Father, in all circumstances. The Holy Spirit would guide them to live out their faith consistently. A community of faith \u2013 people in the same predicament \u2013 would keep them going. 

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It was an intense and memorable experience for all. But, as one member of the team who organized camp put it, \u201cwith every courageous admission, every expression of empathy, and every re-examination of the God we believe in, confusion gradually became belief, anger became forgiveness, and scars became signs of growth. I didn\u2019t expect that God would work with us in such a profound way. He has given us what we need to grow, with brothers and sisters from different universities to support one another.\u201d 

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\u201cThere are no great breakthroughs\u201d shares another CEF team member. \u201cJust a few simple stories. But camp showed us what God wants us to be in our years on earth \u2013 gracious, truthful, and happy. Originally, I didn\u2019t think it would be anything special \u2013 but here I am, writing about those profound and beautiful nights. God is really working here.\u201d 

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Pray for the students of CEF Taiwan: 

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The post Secrets that I kept from God appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "Are there things in your life that you never tell anybody? Would you ever tell God? \n\n\n\nStudents from CEF, the student movement in Taiwan, may have had all kinds of expectations when they came to camp. This one\u2014with a theme of \u201cSecrets that I Kept from God\u201d\u2014was a bit different. Each day, in keeping with the theme, the students would hear real life stories. They were encouraged to consider and even discuss the things they don\u2019t tell anyone, spending time in prayer, worship, and Bible study. The staff workers wanted students to confront hard things in their lives, bringing their shortcomings, sins, and secrets to God. In Christ, they could come before the Father, in all circumstances. The Holy Spirit would guide them to live out their faith consistently. A community of faith \u2013 people in the same predicament \u2013 would keep them going. \n\n\n\nIt was an intense and memorable experience for all. But, as one member of the team who organized camp put it, \u201cwith every courageous admission, every expression of empathy, and every re-examination of the God we believe in, confusion gradually became belief, anger became forgiveness, and scars became signs of growth. I didn\u2019t expect that God would work with us in such a profound way. He has given us what we need to grow, with brothers and sisters from different universities to support one another.\u201d \n\n\n\n\u201cThere are no great breakthroughs\u201d shares another CEF team member. \u201cJust a few simple stories. But camp showed us what God wants us to be in our years on earth \u2013 gracious, truthful, and happy. Originally, I didn\u2019t think it would be anything special \u2013 but here I am, writing about those profound and beautiful nights. God is really working here.\u201d \n\n\n\nPray for the students of CEF Taiwan: \n\n\n\nThank God for these significant experiences at camp. Pray that they would lead to changed lives, increased holiness, and deeper discipleship for students and team members. Pray that this growth would lead to more students in Taiwan coming to know to Christ.  Pray that students and team members would continue to bring their burdens and sins before God, without hiding \u2013 in the knowledge that through Christ, God will \u201cforgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more\u201d (Hebrews 8:12). Pray that in a world of facades, God would continue to lead students all over the world into real relationship with him. \nThe post Secrets that I kept from God appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2022-09-13T05:18:00+01:00", "date_modified": "2022-09-12T17:21:58+01:00", "authors": [ { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" } ], "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Camp-2-scaled.jpg" }, { "id": "https://ifesworld.org/?post_type=prayerline&p=19284", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/prayerline/make-jesus-king/", "title": "Make Jesus King", "content_html": "
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August 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the official founding of IFES. Over the next year, we invite you to join us in reflecting on our past, rejoicing in our present, and turning towards our future. In this edition of Prayerline we\u2019re looking back. There is no singular thread to trace through the years to find an origin point of IFES student ministry. Rather, it is a mosaic, a piece of which we will look at today. This piece provides a great testimony to how we can spur one another on, even from across continents. As we consider the work of a student from the distant past, let\u2019s pray that students of the present will continue to impact one another from every corner of the world. 

