Not long ago, I was running an errand before one of our midweek programs.  I didn’t have a lot of time to accomplish the task, and I was sure I could run to a particular store and back in less than 20 minutes.  As I was heading into the store, I was stopped by a man named William, who was badly limping, unshaven, and looked like he needed something to eat.  He stopped me and asked if I could give him a ride home, which he assured me wasn’t far.  The Holy Spirit moved in my heart, so I told him that I’d be happy to give him a ride, especially since his place wasn’t far.  We got into my car and began driving, and I asked him how to get to his home.  He told me to just drive and he would get me there.  As we pulled in view of a grocery store, he told me that he was hungry and he’d like some cash to go and purchase a few chickens to cook.  Glancing at my watch, I knew that this additional unplanned stop would cost precious time before the evening’s activity.  I told him I’d be happy to run into the store and buy him what he wanted, since it’s a personal conviction of mine not to hand out cash.  After buying the chickens, we were on the road again.  We had gone about 8 miles (at which point I was questioning his definition of “not far”) and he told me he wanted to stop at a gas station to get a brill-o pad.  At this point I was a little frustrated, because I could have purchased that at the grocery store.  I asked him if he could walk to a convenience store after I dropped him off, but he told me that there were none within walking distance of his home.  After stopping at two different gas stations, we still hadn’t found a brill-o pad.  The third and final station we stopped at did have one, so we picked it up and were back on the way.  We were now in the next town, approximately 15 miles from where I picked William up.  He directed me into his apartment complex, but had tremendous difficulty remembering where he lived.  We finally had to stop and ask several tenants if they knew where he lived before we got to the right place. 

As I pulled away, I began to ask God what he was trying to teach me through this experience.  I believe he showed me four truths about ministry:

1. Ministry is time-consuming.  We have taken a page right out of the business world’s manual when we expect that ministry can be done in neatly-packaged 30-minute time slots.  This is especially true in college ministry, where a student’s query, “Do you have 5 minutes?” actually means, “I’m going to need the next hour for you to help me through this.”

2. Ministry is costly.  At well over $3.00 a gallon, driving a man a few miles was going to set me back.  Drive 30 miles, make several stops, buy two chickens and a brill-o pad for a poor man and the wallet is definitely lighter.  As a married man with kids, I’d prefer to pinch pennies.  However, God has shown me that “my” money is really his money, and that it is to be used to minister to others.  While I don’t spend money every time I’m with people, I’ve learned that some of my best ministry moments happen because I bought a college student a cup of coffee or a meal, or said yes to God when a need arose.

3. Ministry is inconvenient.  Well-organized, Type A personalities like me can get flustered in a hurry when things don’t go the way we want them to.  Jesus was often stopped numerous times on a mission to help someone else, as in the case where he was going to heal Jairus’ sick daughter (Mark 5).  Allowing God to set our agendas may seem inconvenient to us, but it ensures that we will make ourselves available when the chance to do soul work presents itself.

4. Ministry is heart-breaking. When I realized this man wasn’t even sure where he lived, I hurt for him.  In college ministry, we deal with the same confusion, except that it pertains to spiritual matters.  Some of the students we will pour our time, energy, and money into will still walk in confusion and make poor choices.  But so did Jesus’ disciples, and he was perfect.  Allowing God to break our hearts helps us to remember that God is ultimately in control, not us, and moves us to pray for those who are confused and hurting.

I still struggle to remember these truths and put them into practice in my day-to-day ministry.  However, God used this experience to shed light on my selfishness and man-centered goals I had created for my ministry.  Let’s ask God to make us perceptive to teachable moments like this one, because these are the kinds of experiences that He uses to make us better ministers in the time-consuming, costly, inconvenient, and heart-breaking world of college ministry.

Allen Duty is Minister to Students at Living Hope Baptist Church in College Station.

Last August, I met Punit and Madhavi. Both are graduate students at a university nearby. They moved into apartments on campus with the 70 pounds of luggage they had each brought from their homes in India. Neither had a bed. Neither had basic kitchen appliances. Neither had a desk. Neither had living room furniture. And they lived this way for six months until some members of local churches noticed and began to provide those items for their apartments and much more. They began to provide friendship in Jesus name- sharing not only their lives but the gospel as well. -I Thess. 2:8

Often church members would do something that would minister to an international student if they only knew what was needed. Here are several suggestions that your church could implement in order to minister to the nations coming to your cities and towns to study at university campuses.

First, contact a campus minister (BSM Director if there is one or a staff member with International Students Inc.) who works with international students on a daily basis and ask them what you or your church can do. If there is not a campus ministry reaching international students, then call and set up a meeting with the director of the International Student Services office at a campus near you. Introduce yourself during that meeting and ask this question, “Whats one thing you’d like to do for your students that you don’t have the time or resources to do which would make their stay here a success?” And listen to see if one of the things they list is something your church could begin to do.

Second, invite some international students to your home for a meal. Did you know that many study here for two to four years and are never invited to share a meal with anyone outside of the university? Be sure to check with them about dietary restrictions before preparing your meal. Some may not eat meat or may only eat some kinds of meat. Do your best to honor that restriction so that you can continue to befriend them.

Third, ask them what their needs are and look for ways to meet those needs. On the campus closest to me it relates to unfurnished apartments, but your situation may create different needs. Most of these students won’t have a car when they arrive so it may be transportation to and from the grocery store or to the airport for holiday breaks.

Fourth, participate in events on the campus which involve international students. Find out when and where events happen that church members could come to in order to meet an international student. Many campuses have welcome parties at the beginning of the year and would welcome the help of American volunteers.

Ultimately, I’d like to encourage you to seek to establish a relationship with one or two international students or one apartment full of them. Extending friendship in the name of Christ to them over the long haul of their academic career is where you will find the most fruitfulness of your efforts.

-Beth Smith is International Student Ministry Specialist for Collegiate Ministry at the BGCT.  She is available to help your church understand and develop ministry to international students in your community.  For more information email us at collegeministry@bgct.org.   

I sit here in my comfortable room

I wonder if you’re okay

As you show the Way

Sewing, digging wells, teaching, living life far away

You choose the road less traveled

To bring Light to the dark 

One day at time, one heart at a time 

People’s lives are changed

Priorities rearranged

Because by faith, hope, and love

You have made yourself available to plans

Bigger than any guidance counselor could offer 

As I think of you and pray

My comfortable room becomes less

My heart more restless

My mind races to possibilities

I gotta do something 

All around me is hopelessness

I don’t have to go very far

Dressed fine and in a nice car

Or in rags, scruffy, with old shoes

Are those who need someone

One day at time, One heart at a time

To care enough to offer faith, hope, and love 

As I think of them and pray

My comfortable room becomes less

My heart more restless

My mind races to possibilities

I gotta be something to do something 

Jesus help me be more like You

So that I can see people like You

And do that for which I’m made

Giving away faith, hope, and love

To a world tired of hearing about another

Loaded cup of red Kool-Aid I think of You and pray

Comfort has lost its appeal

My heart is pounding

My mind’s about to blow

No more sitting around

Here I go…

  Trey Bledsoe is Minister to Students at Canyon Creek Baptist Church.  Trey and students from Canyon Creek have participated in several Go Now mission projects.