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It was 1889. Students in Japan were hosting their first ever national student conference, having been inspired by stories of gatherings elsewhere in the world. Participants included a wide range of students from Japan\u2019s educational institutions and, significant for the period, 96 women among them. Their focus included more than gospel student work in their own country. Also in attendance was the American staff worker Luther Wishard, who informed the Japanese students that such a conference was taking place at the same time the United States. In response to this news, the Japanese students cabled a greeting: 

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\u2018Kyoto, July 5, 1889. Make Jesus King. Signed, five hundred students.\u2019 

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When American leaders saw this message, they were deeply moved. Richard Morse, General Secretary of the YMCA, which was at that time working with students, promptly shared it with his colleague Karl Fries in Stockholm. When Fries received the letter, he was at the Stockholm Scandinavian Missionary Conference with a group of students from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. When those students heard the message from Japan, they asked: \u2018if students can gather round Jesus Christ as their King over there in the Far East, why not also here in the north?\u2019 

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Scandinavian students followed through on the challenge. The following summer, 170 assembled in Denmark for the first Scandinavian student conference. They were inspired and stimulated to continue sharing the gospel, living for Jesus, and committing their whole lives to God, building a vision for evangelism and discipleship in the university. The call from Japan to \u2018Make Jesus King\u2019 resonated around the world, and its power has not been diminished by the decades. As then, so it is now: God continues to build his church and bring his kingdom. So too, the progress of our own IFES story continues to unfold. 

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Let\u2019s pray for similar moves of God through global connections today: 

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The post Make Jesus King appeared first on IFES.

\n", "content_text": "August 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the official founding of IFES. Over the next year, we invite you to join us in reflecting on our past, rejoicing in our present, and turning towards our future. In this edition of Prayerline we\u2019re looking back. There is no singular thread to trace through the years to find an origin point of IFES student ministry. Rather, it is a mosaic, a piece of which we will look at today. This piece provides a great testimony to how we can spur one another on, even from across continents. As we consider the work of a student from the distant past, let\u2019s pray that students of the present will continue to impact one another from every corner of the world. \n\n\n\nIt was 1889. Students in Japan were hosting their first ever national student conference, having been inspired by stories of gatherings elsewhere in the world. Participants included a wide range of students from Japan\u2019s educational institutions and, significant for the period, 96 women among them. Their focus included more than gospel student work in their own country. Also in attendance was the American staff worker Luther Wishard, who informed the Japanese students that such a conference was taking place at the same time the United States. In response to this news, the Japanese students cabled a greeting: \n\n\n\n\u2018Kyoto, July 5, 1889. Make Jesus King. Signed, five hundred students.\u2019 \n\n\n\nWhen American leaders saw this message, they were deeply moved. Richard Morse, General Secretary of the YMCA, which was at that time working with students, promptly shared it with his colleague Karl Fries in Stockholm. When Fries received the letter, he was at the Stockholm Scandinavian Missionary Conference with a group of students from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. When those students heard the message from Japan, they asked: \u2018if students can gather round Jesus Christ as their King over there in the Far East, why not also here in the north?\u2019 \n\n\n\nScandinavian students followed through on the challenge. The following summer, 170 assembled in Denmark for the first Scandinavian student conference. They were inspired and stimulated to continue sharing the gospel, living for Jesus, and committing their whole lives to God, building a vision for evangelism and discipleship in the university. The call from Japan to \u2018Make Jesus King\u2019 resonated around the world, and its power has not been diminished by the decades. As then, so it is now: God continues to build his church and bring his kingdom. So too, the progress of our own IFES story continues to unfold. \n\n\n\nLet\u2019s pray for similar moves of God through global connections today: \n\n\n\nPray for students around the world to connect with the opportunities we have today: through social media, IFES regional initiatives and global ministries, and events like World Student Day. Pray for students in today\u2019s KGK Japan, InterVarsity USA, KFS Denmark, NKSS Norway, and Credo Sweden, as well as all other IFES national movements. Pray for a continued and renewed sense of worship, faith, and obedience to the call to make disciples of all nations. Pray with us that every student really would make Jesus King in the fullest, deepest, truest sense, becoming a wonderful force for good in whatever journey God has for them. \nThe post Make Jesus King appeared first on IFES.", "date_published": "2022-08-02T05:51:00+01:00", "date_modified": "2022-07-26T16:12:19+01:00", "authors": [ { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" } ], "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://ifesworld.org/en/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/litespeed/avatar/3021a3e3433971d777b4933267a9b6db.jpg?ver=1760286604" }, "image": "https://ifesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/KGK-Japan-June-22-75th.jpg" } ] }